Spain’s Natalia García de Leániz (Tatana) adds a colorful end to our week with these polymer clay slices sewn onto a braided leather necklace and, below, faux heishi strands.
I’ve banked lots of ideas this week and am anxious to get back into my studio right after I spend the weekend gabbing with my visiting siblings and children.
The Thanksgiving dishes are done, the turkey leftovers are ready for leisurely grazing. Have a great weekend.
Christi Freisen’s “Face in the Crowd” polymer clay wall sculpture is my all-time Thanksgiving favorite because it epitomizes what my house looks like on this feast day (28 for turkey dinner) and makes me smile.
It also reminds me of what I’m thankful for…the polymer clay community. We’ve collected an interesting bunch of artists from around the world in three short years.
I’m thankful for your continued participation in this site and inspired by the work that you bring to it. Thank you. And happy Thanksgiving.
Louise Fischer Cozzi’s polymer clay “Wholely Necklace Belt” was awarded first place in the clay category of the Bead Society competition and is on display at The Bead Museum in Washington DC.
The piece can be worn as a double necklace (shown here), as a very long single necklace, or as a belt. The clasp is fun and almost impossible to find.
In addition, two “think” pieces appeared today to ponder as the turkey brines. The first from Kathleen Dustin on persevering in lean times and via Libby Mills, a link to an Alicia Tormey post on motivation.
Valerie Aharoni recently updated her site and added a blog. In this post she talks about baking polymer clay beads right onto wire (or bead thread) to get that floating effect. No crimp beads! Such a simple, elegant solution. (I know that Valerie’s not the first to do this. It caught my eye.)
Look at the textured beads, like this globe, on her Flickr site as well.
Why is it that I discover things I’d like to try when I’m least able to get to the studio…what with preparations for T-day?
I’m also thinking about Lorrene Davis’ theory that the size of a woman’s jewelry is directly proportional to her age. I looked at my visiting daughter’s tiny delicate pieces and wondered if Lorrene was on to something.
I’d love to sit down and try some of the beads that Belinda (birnco) has been working on during her first year with polymer clay. The technique looks simple (an extrusion/mokume gane combination) and the effect is stunning.
She’s got a great sense of color that makes the end result luminous, improving as she’s progressed through the year. This riot of color is a good way to start the week.
My daughter’s here to visit and help with Thanksgiving festivities. Maybe we can sneak a couple of hours off to play in the studio like we used to.
Note: Carol Simmons gives a few more clues about reducing her cane with help from the microwave. Scroll way down in the comments on her post and you’ll see her response.
Vacation mate Jan Frame strung and restrung the polymer clay disks she had created in a range of colors. She was dissatisfied with the weight of the finished necklaces and dismayed by her stash of beads that simply wouldn’t do what she wanted.
She restrung them again. This time they were in an 8′ strand that she hung from a tree in the New Mexico sun where they looked bright and sculptural. We’re encouraging her to try using the sculpture as a rain chain.
We’ve experimented, adapted and had fun with polymer this week. Adios, New Mexico.
Dayle Doroshow’s polymer clay and fabric brooches are part of her larger body of works inspired by her visits to the gardens at Versailles Palace. The bottom layer of petals (see the back of a brooch here) and the center of the flowers are polymer.
Her bracelets on a fabric band (part of the same theme) were a hit with all who saw them and I scored one for helping her spiff up her web site.
These two artists look like they’re having as much fun with polymer clay as I am this week.
From France, we have Evelyne (les RéCréaTiONS de Chamade) who tries every trick in the book and adds her own quirky style to each piece. I wish I’d thought to decorate my keys as she has.
And from South Carolina, Alisa (Treasurefield) takes faux to a whole new level with her faceted gems of polymer treated to look like weathered wood. Her whitewashed pieces feel nostalgic and she dabbles in styles and techniques with abandon. Thanks to Barbara Forbes-Lyons for the tip.
I’m hoping that this vacation can restore in me the spirit that these artists bring to their work.
I snapped this picture of Hollie Mion’s PMC pendants as she revealed polymer clay through holes in the designs and added additional seed beads. The effect was colorful and festive.
When I sneaked online (my vacation mates frown when I spend too long at the computer), I found that Cindy Silas has a new site up with many examples of how she is pushing the interaction of polymer and fine silver. Thanks to DailyArtMuse for the link.
I spotted Celie Fago’s sumptuous new PMC/polymer work on Etsy and David Vanover’s metal/polymer combinations there too. Shoot, I’d love to look for more but my computer time’s up. You’re on your own.
Alexis Pier (of Pier and Penina) has also shifted her interest to making polymer clay “objet d’art”.
The small sculptures below and the 4″x10″ tile at the left show her first steps toward larger wall pieces and more sizeable sculptures.
Air-filled closed shapes build on a technique introduced by Pier Voulkos in 1997 with refinements and new style added more recently by Jeff Dever and others.
Note: I’ll try to pry Carol Simmons’ cane reducing secrets out of her before I leave at the end of the week.
