Do-over! Returning soon
Since Georg Dinkel has entered the IPCA competition, we’ll have to save his artwork for another day after the people’s choice voting has ended. Neither PCD nor Georg were clear about this rule.
Nostalgic polymer
Not only are Tatiana Parshikova’s colors luscious but this version of mokume gane takes me back to the early days when Lindly Haunani showed us how she layered metallic leaf between translucent layers.
Tatiana has updated the technique with multi layers of beautiful color sliced into large thin pieces applied onto a bangle base. You can see more beads and jewelry that Tatiana made using this method on her Instagram site. There are pieces for sale in her Russian online gallery.
Polymer bobble
This 9″ tall polymer and porcelain Pompon from Berlin’s Angelika Arendt is the latest in her series of intensely composed and brightly colored sculptures.
Angelika moves with ease between exquisitely detailed drawings on paper to glass to room-sized plastic compositions. Her vision moves from medium to medium easily. In the polymer pieces there’s a sensuous quality to the color gradations of the changing shapes that tempts you to run your fingers over them. Pompon translates as “bobble.”
If you sometimes wonder how polymer is faring in the larger art world, visit Angelika’s site, her Flickr pages and Tumblr.
Secrets of the heart
Orly Fuchs Galchen pursues hollow polymer forms and she’s come up with light, bright empty hearts. Her Facebook and Flickr pages and her Etsy shop are filled with examples in many styles including these wrapped with lovely bands of graduated color.
Orly swears that she only uses polymer. No filling with sugar, salt, paper, cotton or foil. No making two halves and gluing. No double baking. You have to buy her tutorial to learn her secret or be resigned to a heavy heart. (I couldn’t resist the pun.)
FIMO 50 tweaks
A few tweaks to the Fimo 50 World Project may make it easier for you to participate in an event that celebrates 50 years of playing with polymer while it also raises money for two very worthy projects.
Sending your art entry from the US was cumbersome so we got approval to use my address rather than the Canadian office of clay manufacturer, Staedtler. This avoids post office international forms. US entries can be sent to: Cynthia Tinapple, 1 Hartford Court, Worthington, OH 43085.
But what do they look like?
Entries have been piling up in Staedtler offices in various countries and photos aren’t officially posted until the actual items arrive in Germany. The Facebook 10×10 page gives you a good idea of who’s playing along. Artists have been posting pictures on their own sites. Now this Instagram Fimo50worldproject site shows the tiles at a glance for those who want to see it all.
If I’ve left you out of the picture pages, please let me know or send your entry photo to PCDaily. This first stab at a collection probably missed a lot and we’ll add more regularly.
Some look different!
Most entries are sticking to a 4″x4″ (10x10mm) square format but if your muse insists on a different size and shape, that’s fine.
Organizers Dani and Natalia strongly suggest that you include the story behind your design on the entry form (there’s a hidden benefit to doing this).
Entry deadline is April 30. The tiles will be auctioned off this spring so choose the ones you like best and be prepared to bid. Now run off to the studio and mail in your entry.
Whirlwind polymer
There’s a whirlwind of activity at Creative Journey Studios in Georgia. Facebook sometimes scrambles the chronology of posts and this swirl of a piece from Lynda Gilcher was ready to post when I looked at the date and saw it was created in Loretta Lam’s September class at CJS. Oh well!
Lynda’s piece had already set my mind spinning with ideas. See more of Lynda’s work on Facebook. She has her own studio and store in Ohio.
Creative Journey’s gallery is considered mecca for polymer artists and contains some of the finest examples of work and the best tools you’ll see anywhere. Anke Humpert is teaching there in February followed by Bettina Welker. Studio owners Sue Sutherland and Ellen Prophater continue to line up an impressive list of teachers including me in October! Have a great weekend!
Composing a necklace
Karen Pasieka’s turquoise dots are suspended on wires that keep them grouped into a sunny garden of a necklace. Here’s another version on Facebook.
Her framed ranunculus compositions are similarly composed for hanging on the wall. Lean over her shoulder to see how she builds them.
On Instagram and Facebook Karen reveals her head start on spring gardening in polymer and wedding season accessories that she sells on Etsy.
Fishy polymer
The silly marine life from Denmark’s Estelle Marchal (lesptitsmobiles) gave me a laugh. She makes them into mobiles suspended from driftwood.
Can you imagine encountering these creatures floating in the night with their glowing eyes and fish grins? Sometimes a laugh or a surprise are what we need from our art. She claims they scare nightmares away.
There are more jollies and Estelle’s whole story on Instagram, her site, Pinterest and Facebook.
Polymer and pearls
Amy Davison updates the pearl choker with wraps of deeply textured polymer, sparkly spacers, glass and refined bling.
Country club meets art gallery at this year’s Baltimore ACC show in Booth 4811 on February 17-18.
Amy also teaches Designing Mixed Media Multiples online at the OnlineArtRetreats.
She has a background in academia and the corporate world and has returned home to her studio. Read all about her on Facebook and her site.
Taking heart
We’re nearing the end of January and must start collecting our hearts for V Day!
Let’s begin with Staci Louise Smith who likes her hearts pierced, stamped, cracked and colored with inks. Through all the battering, her pieces maintain a well worn and upbeat feeling.
Staci sold out of this heart but she’s uploaded a new batch on her Flickr site.
Do you have hearts on your work table? Send ’em if you got ’em.