Polymer Clay Daily

Polymer that emerges with hope

“I’m loving this new project,” Heather Campbell said in October, “It’s so physical and messy. I guess a darker side of me needs to erupt and show itself before I can move on.”

The December result is Holding It Together, a large polymer and mixed media sculpture with a hopeful, healthy message for the end of our year.

Heather explains that, “Our strength is our ability to sew and hammer and bind, to glue and nail each piece of ourselves together, until the strength of our parts makes us whole again. Holding it together is our challenge, emerging with hope is our goal. We are survivors.”

The scale and power of this piece is remarkable. Watch Heather rip into a mannequin form that serves as the base. Scroll down to watch this big girl take shape.

Heather will teach others how to make a powerful personal portrait of their own at Maureen Carlson’s Center in May.

As a fitting start for the new year, she received word that her rustic, layered polymer necklace has been chosen as a finalist for a Niche Award! Visit the Niche site to see more finalists. Happy 2012 to all of you!

Is polymer your prozac?

Don’t you love to watch other people working when you’re not? I’m basking in the southern sun this week and have enjoyed seeing people like Berlin’s Conni Filip get a head start on the next holiday.

Some of her futuristic heart designs are magnets and some are money pockets with secret slots for gift giving. Below are the baked bases (I’m guessing Ultralight) that she then carves and paints.

Since I’m sucking up wifi at fast food joints this week, I’ve had to scurry through links and sites. Folks have been stuffing Pinterest.com full of their fabulous polymer finds.

If polymer is your prozac, spend a little holiday mental health time with Kathy Weaver or me or Anke Humpert or a number of other polymer enthusiasts on Pinterest.

Promotional polymer

Nena Sabo made her first appearance on PCD last week and here she is again with another great idea already.

Don’t you wish you’d seen her mugs and matching polymer handled spoons before the holidays? What a super gift idea or workshop/studio promotion.

This Serbian artist photographs her favorite polymer patterns and has mugs made from the digital file. (I’ve had good luck using Zazzle and you can google many similar and cheaper services.)

She fashions a companion spoon handle from the same pattern. Are your wheels turning?

Holiday cruising

The “mocha” gallery on Maine artist Suzanne Anderson’s YIKES! gallery drew me in as I lazily cruised the web today. You may be tempted by any one of Suzanne’s color pages. These bangles look like a good way to use up bits of pattern and color as you clean out your studio for the new year.

Fretting about what lies ahead? Tory Hughes offers some words of inspiration for 2012 on her site.

Christine Damm is busy using up the orphans and odd bits in her studio. I’m partial to these Carpathia earrings and wonder if there could be anything that magical among my scraps.

If you’re ready for a master class to catapult you into the new year, look no further than the new online book and master class offered by Dan Cormier and Tracy Holmes. The layout of the book is inspired, the lessons detailed and engaging, and the concept is spot-on.

Die-forming is an important trend for polymer art in 2012. Dan and Tracy are offering a package deal on the book and must-have tools for the rest of this week!

Polymer and volcanic offerings

Drop on over to Donna Greenberg’s rendition of Nightmare Before Christmas on Flickr. Alexa Ray Joel (Billy Joel’s daughter) makes a guest appearance wearing one of Donna’s newest chunky pyrite and polymer Lava rings from her Volcanic Offerings series.

Donna’s straightforward and aggressive style pairs polymer perfectly with this rugged mineral that’s also known as fools gold.

Polymer showing up on the necks and fingers of the jet set would be a welcome trend to forecast for 2012. It’s time, isn’t it?

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Navigating the holidays

Navigation and travel are often themes in Tory Hughes work. I was particularly taken with the bright colors and faux pine embellishment on this recent Festive Angel Brooch in her postage stamp series.

And since I’m navigating my way south today Tory’s work seems particularly appropos. Have a festive holiday weekend!

Need one more present? Leave a comment on the StudioMojo site and be among the five lucky winners of a year’s free subscription.

Holiday charms

If you’re short on gifts for yourself and you’re in the vicinity of Racine, Wisconsin, consider the one-day class with Debra DeWolff scheduled for February 18. (It’s in the RAM brochure but couldn’t find classes listed on the website yet. You can call to beat the rush.)

Her Charmed with Polymer class looks terribly tempting. Even if you can’t make it to Racine, you can browse through her shop to experience mouthwatering colors and a hint of spring beneath the winter snow.

Free Mojo

Keep those comments coming on the StudioMojo site. Five commenters will win a year’s free subscription to the premium weekend newsletter.

Steampunk angel

This polymer steampunk angel represents a departure for Rome’s Marina Lombardi who excels at romantic, lyrical jewelry. She’s a whiz at mixing polymer with filigree.

In this stylized angel she’s mixed watch parts and metal gears, metallic powders and stamped impressions on outstretched wings. Marina’s creative engines roared through this holiday season and this mechanized angel marks the end of her work until February.

Mojo Freebies/Holiday Giveaway

My recent trip to teach in Nepal has reminded me how important it is to be gracious and generous. In honor of the my generous hosts, I’m offering a complimentary one-year subscription to StudioMojo to 5 lucky people.

Post a comment on one of the freebies I’ve posted at StudioMojo.org and you’ll be automatically entered in the drawing (so be sure you’ve typed your email address correctly). Check your email on December 24 to see if you won the drawing.

Patchwork polymer trees

Serbia’s Nena Sabo’s takes a lighthearted, off-kilter approach to her patchwork polymer Christmas trees.

If you need to smile about the holidays, thumb through her Facebook photos here and here or her Flickr site to get the full treatment. From faux knitted caps to crisp mosaics to laughing trees, Nena never met an ornament that didn’t delight her.

This enthusiastic artist organized a successful first-ever polymer workshop in Serbia last May!