Polymer Clay Daily

Off-kilter polymer

Who doesn’t feel a shiver of delight as a Skinner blend drops down from between the rollers of a pasta machine?

I know there are millions of ways to layer, scratch, pound, and twist clay into intricate patterns. Yes, you can add bling, paints, inks, and sparkles. But for my money, nothing compares to the thrill of color.

These circles are from a blend (teal/fuschia/zinc) that I rolled endlessly today. The jaunty disks were inspired by a friend’s thrift store find. Her necklace was made of wooden disks. “Wouldn’t that look great in polymer?” I thought.

An off-center hole sideways through each of the smaller disks keeps the flat rounds bumping against each other in the most energetic way. It was so simple and it pleases me. What could be better than that?

Join us on Saturday mornings when StudioMojo brings a week’s worth of new ideas and inspiration to your inbox. Try it! You’ll see.

Making a statement

Phil Porter starts the fireworks early on PolymerClayDaily.com

Talk about a statement necklace! This piece from California’s Phil Porter (philporterartjewelry) is unabashedly dramatic.

It makes a chin up, shoulders back, look-at-me entrance. Juicy colors, nested spikes, and tubes of dots wrapped up with a flourish of curly tendrils. Let the party begin.

It’s Friday and Phil’s necklace arrives just in time for our Saturday party over at StudioMojo. Mojoers scoured the hottest studios and the coolest shows to start the summer with color and surprise. Join the party.

There are dots and there are dots

And then there are dots by Madrid’s Silvia Ortiz De La Torre. She’s been making her blended, layered, high voltage colored, roughly textured dotted beads for years.

Silvia has stayed way ahead of the trends. We can learn a thing or two from her.

We go back and forth on StudioMojo. Every weekend we look at artists who’ve been around for years while we also keep up with the fresh faces that bumped into polymer during our forced confinement. Both vantage points teach us. Come see what we see.

Tied in knots


Amy Koranek's prototype for a new twist on Souffle on PolymerClayDaily.com

Sculpey brand ambassador Amy Koranek cured strands of Souffle and then consulted YouTube for how to tie the pliable strings into a decorative knot. Now to finish the piece with a closure. This was an in-progress shot from our recent in-person event in Ohio (Buckeye Bash).

Leaning over shoulders as artists work out new ideas is a terrific way to learn and see where trends are headed.

If you like being on the cutting edge, join us at StudioMojo. Every Saturday sit down with a cuppa and follow links to the most happening events and most clever products about to come to market. We scour our sources to keep you up to the minute. Join us tomorrow.

Matchy matchy

A new necklace from Laurel Swetnam updates an old favorite on PolymerClayDaily.com

Oregon’s Laurel Swetnam was bummed that her schedule forces her to miss her friends’ Clayathon class about using what’s in your closet to come up with new palettes and patterns.

Laurel grabbed a much-loved top that gives her a sunny glow every time she puts it on and headed to her studio to try out the concept.

She scored! Her riff on the pattern includes dotted and striped tubes that enhance but don’t compete with the flowery batik pattern.

If you’d like some pointers about how you can mix and match accurately without going overboard, grab a seat in the online class with Shelley Atwood and Joan Tayler.

Give your old favorites new life.

StudioMojo lets you in on all sorts of behind-the-scenes happenings every Saturday. Sign up here!

 

 

Squiggly tubes

Isis Blackstock makes modern squiggles in polymer on PolymerClayDaily.com

Isis Blackstock(littlepiecesjewelry) made me explore further.

It seems counter-intuitive that you can bend an extruded tube and still maintain the hole. The joys of polymer!

I’m remembering earlier variations on the idea from Lindly Haunani, Ford/Forlano, and Pier Voulkas. Oh, that takes me back.

Isis explores this concept, applying it to a wide range of bangles and necklaces.

She offers them in monochrome colors but what if you covered the tube with pattern? I’m talking to myself here. I really must try this.

Studio in a go-bag

Sarah Shriver's distinctive colors shine through her new style on PolymerClayDaily.com

California’s Sarah Shriver sounds tentative when she talks about her new collection of painted circle necklaces. She’s been a polymer artist for decades and this minimalist style is a departure. One admirer said the circles reminded her of tiddlywinks, the kids’ game.

Sarah’s complex cane work and signature color palette have been distinctive. But the past year and now fear of wildfire have shifted her thinking. She has to be able to move at a moment’s notice. She’s pared down.

These circles painted with layers of Genesis and strung on silk thread contain Sarah’s same rich and luscious colors but with a nod to efficiency and minimalism.

She’s also been refining mobiles and hollow translucent beads and more. Her new directions reflect the smart, adaptive strategy that our times require.

Balancing demands

Betsy Baker considers demands on her time on PolymerClayDaily.com

Catch a good look at these shimmering hollow big beads from Boston’s Betsy Baker (StonehouseStudio). She made this labor-intensive patterned series during the lockdown.

“Now that life and shows are getting back to normal, I won’t have time,” she says.

Seclusion also gave Betsy time to dabble in designing and making dresses. Take a look at her Instagram.

Are there favorites that you’ll have to set aside now that demands for your time are changing?

Moose Jaw Monday

Jude Radwanski connects to other artists on PolymerClayDaily.com

Jude Radwanski (fireflyartjewellery) reached out to fellow Canadian Helen Breil in an attempt to meet other polymer artists. Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, doesn’t have much of a clay community.

Jude Radwanski connects to other artists on PolymerClayDaily.com

After a 30-year career in interior design, Jude transitioned to polymer. The Saskatchewan Craft Council came up with a new “wearable craft” category to be able to include her in their shows.

Her scribed and textured and wonky pieces exude a fearlessness that’s just great for a Monday. Welcome aboard, Jude!