The way these polymer earrings and necklace by Rositsa Mohamed hang makes me think that she lives near vineyards in Bulgaria. They look like bunches of grapes that are full and ripe and ready to pick.
Small bits of canes appliqued on the surfaces add an ethnic flavor to simple colors and patterns. See more of Rositsa’s work on Flickr and Facebook.
Rositsa fooled us with flowers the last time she was featured on PCD.
Nicole Johnson’s Pumpkin Heads should put you in an October mood. She has a whole gallery of pumpkins complete with teeth and bulging eyes. Her blog is newly renovated for the season with fresh mummies, monsters and zombies. She’s even written a book on the subject.
If zombie books aren’t your thing, there are several new polymer technique books that you may find of interest:
Marie Segal’s Polymer Clay Artist’s Guide is a comprehensive directory of surface effects. (It’s hard to keep track of all the new ones, isn’t it?) She features the work of lots of up-and-coming artists who may be new to you. The pictures make the recipes easy to follow and it’s a reference book that’s handy to have.
If mixed media is more your cup of tea, look at Incite, Dreams Realized: The Best of Mixed Media. You’ll spot the work of several polymer artists in this arty, inspiring book.
If how-to projects with hip designs are what you’re hungry for, try Polymer Clay Art Jewelry by Ilysa Ginsburg & Kira Slye. It’s bright and breezy and full of fashion.
This slightly off-register look is very trendy. Switchplates from Alaska’s Katie Way are part of her inventory for the holiday show season. She applies the colors first and then stamps to her heart’s content, adding a wash of color to make the stamps stand out.
In Global Perspectives, Rebecca Watkins shows a similar method applied onto beads using dark powders to bring out lines drawn in the clay. The beads at the right were done by Zona Manualidades who got these terrific results by following Rebecca’s instructions in the book.
Then take a look at Kimberly Arden’s holly cane. She gets the same, coloring-outside-the-lines look on her canes. This seemingly spontaneous way of caning requires planning and I’m sure Kimberly has some tricks up her sleeve.
Looks like you’ll be seeing a lot of playful, off-kilter patterns in polymer. It’s a perfect time of year to give perfection a rest.
