From the category archives:

Illustration

Zlatkis’ illustrates on polymer

by Cynthia Tinapple on June 28, 2010 · 5 comments

Geninne Zlatkis’ painted polymer bird mobile was immediately claimed by her son to hang above his desk in their new home in Mexico. Pictures on her beautiful blog show how the 3.5″ birds were sculpted in fimo, baked and then painted with acrylics and given a coat of matte varnish. It’s Geninne’s remarkable detailing that makes these birds sing.

I’ve long been a fan of her illustrations and designs which have been widely published and picked up by retailers like Urban Outfitters. She occasionally works in white polymer (see an earlier mobile here) which provides a canvas for her signature drawings.

Her studio and her homes designed by her architect husband have gotten increasingly dramatic and serene. The views from the house they’re building now (their fifth) are breath-taking.

You can find her illustrations on Etsy and read her featured seller interview there.

Begin Within

by Cynthia Tinapple on May 17, 2010 · 6 comments

Pindroh's polymer Begin Within plaqueThis 12″ polymer illustration by Paula Pindroh will hang in my studio and it’s a perfect bit of post-conference wisdom. With all those new tools and techniques swirling in my head, this plaque reminds me to gently tune out the noise and listen to my heart.

I feel great about shopping at Trader Joe’s knowing that the store hires people like Paula to create their weekly signage.

Short and sweet post today while I deal with the heaps of email and laundry.

Serendipitous Monday

by Cynthia Tinapple on March 15, 2010 · 5 comments

Tammy Durham illustration in polymer clayYou’ll need a big cup of coffee to sip while you follow today’s links. Polymer illustrator Tammy Durham emailed me her latest densely decorated, Klimt-inspired piece and a link to her updated web site.

Coincidentally Jay King sent a link to Smashing Magazine’s extensive collection of beautiful plasticine (and polymer) artworks. Tammy Durham’s work is in the collection and you’ll find several others familiar to you. Charlotte Oh (see her teen blogger here) works in sculpey and is new to our list of illustrators.

Charlotte Oh's teen bloggerYou can blame fate for the time you blow looking at animations and illustrations from around the world. These novel and often humorous ads, posters and illustrations provide great inspiration for a Monday. Enjoy!

Apostolescu’s freestyle toys

by Cynthia Tinapple on December 23, 2009 · 0 comments

Matei Apostolescu’s profusion of polymer toys and models make him look like Romania’s modern day Santa Claus. His fleet of race cars, jets, submarines and weapons delight the kid in all of us.

He uses simple clay shapes to build complex machines which he textures and paints. Keep clicking on his 152 toys to see the whole range.

Matei’s paintings and illustrations on his DeviantArt site help acquaint you with his aesthetic. His illustrations and his clay art have a 1960′s “Peter Max meets the digital age” sensibility.

Matei is known as one of the hottest freestyle artists in the world of illustration and says of his process, “I try to explore as much as I can. It is a fusion of different media: drawing, vector, photography, manipulation, sometimes even clay modeling. To me, inspiration is about having the courage to explore the world, and especially yourself and the processes that take place in your own mind.”

Susan Lomuto (DailyArtMuse) ran into Matei’s work and sent the link along.

Daniels’ canes sculpt time

by Cynthia Tinapple on August 5, 2009 · 12 comments

At five years of age, David Daniels had a coffee can full of clay that he and his siblings started playing with on the kitchen table. They never put it away and he’s never stopped playing with clay. At thirteen he won his first contest. MTV, Sesame Street, movies and more came later.

Clay sculpting and caning led to animation and the development of his own stratacut process which he describes as motion sculpture or sculpting time. He explains, “That’s my gift, I see time from the outside and I see motion sculpture and see how the pieces all flow together and we’re a part of all that.”

I had to watch his video sampler several times with my mouth open before my brain began to catch up. If you like to cane, this brilliant guy is a must see. He adds that, “I intentionally leave crudeness in the mix, I could control it more, and I choose not to because it is less interesting to look at.” The interview with David Daniels is here. His tutorials at the bottom of the interview give you a sense of his process.

Susan Hyde sent us this mindblowing link.

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