A break from eggs

Colorado’s Laura Schiller decided to take a break after years of focusing primarily on pairing polymer and eggs. Laura’s known for her elaborately drilled and designed shells. Here she is on Facebook.

After drawing zentangles on polymer-covered eggs, she wondered what would happen if the popular drawn zentangles were white on white. Then she wondered about zentangles that evolved to 3D in black and white. Off she went on her tangent with no thought, no color, all play.

The latest result is this 11″ square tile, a zentangle gone wild. Now that Laura’s got it out of her system, she’s happy to return to the nest. She leaves us to consider what might happen to zentangles next.

Polymer in the woods

The UK’s Pippa Chandler has been spending some time in her woods too. While she likes to try lots of techniques and images, somehow she circles back to leaves.

Nature provides the source material that Pippa enhances with color and texture. Here she’s used winged seed pods and elderberry buds as her starting point, making molds then using the molds to make pendants. She’s painted the results, sanding and buffing them for a distressed and loved look.

You’ll find lots more examples on her Flickr site and on Facebook.

Stamping fall images

Maryland’s Tamara Shea is primarily a stamper and printmaker who uses polymer clay (usually brown) to bring her hand-carved images to life. Acrylic paints bring out the details and a sealer protects the work. Fall is a particularly appropriate time to feature her leaves and finds from the woods.

Tamara opened her successful Etsy shop in 2006. As you flip through her work, note the remarkable consistency even as she expands her themes.

You may enjoy the bug and butterfly pictures she’s been taking of late and posting on Flickr. Her eye is drawn to objects and creatures that eventually crawl into her work.

Easy peasy payback

Polymer artists have helped pediatrician/artist Ron Lehocky reach another milestone – 24,000 hearts sold with all the proceeds going to the Kids Center in Louisville, KY

Ron’s celebrating by donating a Friday Freebee. These hearts were all made using his Easy-peasy Extruder Cane Technique which he offers as payback.

When Ron asked for scrap, artists responded with heaps of unloved canes and designs gone wrong. He figured out ways to turn them into fundraising fashion statements.

You might enjoy his video story here and his past features on PCD here. He’s been a powerhouse behind the Nepali project too. He doesn’t have much time for social media, as you might imagine, but you can reach him by email if you want to buy some hearts or send him your scrap. Heartfelt thanks, Ron!

Painted polymer

“I find beauty in the unbalanced arrangement of elements to create a harmonious mess,” says Singapore’s Cynthia Marizhka. Harmonious, yes. But mess? Not so much.

Marizhka’s asymmetrical compositions are simple and sleek and since her background is in painting, they’re painted!

Look out, her Tumblr is full of a wonderful mix of unusual materials that’s turned into alluring jewelry. Keep your eye on her on Facebook too. The link came to PCD from Cassy Muronaka.

Thrifty polymer

Maine’s Jayne Dwyer took a $5 thrift store plant stand, covered it with her signature polymer canes and turned it into an objet d’art.

Every once in a while she moves away from jewelry to larger pieces – tables, wall pieces and other furniture – to stretch her artistic muscles.

Jayne’s way of working with canes might appear very loose and free form. The results are quite remarkable, dramatic and very distinctive. You can see her canes on her website and on her Facebook page.

Embroidered polymer

Angeli Sobrepena from the Philippines rekindled her childhood interest in cross-stitch by integrating it with polymer! She creates her design, leaves holes for stitching with embroidery floss, and bakes the clay.

It looks like Angeli finishes her pieces with a backing of felt to hide the thread on the back (or the backing could be an oval of polymer that she rebakes).

These make cute crossover projects for our embroidering friends who have a hard time putting down the needle! Find more of Angeli’s work on Flickr.

Mischievous polymer

Ryan MacLeod is a self-taught polymer sculptor who sets his dragons down in the midst of the most unlikely and mischievous predicaments – from candy store to steampunk. His ornate miniature polymer piano was irrestible. American-born Ryan now lives in India with his wife and family.

His friendly dragons, like this recent Fire Dragon, will charm and delight you with his antics. This is a good way to warm up to the goblins and dark creatures that will be visiting PCD soon in honor of Halloween.

Perhaps the easiest way to appreciate all Ryan’s dense and complex creations is on Pinterest. You may also catch up with him on his website and on Facebook.

Susan Lomuto (Daily Art Muse) sent this link along. See what mischief she’s been up to with her new MAM and sample a free issue here.

Polymer and coffee

Over a cup of coffee Slovenia’s Renata happened upon the inspiration for this graphic, eye-popping polymer necklace.

For her birthday Renata had requested a set of the Illy coffee mugs designed by Tobias Rehberger. Once she had the cups she felt compelled to make a companion polymer necklace. More pieces may follow.

You can see what Renata and her friends are teaching in their classes here and follow her on Flickr and on Facebook.

Entry submitted? Check!

Send your entry into IPCA’s 2014 Awards competition. No muss, no fuss…it’s all electronic. What are you waiting for? Click and go.

Welcome home polymer

Genevieve Williamson and her family were dropped off on a remote island in the South Atlantic for the summer (check out Saint Helena) and she’s recently returned to her rural Pennsylvania home. Her father installed a new skylight in her attic studio while she was away that may make you jealous.

Genevieve has taken the dust covers off her work table as she dives into work for a gallery show. Already you can see that her months of a simpler life have changed her approach to clay. These simple strands of tubing in subtle shades, shifting diameters and slim palettes may hint at what’s to come.

She’s also added some variations to her earring project that was featured in Polymer Clay Global Perspectives. Has your summer changed your work?

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