Superficial polymer

Do Shannon Tabor’s blanks appeal to you? Are you drawn to the possibilities of polymer as a vehicle for inks, paints, pencils, markers, chalks, screens, stamps and more?

If so, you’re in good company. That’s how the polymer crowd rolled this year. The winter edition of The Polymer Arts magazine brings you more about the wealth of surface treatments that have popped up. The articles all focus “On the Surface” and you’re sure to find a method that suits your style.

Here Shannon (Charleston Clay) colors and scuffs her white bases into Orbit earrings which were inspired by astronaut and Ohio hero John Glenn. See more of Shannon’s inspired creations on Instagram and Facebook and this interview plus tutorial on Paint/Draw/Blend.

Light leafed earrings

I don’t know about you, but I could use a break from the snow and the red and green holiday frenzy. It’s warmer more laid back in Melbourne, AU, where Peaches and Keen make their graphic, translucent, gold-leafed earrings.

I’m not even sure that their thin “plastic” earrings are made from polymer. But they could/should/might be and that’s good enough for me today.

If you need a jolt of color and a hit of crisp design, stroll through their Instagram, Facebook, and website.

Dashing through the snow

Jayne Dwyer and Ron Lehocky collaborated on these dashing reindeer. Jayne’s a caning whiz and Ron’s a talented scavenger who turns lowly scraps from other artists (Jayne’s cane ends in this example) into high art with a purpose.

So even if you’re dashing today, take a moment to appreciate the little things, small blessings and serendipitous collaborations.

Ron shared an animation on Facebook that says it all, “Have a heart, pass it on.” For Ron, making hearts has become meditative. Watch him do it here.

See more of Jayne’s canes here.

Closure in a bead is a snap

A good necklace closure is often the polymer artist’s holy grail.

If you’ve wrestled with hooks and clasps, you will appreciate the satisfying click of the Dots and Lines piece by Moscow’s Anna Kokareva (Annie Bimur).

Her magnetic clasp hides neatly within the big focal bead and snaps together easily. (I’m guessing the magnet has been attached with epoxy clay since magnets don’t like baking.)

Of course the interestingly beaded cord adds a lovely touch as well. There’s more on her Flickr site and on Facebook.

Polymer plaid

Katie Oskin's simple plaid for the holidays on PolymerClayDaily.com

Enjoy the festive simplicity of a plaid cane from Katie Oskin (KatersAcres). The design may remind you of the holiday tablecloth waiting to be pulled out for upcoming celebrations and meals.

Katie used the cane to create accessories for a batch of her Merry Moose figures. You can see more of her work on Facebook and her site.

What could you whip up with four or five colors and this easy over/under design? Enjoy your weekend!

Bringing polymer alive

Pre-holiday jitters? Nope, that’s Gene Wilder during his famous “It’s alive!” moment rendered by Washington, DC illustrator Joseph Barbaccia and made entirely of extruded strings of polymer.

You’ll have to look closely to see how the intricately interwoven colors blend into a dimensional mosaic.

A powerful portrait of a soldier (pictured here) was selected to appear in Lurzer’s International 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide 2016/2017.

Read more about Joseph on Facebook, SaatchiArt, and his site.

Soft, hollow, complex translucents

Germany’s Kathrin Neumaier has moved on from simple translucent beads to more complex shapes like the pale hollow bead below which she has electro-formed with copper.Her solid imitative glass drop earrings have a warm mellow glow about them.

Kathrin explains that her collection of long Soft String polymer necklaces are colored with inks (as shown here) or chalks. You’ll want to explore her large upload of new works to Flickr.

Lovecraft polymer

Spain’s Ana Belchi plays with forms in her Lovecraft-inspired series of polymer baubles.

The bulbs and tentacles radiate out from the center of this pendant with pleasing dark symmetry. See more on Instagram, Flickr, and her site. She’ll be teaching a pre-conference workshop at this year’s Synergy4.

Thinking of introducing another dimension into your work?

Trending Moroccan?

Now’s the time of year to consider what you’d like to learn in 2017. Who’s teaching what and where? Which classes and events fit your schedule and your budget?

PCD will cover just a few as we move into the new year. Even if travel is out of the question, it pays to track what’s trending.

These Moroccan Lantern beads from Lisa Haney caught my eye. They’re from her class offerings at February’s Cabin Fever in Laurel, Maryland. Check out Lisa’s fish too! Registration has opened and the lineup looks terrific.

Prefer a warmer climate? Look at Florida’s Fandango May 4-8 with a great roster of trailblazing artists. Sign up before the end of the year and save. What’s on your calendar?

Making Santa in polymer

Kentucky’s Keven Carlton has been looking for Santa. She started her search by sculpting these affable old fellows and she has a way with men.

Keven spends time giving them good teeth because she’s a dental hygienist and bad teeth would be unprofessional.

But somewhere along the line, her polymer imagination veered off course and she ended up with a heap of dissipated and debauched Santas that her Facebook friends are all talking about. They’re trying to locate the art show where these creatures can be purchased.

Creativity can take us on a wild ride. I don’t often chuckle and snort at polymer art but Keven makes us laugh as her Santas come to life. Have a happy weekend.

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