Judy Kuskin, the business brain behind the Synergy Conference, has given an interview to Lori Greenberg on her bead business site along with some great pictures (like this Christi Friesen necklace). Bargain hunters will want to sign up for the Baltimore conference this month to get the best deal.
Be sure to scroll way down Lori’s site to see some of Sarah Shriver’s latest works and a read a bit about Sarah’s career.
A look at great work is a fine way to start your week. New Jeff Dever pieces have been spotted on the del Mano Gallery site, part of their "Beyond the Basket" exhibit in Los Angeles.
In case you’re not familiar with his work, here are a couple of candid shots (try this and this) from last year’s Ravensdale conference.
Thanks to Grant Diffendaffer for bringing the new work to our attention.
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Loretta Lam has updated her site with some lovely new polymer clay work for your viewing pleasure this Friday.
Loretta uses soft and sophisticated colors along with subtle textures to add interest to her simple modern shapes.
The cutout layer of clay over solid colors in her new Polka Dot Fun pins is very effective. Take a look at her clever new treatments. We owe Ronna Weltman thanks for the tip.
"Life is a Balancing Act" is the name of Liana Turnbull Bennett’s polymer clay sculpture and fitting title for her story.
When this Colorado artist entered her sculpture in a recent "clay" show, it was rejected. But while she waited for the group’s verdict, the piece was spotted by a gallery customer and promptly purchased.
Liana’s animal skull sculptures, "Battle Cry" and "Speedy" won several awards in shows this summer. Her story is a good read. Remember, "Life’s a balancing act!"
Illinois’ Zuda Gay takes a botanical and sculptural approach to polymer clay. In our haste to make the clay do new tricks, we sometimes overlook its ability to be simply and delicately shaped.
Zuda says she creates flowers from clay because she cannot grow them any other way. I like her use of buttons as flower centers and her Victorian palette. She’s on Etsy and has a blog site too.
Donna Kato’s been in her studio bangling away and you can sneak a peek at the results on her site. (It loads a little slowly because she shares so much.)
A number of us have revisited bangles after admiring the flawless work of Sharon MacLeod. Sharon’s bangles and memory wire bracelets are remarkable for their design, color and workmanship.
Of course, if you’re in bangle mode, you must see Margaret Regan’s version. She came up with her curved tube design at Shrinemont many moons ago and the design still works wonderfully.
If you’re stuck on the same old designs, you might be inspired by the extravaganza of contemporary earrings published in "500 Earrings: New Directions in Contemporary Jewelry" from Lark Books this year.
To celebrate the publishing of the book, Seattle’s Facere Jewelry Art Gallery will show over 250 pairs of earrings by 29 different artists, all in the book, from across the country. There’s a lecture and champagne on Monday, October 8 if you’re in Seattle. Julia Sober who’s moved to Seattle, will be among the luminaries.
Thanks to Elise Winters for the tip.
"If you know my work, you will know me," says Laurie Mika in a great podcast on Stacey Apeitos’ site. Laurie’s in California and Stacey is in Australia if you’re tracking our global connections. Listen in on their friendly chat about Laurie’s polymer clay/mixed media mosaic process, her philosophy and her new book
West Virginia’s Kim Cavender is a natural at blogging even though she had to be cajoled and coerced into getting online. She includes links to great findings, a color quiz and pictures of her most recent creations. Kim will keep you coming back for more.
Winners of the Bead Arts Awards 2007 have been announced and not only did Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg’s polymer clay bead (pictured at right) take the top award in the "clay bead" category but it also took top honors in the competition across all the categories. A list of the winners and a nice "Go with the Flow Pendant" tutorial from Christi Friesen are downloadable from the Step by Step site and appear in the November/December issue of their magazine.
I wanted to bring you these lovely tidbits to finish the week and to tidy my desktop. I’m off to the studio, have a lovely weekend.
Any project that requires 2.5 tons of clay merits a mention on this site. Forty animators made 182 bunnies and one giant 30-foot rabbit and more for Sony Bravia’s latest 60-second promotion. It’s plasticine, not polymer clay, but the spirit’s the same and we share a motto, “Color like no other.”
Go here for a behind-the-scenes look. The full 60-second commercial is here. The interface was a little slippery and confusing but persist and you’ll be rewarded.
I can’t pass up a chance to mention the synergy in a project like this….and of course, encourage you to sign up now for the polymer clay guild’s Synergy conference next February.
Vancouver Island’s Tina Holden was inspired to create this polymer clay necklace by a recent drive in the countryside.
She added copper, variegated and gold leaf into a jade translucent polymer clay. The necklace itself is crocheted and four-strand braided with recycled glass, smokey quartz and other beads.
Holden also "rocks" and has swapped with other makers of PEBLS…that’s Polymerclay Evolved Beach Like Stones.
