“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!
by Cynthia Tinapple on December 29, 2011 · 4 comments
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.
by Cynthia Tinapple on December 28, 2011 · 8 comments
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?
by Cynthia Tinapple on December 27, 2011 · 8 comments
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!
