Polymer illustrator Jessica Fortner interpreted the sinister side of Santa for a recent Toronto Krampusnacht art show.

For those unfamiliar with European legend, the Krampus is a mythical being thought to the antithesis of Santa Claus. He travels from house to house dispensing wicked, cruel punishment to children who have been naughty. Krampusnacht, or Night of Krampus, is a celebration held on the eve of Santa Claus’ arrival. Adults dress in wild, devilish costumes to scare the children into being good.

Naughty, nosey polymer artists like me delight in Jessica’s work-in-progress photos of her scarey holiday piece and enjoy this article about her.

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.

This 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.

You’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.

You 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!

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.