Modern twists
Isis Blackstock (littlepiecesjewelry) turns squiggles and wrinkles and tubes into polymer chic.
Isis’ pieces are light on technique and heavy on making a smooth, sleek, modern statement.
Gone too far
Australia’s Belinda Broughton has gone too far. Paint, powders, inks, crackle. You name it, she wants to try it on polymer.
The farther she goes, the more crazy, juicy, color-soaked patterns Belinda brings to life. Here she has a Thelma and Louise moment and drives off the cliff. It’s a joyous moment and she’s got the earrings to prove it.
Surface design is not for the timid. It’s going to be that kind of week. Hang on.
Polymer popularity
Houston’s Alyse Morrissey (morriseymadeclay) makes lovely, monochromatic dangles in pale earthy pastels. She has an eye for shapes that flatter.
Alyse has worked with polymer for a year and she’s taken to the whole art/biz thing like a duck to water.
You may have noticed a growing number of young artists in your midst lately. I say welcome and wow!
If you’re wondering how the clay supply dwindled, polymer popularity within this new group is part of the answer.
This youthful infusion is what the polymer community has wanted. What now? That’s what we’ll look at in this week’s StudioMojo with input from a clay manufacturer. Discover the answers with us.
Eggactly
No messy dip-dying for South Carolina’s Kathy Koontz (flowertownoriginals).
Her Easter eggs are covered with polymer scraps turned into stripes and then taken a step farther.
Kathy offsets the stripes to make a bargello veneer. Her resulting zigzag pattern is hypnotically, obsessively detailed.
Now what? Veneers are fun to make but it’s not always clear how to use the results. Eggactly!
If making bargello is new to you, watch this YouTube tutorial from Australia’s Jessama.
Mistaken identity
The earrings that I raved about earlier this week were from Houston’s Sally Kirk (Blossomandclay) using Moiko silkscreens. Right tool, wrong artist.
Once I fixed that, I went to her Instagram for a wander. Sally’s two little girls giggle and sing and sort components for their mom. They are very proud of her. They scribble and paint and work on their own art just like mom.
I could be wrong again, but these waterfall earrings appear to be extruded strings laid out precisely. Such a simple and glamorous treatment from Sally.
Pandemic purchases…we’ve all made them. An imprint tool that will make you a mokume gane star. A class that will uncover deep secrets. We are all susceptible to the idea of a quick fix, the magic pill.
StudioMojo will offer you a few more. If you’re lucky enough to be economically stable, some of that stimulus money could be patriotically spent supporting artists. We’re all in this together and we’ll talk you through it on StudioMojo. Join us.
Yes, you can
“I could never wear these,” is what you’re telling yourself, right? I’ve been adding progressively larger earrings to my stash to get over my fear of being too old, too short, too whatever.
And you know what? I’m getting comfy with in-your-face, I’m an artist, deal-with-it earrings.
These colorful collages from Poland’s Gosia (Malgorzata Wawrzynczak at Moiko) are my current favorites. She’s in the silkscreen biz so I’m guessing that’s part of her process. Are they bits of collaged silkscreened veneers or are they canes? Who knows?
Earrings that don’t match? Really? Yes, really. It’s a thing and it won’t hurt you to try it. It’s time to (carefully, gently) drag our scaredy-cat selves out of the house and into the roaring 2020s.
Little touches add up
These joined circles from Texas’ Myranda Escamilla (shapeandformstore) are trendy with some twists. The carving on the lighter circles reveals a flash of hot pink beneath. And the speckles in the clay add another element of interest.
Add to that, the slight twist, like a flirty turn of the head, as the circles link.
And who can resist the juicy dark purples? Lots of care and quirky personal touches will add loads to the allure of your work.
This week’s StudioMojo brings you a conversation with Kathleen Dustin who’s cutting back on her shows and production work. But from the sound of the new classes and projects she’s dreamed up, she won’t be binge-watching tv anytime soon. Join us for the complete scoop.
Well-dressed grasshopper brooch
Get up close and personal with this polymer grasshopper brooch from Ohio’s Debbie Jackson to appreciate the patterns and the colors. The piece was a commission.
Don’t get too close. The creature is based on a species from India (Poekilocerus Pictus) that spits a jet of liquid at those who come too near (Debbie didn’t include that feature).
Even if you’re squeamish about bugs, you’ve got to admit that these guys really know how to dress in stripes and dots. Debbie has captured him in all his glory. Here’s Debbie on Instagram.
Oh wait! The bug at the right is real! Debbie had posted her in-progress shots in a Facebook group and I missed them. Thanks to Debbie for the clarification.
Graphite for business attire
Russia’s Natalya Volkova relies on the shimmer of graphite clay to create these statement earrings which she says, “Visually stretch the neck, especially when worn with a shirt or dress with a deep triangular neckline.” Nice concept, right?
Natalya’s Instagram tantalizes us with her experiments and exercises but she doesn’t reveal much more online.
She looks all dressed up for the office on a Monday. Remember those days?
Fashion and polymer attract crowds
Florida’s Dayle Doroshow was surprised at the success of her solo show at the end of 2020.
The show was held at the library, during a pandemic, after a year of disappointments and too much Netflix.
Dayle doubted herself, felt uninspired, and grieved the loss of a summer in France.
But by December over twenty fabric panels up to 5′ long filled the library atrium. A wearable polymer element was integrated into each design. The birds on her Take Flight were big sellers in the jewelry cases.
In a chatty 10-minute StudioMojo video this Saturday, Dayle shares her motivators and the self-care she had to employ to get her works finished and sold. Ready for a good story with a happy ending? Subscribe and join us.