Polymer Clay Daily

P&P winners overview

Progress & Possibilities winners 2010

Here’s an overview of winners in this year’s Progress and Possibilities competition. The International Polymer Clay Association (IPCA) received 119 entries from eleven countries in their annual juried competition

Clicking through the IPCA gallery is organized and logical but if, like me, you prefer to rip into surprise packages with abandon, this page of thumbnails may be easier.

While most of the names of the winners are familiar and searchable on PCDaily (the search is in the left column), we’ve got some research to do on winning artists who haven’t been featured such as: Julie Sweeney, Helen Wyland-Malchow, Nancy Nearing, and Mike Devine.

A few, like Angel Goulter and Petra Dewi Handayani are hard to find online. If you’ve located them, let me know.

Thanks

I smile at the abundance of condolences you sent in response to yesterday’s post. Jan was fascinated by the comments and took great pleasure when a post prompted readers to say something. She would have been pleased that her “numbers” were the highest PCDaily has ever received. I can hear her chortling.

Art angels

Our friend Jan Crandell died this week. You may not recognize her name because she never created a cane or attended a conference. But she knew all about you as she followed along on PolymerClayDaily. She collected your works, commissioning me to purchase pieces for her at each event. (This angel from Susan Hyde was a favorite.)

Jan was my college roommate, an English teacher and a retired state education administrator. She had a huge intelligence and a quick wit. She mentored many students and colleagues.

Early each morning she read the day’s PCD post and called me if she spotted a broken link, a misspelled word or, heaven forbid, a grammatical error. The technology terrified her but if I couldn’t get to a computer she’d fix my gaffes herself. She skyped me from her hospital bed and edited faithfully until very recently.

Jan was my personal coach and cheerleader. I was her technical guru. She bought any art I made, even the awful stuff. My art angel is gone and we lost a dear friend.

Polymer with a family story

Sandra Mitchell's polymer story bracelet

Sandra Mitchell’s mother was so proud of her daughter’s work that she just had to write me. Isn’t that sweet?

I’m a sucker for polymer art with a story (remember Maureen Carlson’s necklace). Sandra’s Wearable Whimsys are full of tales like this James and the Giant Peach bracelet. Sandra’s Menacing Pearls offer glamor with a twist.

Vickie Turner, Sandra’s mom, says of her daughter, “Her write-ups, both the description of her shop and of the polymer clay articles for sale, flow like molten silk spiked with lemon crystals that slightly startle and make the viewer look again.”

Can you hear me now?

Some readers have been telling me that in the last couple of weeks they haven’t received their posts by email. I checked the mail list and it’s ok. I haven’t located the problem but I’m looking. Thanks for the heads up.

Attention collectors: Grove and Grove sale

Michael and Ruth Anne Grove polymer necklace 1994

Early polymer pioneers, Michael and Ruth Anne Grove, left the business several years ago and are selling the last of their work this July 3 in California.

Michael explains that, “Ruth Anne and I are finally dealing with all of our past canes – thousands of them – and some of our old work. We are planning a sale at our home in 2510 Russell Street, Berkeley, CA on Saturday July 3. The canes for sale include faces, variegated, colorful patterns and black and white. These are canes which were the collage elements from which we made the majority of our work.”

The couple perfected the pre-Skinnner “step blend” and created magnificent complex canes and jewelry. Not familiar with the works of these polymer pioneers? You can read up here and here and find them in many books.

He says of those early days, “Since there were so few people working in the medium, it was wide open for play. I think that play is what still draws people to it. The techniques have been developed and refined and a new palette of them added since we played with it. But playing is what brings people into polymer and the pleasure and surprise of what they create keeps them there. Ruth Anne and I enjoyed the ride of being working artists in that medium. And we are delighted that it has continued to grow!”

Garden inspirations from Clawson

Clawson's fresh start
Clawson's queen anne's lace pendant

I’m using Kate Clawson’s garden-inspired polymer creations to give myself a fresh start. Life events have intervened and left me with unfinished projects and forgotten chores that I plan to tackle this weekend.

In my own overgrown garden I hope to find the beauty Kate sees in her lush vegetation. She says that she wants her beads to “…recall many a wonderful memory of the farm days and the great meals from the bounty of the earth.”

She impresses plants into polymer, adding paint to enhance the delicate details. Enjoy more of her work on her Etsy sites and Flickr pages. Have a rejuvenating weekend.

Three polymer visionaries

Three little piggies went to market! And they did well at the annual ACREs wholesale show.

Kathryn Reid, Leslie Blackford and Doreen Gay- Kassel launched into the wholesale market, thanks to IPCA which sponsors a booth.

IPCA juries three polymer artists into the event each year. They share booth space, enter the wholesale marketplace and promote polymer clay…a win/win.

The pig is Doreen’s, the beads are Kathyn’s and this is my most recent acquisition from Leslie. Each of these artists has a distinct voice and a vision that inspires.

June means polymer at weddings

Wait, wait! We can’t go through the month of June without talking about polymer wedding cake toppers.

My most recent favorite is Spain’s Noemi Hurtado who pays attention to every detail. From noses to fabrics to hair to flowers, Noemi makes a faithful copy of the couple in miniature. The “before and after” photos on her Flickr galleries and her blog kept me reading longer than I intended to stay.

Since I was in a romantic frame of mind, I popped into Heather Wynn’s Etsy shop and facebook fan page. Always good for a tug at your heart.

Beginners tutorial

Sandy's paperclip bracelet tutorial

If you’re looking for a good beginner’s polymer clay project, check out Sandy’s jewelry made with polymer and round paper clips. Easy, peezy.

Leupold’s polymer process

Dede Leupold gives me a vicarious thrill on a day when I can’t get to my own studio. She posted pictures from her process in creating a masterful kaleidoscope cane on Facebook.

It takes thought and planning to achieve such delicate shading and color combinations that sing. Here are earlier looks (1 and 2) at Dede’s work and the jewelry made from her canes on her Esty site.

Schwarzenberg’s filigree winner

Schwarzenberg's Beautiful Baroque

Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg, winner of the Bead Dreams 2010 top prize, sent in a picture of her winning entry. Lynne layers floral cane slices over filigree to achieve her “Beautiful Baroque” effect. You can see more recent examples of filigree work on her Facebook photo page.

As Lynne tells it, “I discovered polymer clay in college, when a friend brought over a sampler pack of clay and wanted to make beads to sell as she traveled the country following her favorite band, the Grateful Dead. We made beads together that afternoon, and she left the clay at my apartment when she left on her trip. I was immediately taken by this wonderful, colorful substance, and it’s been a love affair ever since.” Have a lovely weekend.