by Cynthia Tinapple on May 13, 2013
Dorothee Vantorre’s day-in-the-studio pictures (on Flickr and on Facebook) show off her trendy polymer designs and let us oggle her workspace. Her funny French sensibilty veers from pleasant monsters to delicate geometrics. The designs mirror her training in illustration and architecture.
Note that there aren’t many tools or tricks on her work surfaces. Dorothee relies on color and patient manipulation to build her fresh creations. Her understated raindrop earrings end in a pop of delicious color. And there’s plenty more in her Etsy shop. A little French fun to begin your week.
by Cynthia Tinapple on May 8, 2013
Spring is the season for growing and there’s a promising crop of polymer tutorials popping up. Here are three that could broaden your options and save you lots of trial and error time.
Finishes are all the rage – ceramic, enamel, raku, crackle, batik. No new equipment is required, just pull out the inks, powders and tools that you probably already have on hand. These surface treatments could give your designs added oomph.
The tutorials’ authors are not the first to try these processes but each teacher has each come up with new twists and clever tricks that may make the information helpful for you. All are delivered electronically and some have videos. While they each offer projects that you can follow, applying these finishes to your own signature work is what will make the information valuable.
Test samples from one student caught my eye and have me itching to play in the studio. Come back tomorrow to see. If you’ve found other interesting tutorials, let me know. The ones that I like to feature on PCD are those that offer new and/or easier ways to work with polymer.
by Cynthia Tinapple on May 6, 2013
Will a little tutorial help jumpstart your week?
Maria Petkova has been refining what she calls her Painted with Mokume Gane technique. The painted look of this Violets on My Window Sill pendant shows the appealing backfilling technique that simulates hand drawing on polymer. She shows an entire gallery of examples on her website.
Here’s her latest free step-by-step tutorial that shows the process quite clearly. Her earlier tutorial was intruiging but harder to follow.
In these In the Jungle earrings Maria takes the technique to a higher level of refinement. She pushed herself to create them as she was completing her How To Become A Better Artist course with Christine Dumont on Voila.
by Cynthia Tinapple on April 18, 2013
California photographer Aurora Rosselli (Eclisse Creazioni) makes the sweetest small portrait tiles that she turns into charms, pendants and magnets by adding silver findings, pearls and crystals. While she skirts the issue of exactly what material the tiles are made of, my eye says polymer.
In her Etsy shop she offers to transfer client’s photos to the clay and make them into wearable mementos. Kids art makes a companion charm to go with the photos. Of course, as a professional photographer, Aurora brings a great eye to her designs.
Just in time for Mother’s Day (May 12) this may make you pull out your transfer materials and give it a try. Or hop on over to her Etsy store to shop and see more on her Flickr site.
