Second glances

Karen Pasieka mixes colors that get a second glance on PolymerClayDaily.com

Ontario’s Karen Pasieka gears up for Spring with a bouquet of canes.

“I find it so important when presenting a grouping, that the collection is cohesive. Their appeal as a collection can be the trick to getting a second glance, and hopefully, the decision to buy,” Karen divulges.

This luscious mix made me look twice. You too? Here’s Karen on Facebook.

Over at StudioMojo this Saturday, we’ll be seeing what else is getting a second look this spring. Are our 2020 colors shifting? What’s next for our art?

Polymer selfie

Marni Southam pictures herself in clay on PolymerClayDaily.com

This polymer self-portrait is by South Australia’s Marni Southam (Oleander Avenue). Marni was responding to a PolyCollective and Friclay challenge to create a self-portrait.

They’re such a big, young, media-savvy bunch that it’s hard to keep up with all that they do online. There’s a Friclay Live event in Brisbane in April.

Does Marni’s layered and textured view of herself make you want to try a selfie? It could be a clever addition to promotional materials and signage.

Coloring outside the polymer lines

Deb Groover arranges bakes stripes into a vibrant polymer painting on PolymerClayDaily.com

Florida’s Deb Groover (@debortinastudio) has loosened her approach to painting with polymer on wood. She cures these quickly formed bright stripes, arranges them on a wood substructure, and finally paints the background.

I didn’t think she could create her large paintings in a more loose, vibrant way but she’s managed to do just that in recent works. They’re more abstract, more geometric.

Whether it’s beaches or birds or just stripes, there’s a lively attitude that permeates her paintings.

Here’s my old video interview with fuzzy audio (the microphone slid down her blouse). Persist through it for an explanation of this former ceramic artist’s unfettered style in polymer.

Baked-in serenity

Dede Leupold makes delicate earrings in a divine studio space on PolymerClayDaily.com

Washington’s Dede Leupold makes polymer earrings that have a delicate, calming effect. Her looping wire work is baked into the polymer cane slice.

A look at Dede’s studio shows you how and where these pieces are made. There’s a serenity that could only come from someone who had a serene spot in which to work. Go have a look at it.

Going cuckoo

Gael Keyes goes a little cuckoo with outrageous birds on PolymerClayDaily.com

New Mexico’s Gael Keyes (@keyesgael) focused on bugs at last year’s Clayathon. This year she’s added outrageous fish and birds to her repertoire of wildlife.

Gael developed her own cane style that she pattern-matches in the Natasha bead way (here’s a quick tutorial) to create feathers, fins, and wings.

During the holidays she turns to her own brands of angels that you can see on Facebook.

Polymer fungi

Kim Heeang layers petals of polymer that mimic fungi on PolymerClayDaily

South Korea’s Kim Heeang (9angko) moves us in a more thoughtful direction.

Her delicately assembled pieces take their central theme from mushrooms, fungi hat ware neither plants nor animals. They are everywhere and then disappear without a trace.

You may note that thin petals of polymer are being used more and more. The newer clays allow us to stack paper-thin layers in ways that mimic nature.

Join us over at StudioMojo if you’re interested in how polymer is being used in surprising and unusual ways. Stay on top of the latest trends with a Saturday morning review of the week.

Captain America appears

Does this happen in your studio at night? Watching this stop motion sculpt of Captain America by Döuyin (@thdrawing) will make you believe it could.

Ok, very silly but I couldn’t stop looping it.

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Made you look!

How does Jana Honnerova roll up blended colors with cracked edges on PolymerClayDaily.com

When I find myself stuck on a photo, I stop and ask why it’s captured my attention.

That’s what’s happening with these rolled-up earrings from Prague’s Jana Honnerova.

Narrow strips of clay in blended colors are rolled up. But look at those cracked edges! And how does she control the color or is it random? You start drilling down into Jana’s methods and it makes you think about her skill, her tricks.

But on top of that is the elegance of these little gems simply stacked on a headpin. Sweet! And that’s what it boils down to. Do your designs make people take a second look? That’s the real trick.

Monday step by step

Kristi Thorndike-Kent and Jen Young walk you through a vibrant blend on PolymerClayDaily.com

When Monday chores won’t allow you to work on your clay, following another artist’s process can be very satisfying. That’s why these step-outs from Washington’s Kristi Thorndike-Kent and Jen Young (GoInsideandclay) are enticing.

The straight strips of color overlap slightly for a beautiful bend. The vibrant blend thins out and then stacks up into sporty stripes. Kristi and Jen share how they arrived at these cutouts that are just a few steps away from finished jewelry.

They make it look so easy! See the in-between steps on their Instagram.

Early Lehocky

An early Ron Lehocky heart for 2020's V-Day on PolymerClayDaily.com

I went way back into PCD archives to pick out my 2020 Ron Lehocky valentine.

This is an early Ron though I’m not sure what year. Maybe he can tell us.

The background dots are black on color. They frame the dimensional heart whose dots reverse to color on black. It’s loose and carefree, probably from before he set his goal of 50,000 hearts.

Ron can make beautiful hearts in his sleep now. This playful version still sings.

Ron will probably reach his goal this year. That’s $500,000 raised for his Kids Center Heart Pin Project. Who better to feature on this day of love?

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