Busted! My husband’s out of town so I turned up the furnace, ordered Chinese food and played on the computer all evening. Livin’ large!
I’ve been reminiscing and thumbing through the pictures of the polymer clay jewels that Hollie Mion has collected. The creator of the Zephyr pin at the left was Linda Siner.
If you look at the detail, you’ll understand why the artist soon abandoned this Toops-like micromosaic style. Lovely but, oh, so time-consuming. I think of all the techniques I’ve tried on for size.
If you’re new to the craft, you may not recognize the earrings at right. They’re from Kathleen Dustin (oops…not Kathy Amt). Hollie has a nice selection of Dustin’s and Amt’s work during the early years. The remarkable Mona Lisa bead (by Cheri Pyle?) was created in pre-Skinner blend days. Hollie’s entire collection will be on display at Synergy in Baltimore.
jana roberts benzon ,
One of the things about Synergy that I’m most looking forward to is the chance to see, up close and personal, Hollie’s collection of “early” polymer clay works. I know that I stand on the (very broad) shoulders of some great polymer people, and while I’ve tried to learn what I can about their work, seeing it in person is going to be so cool. I truly do honor those who paved such an amazing trail…their extreme creativity, innovativeness and drive are such an inspiration and leave me feeling rather small ;-).
Melanie West ,
Woo hooo! Party at Cynthia’s house! ;P
If I needed more encouragement to make it to Synergy, you’ve done it. I can’t wait to see Hollie Mion’s collection. Maybe, someday, someone at Lark Books will see her collection and want to make a book out of it. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Lisa Clarke ,
I love those earrings. I am looking forward to Synergy for a multitude of reasons, but a big one has to be the opportunity to see in person some of the wonderful work that I’ve been gazing at in books since the mid nineties.
Your evening sounds wonderful – I do the same thing when I have the night to myself.
Kim Cavender ,
Hollie’s collection is just unbelievable! I’m convinced that no one has a more amazing or impressive group of polymer clay pieces. Seeing all of these fantastic pieces of art in one place is just mind-blowing! It’s so generous of her to share it with everyone and it will definitely be one of the highlights of the Synergy conference.
Toby ,
Wow… I would love her to publish a book of her collection for the rest of us to drool over.
Sherry Bailey ,
I miss Kathy Amt.
Anybody know anything about how she is doing?
Susan ,
Great stuff Cynthia. Looking forward to seeing Holly’s collection at Synergy.
Elise Winters also has a very large collection of polymer clay work. A visit to her studio is a joy on any day, but when it is a day that she takes out her collection, you walk away feeling doubly blessed – it includes work by just about every leading innovator who has worked with the medium – breathtaking, humbling.
At one time she was also caring for Lindly’s bead strand (I think it is Lindly who owns the strand). Do you know about the bead strand? You should. I hope Elise writes about it on Polymer Art Archives. Paging Elise…
Lindly Haunani ,
The micro-mosaic pin is by Linda Siner… when I think back, so many of us amassed huge collections of those mini-threads for Cynthia Toopese micro-mosiacs. After a bead or two (or half!) most of us abandoned that intense technique (Olie Alpert from the NYPCG made a beautiful Chrysler Building Brooch after taking one of Cynthia’s workshops.
I had a lovely visit with Kathy Amt this summer, she is no longer working in polymer…instead she is working with collages images.
Yes, the bead strand still exists…all fifty feet of beads I collected/traded for (1988-1999). While many of the beads have been featured in books and Ornament magazine, some have enjoyed less exposure. In coming months…watch for some of the seminal beads to appear on PolymerArtArchives
Hollie Mion ,
Wow, I hope people aren’t disappointed when they see most of my pre-2000 polymer pieces after such a build up. What I think would be really great is to have the collections of Elise Winters, Nan Roche (hers is about 3 times the size of mine!), and myself put together for a book. Between all of us (and maybe a few other prolific collectors), we would really be able to catalog a wonderful pictorial history.
By the way, those earrings are by Kathleen Dustin (not Amt), using some of the same cane work as appears in The New Clay.