Playful design and simulated retreat

Angela Garrod mixes textures and shapes with a delicate touch on PolymerClayDaily.com

UK’s Angela Garrod builds her long pendant with square tubes that end in birch-like round beads.

Childish Games We Played ends in a pendant that’s textured and worn with a surprising top to its shape.

Just when you think she’s finished, Angela adds a length of handmade chain. It all adds up to a refined and elegant yet playful piece. Her works are consistently well-considered and thoroughly designed in a way that makes it look effortless.

You have to visit her website to get a full view of her impeccable taste.

We translated the Virginia retreat into a Zoom meeting this week. For an hour and a half every day, we simulated the annual gathering. It was nostalgic and fun and reminded us of what we were missing. We left feeling hungry for next year. Come on over to StudioMojo to see our takeaways.

100 days of surfaces

Iris Mishly doggedly and delightfully pursues her 100-day challenge on PolymerClayDaily.com

Israel’s Iris Mishly is deep into her 100-day challenge for veneers. This one didn’t go as planned so she cut it into strips that she offset and reassembled into an even better, almost digital-looking version.

You can learn a lot from watching others’ work evolve. My 100-days are languishing at the two-week mark but that’s how things go these days and I refuse to feel apologetic.

Better to ride on Iris’ coattails and learn from her. Her collection is amazing. There’s no paint, powder, ink, or stencil she won’t try. Lovely to look at. Here’s her Etsy.

No shrinking violets

Maryanne Loveless finds hundreds of flowers in her garden on PolymerClayDaily.com

Utah’s Maryanne Loveless has been creating a garden of earrings for her 100-day challenge. No shy, shrinking violets here.

She arranges flower petal and leaf cane slices a backing shape and then adds texture, pods, and dotted details. They hang head up or down. She arranges a garden of delight from a handful of small canes.

Maryanne and her mother started long ago making salt dough creations and she carries on the tradition. Here she is on Etsy.

Learning in isolation

Mindy Meyers teaches herself color during isolation on PolymerClayDaily

These times aren’t easy for creatives. Illinois’ Mindy Meyers decided that isolation was the perfect time to follow the lessons in the color book from Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio.

Mindy’s color studies have propelled her forward. “I decided the first of this month to go back and read the book word for word and to do each and every exercise. I’ve just finished chapter 3. Things are making much more sense to me now,” says Mindy.

“I am truly enjoying myself and following the book gives me a regimen. Rather than going to my studio and having no idea where to start, I appreciate having the exercises to do,” she continues.

Do you need a routine or a regimen to get you back on track? Pull out that favorite book or tutorial and give it a try.

Looking for words

Dayl Goulsbra-Jones combines a whole lotta impulses into her works — Dayl Goulsbra-Jones (planetisis) confounds us with a trendy mix of styles and colors

What? It’s Monday already? I’m not ready!

I’ve been looking at the work of UK’s Dayl Goulsbra-Jones (planetisis) for some time trying to come up with the right words for what’s going on and why it appeals. Here she is on Instagram.

Words fail me. What’s happening here? You tell me. Most of her pieces are reversible. How does that fit in?

I’ve been busy preparing for our first virtual conference. Sounds easy but there’s a whole lotta work behind the scenes. Today is day one. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Give me your words for Dayl’s work.

Putting your own stink on a technique

Valerie Anderson's abstract brooch plays with colors and shapes on PolymerClayDaily.com

Scotland’s Valerie Anderson (bedeckedbeads) has played and played with Sonya Girodon’s free tutorial. With this latest brooch, Valerie puts her own spin on the process with deep watery colors.

And if you look at the side view you’ll see how her curved strips add another departure. When you put your own “stink” on a technique and take off in new directions, you make it yours. Here’s Valerie’s shop.

I’ve run across such an astonishing array of new work that we will have to ponder what’s happening in this week’s StudioMojo newsletter. It’s as if you’ve been unleashed! Are you feeling it? Come see where polymer is headed.

Puzzling polymer

Ivana Svobodova puzzles her scraps together on PolymerClayDaily

Czech Republic’s Ivana Svobodová makes a game of collecting all her thin, tiny scraps and then sitting down for a game of assemblage. Nothing goes to waste as she creates a series of puzzled brooches.

The face parts mixed in with all the patterns add an element of surprise and mystery.

Polymer shows off spring’s bounty

Linda Loew assembles a stunning vase from polymer circles on PolymerClayDaily.com

Two big thick circles with a narrow slab in between are all it takes to make a stunning polymer vase like this one from Baltimore’s Linda Loew.

The periwinkle and purple colors are lush, the edges are smoothed and there’s a freeform design in the circles’ centers.

Why not show off some of spring’s bounty in a vase made especially for the occasion? Here’s Linda on Instagram.

Ya gotta have heart…

Ron Lehocky's dimensional hearts taste yummy on PolymerClayDaily.com

This batch of hearts from Ron Lehocky has an energy that I can’t quite explain. They buzz and vibrate in an unusual way.

We’ve got a Skinner blend base with a layer of opposing Skinner blend slices that are accompanied by depressed dots. Up/down, in/out over shifting colors. My impulse is to fondle these delicious hearts and take a tiny nibble.

Don’t you love it when polymer engages all your senses?

(My husband’s tests came back all good so I can breathe a little. Thanks for all your support during my meltdown.)

There’s no place like home

Leslie Blackford offers classes to put you in touch with Oz on PolymerClayDaily.com

Kentucky’s Leslie Blackford (MoodyWoods) wanted to make clear that she wasn’t planning for the good witch in her new Oz series to look like me. It just happened…and I’m honored.

Leslie’s been offering online classes and everyone who joined in has been delighted at the creatures that fly off their fingers. There’s still time to jump into the Oz group by messaging Leslie.

Don’t we all wish we had a wand right now? Leslie shows you how to find yours. She has a special gift for putting you in touch with your inner Oz character.

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