Christopher Malone's creations are an exciting hybrid of realistic dolls with amazing facial expressions of polymer clay and fantastical creatures with wild dress and embellishment. They range in size from 14-inch "magic hands" to 7 1/2-foot stilt dancers and are simply spectacular.
What a surprise to come across this Ohio-born artist who's living in Washington, D.C. Thanks to Kathleen Anderson for sharing the link.
I'm looking forward to a vacation with polymer friends who are wonderful artists and some of whom produce works only for trade, for gifts and for the sheer enjoyment. So I doubt you'll find Colorado's Carol Simmons with a big web site any time soon but you shouldn't miss her work.
These two beads (photos of front and back) set on my window sill and are as wonderful to touch as they are to look at. I can't bring myself to drill holes in them.
Carol's an organizer, a mover and shaker and former president of the national guild. A Monday tip of the hat to those who quietly keep our craft moving forward.
Whenever I'm feeling boring and uninspired (or if it's Friday), I head to France for a pick-me-up. Their design flare is like a refreshing splash of water on my face.
Take a look at the work of Sandrine Gazzera from Toulouse, France. (Cendrillon, the name of the site, translates to Cinderella.) The site is fun to mouse around in and the work is playful. The link comes to us courtesy of Louise Gagné.
Ahhhh. Don't you feel better now? Have a playful weekend.
Carol and Jean-Pierre Hsu of Berkeley Springs, Virginia (a couple of hours away from ShrineMont where the national guild holds its annual retreat) work in aluminum but as you can see their designs are particularly relevant right now.
I'm thinking of making myself a similar pair of earrings out of polymer clay. Their designs are instructional (yes, by all means, vote) and their colors inspirational. Must make these soon.
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The pictures from Sandy Camp 2006, annual retreat of the San Diego PC Guild, offer quick visual tutorials and glimpses of new polymer clay work. They also put faces with the names we've become accustomed to reading about.
See Marie Segal's bright gradations (and wild fingernails), Syndee Holt's painted polymer, Cassy Muronaka's lentil bead demo, Kathi Gose's complex cane and a whole lot more. The link comes to us via Maggie Maggio and Kim Kennedy.
Alli Amann wins hands down for the queen of polymer clay on Halloween. Don't go to her site unless you are truly in the mood. It's very scarey and very good.
I don't understand this genre but I do very much admire it. Amann has degrees in fine arts and make-up and years of experience in a wide range of the arts.
Ponsawan Sila is from Thailand and Indianapolis. She has a charming web site and though she is relatively new to polymer she has a great touch and a nice sense of color.
A purse maker asked her to make buttons for her one-of-a-kind creations and she came up with the lovelies pictured here.
By experimenting with so many techniques, Ponsawan is bound to develop her style and find success. It'll be fun to watch her grow.
We've got another polymer clay illustrator to add to our list and she's from my home town. Don't know how I missed her before.
Jeanette Canyon has created award-winning illustrations for three childrens books for Dawn Publications. Her work is complex and her abundant use of pattern, color and texture is engrossing. And I love seeing her at her work space.
New York's Scot Connor takes covering his Bic seriously. He's a professional sculptor, teacher, illustrator who has gravitated to polymer clay.
Connor's work covers a wide range of subjects…from the Seven Deadly Sin series to human figures to creatures and cars. With such varied interests you know there are some stories behind this talent. I wish I knew more. Take a look and you'll see what I mean.
You'll want to lose yourself in the Scottish Gallery web site. Take a deep breath and go for a spin.
What drew Susan Rose to the site was the vibrant work (described as artificial resin, acrylic and PVC) of British designer Peter Chang. Chang comes from a background in sculpting and graphics. If his work doesn't include polymer clay, it's surely related.
His work is reminiscent of Ford/Forlano, Wendy Malinow and others. There's more of Chang's work to inspect here too.
