Polymer Clay Daily

Artists

Facing face canes

Julie Eakes‘ latest polymer face cane started out from her pop art drawing. She chronicles her caning successes and misteps on her blog. Reading along is both instructional and entertaining as she remedies her mistakes.

To the left is a finished piece from the pop art cane. The pendant has a domed surface that you miss in this picture but which adds to its smooth sultriness (achieved with olive oil, I believe).

Julie doesn’t sell much of her work, preferring to experiment, teach and share her art and her humor. Her new book just out is “Clay Classics Inspired by Zentangle.”

Ancient dolls, modern bottles

These Ancient Luminous Art Dolls from Texas’ Tricia Dewey transform modern glass bottles into icons from ancient cultures.We looked at Tricia’s luminous polymer beads some months back and now she’s incorporating the technique into her sculpture.

She reveals that, “Growing up with my mother and grandmother as artists, I did not personally begin working artistically until my mother’s death in 2002.” Polymer clay and digital imagery were her first explorations with later ventures into encaustic wax. You can track the zigs and zags of her explorations on her Flickr site.

Ponsawan blends

Ponsawan Silapiruti offers yet another variation on the Skinner blend which she uses to create her free Mini Roses tutorial.

Based on overlapping rectangles of clay, this method is good for those of you who, like me, have trouble cutting triangles. Ponsawan has a gift for simplifying that makes every trick look easy.

There’s no place like home

Inspired by reading about the wicked witch of the west, Kira Nichols created this polymer bookmark complete with ruby slippers.

It’s a reminder that polymer is a great medium for a quick laugh and or a fun gift…as well as for great art. The link comes to us from Jean Delaney (via the daily wh.at)

It’s clear that I’m having trouble getting back to work after weeks on the road. There’s no place like home.

Ipad/Iphone PCD

If you’d like to get to PCDaily easily on your Ipad or Iphone, open PCD in Safari and tap the “+” icon immediately to the left of the address bar. You’ll see the following menu appear. Tap “Add to Home Screen” and the bookmark icon will appear on your Ipad’s desktop. Slick!

Scribbles and scrambles

This “Inca Scribbles” pendant from Jan Montarsi is one of the latest in his mica shift series of polymer pendants and covered eggs based on extruded strings.

Jan’s colors are soothing and he’s an experimenter. Be sure to read his profile and check out the Flickr group he recently created.

Jan’s pendant resembles my scrambled brain. I’m finally at home and slowly settling back in with a head filled new ideas and great memories. Sorry if you missed PCD with your coffee this morning. Thanks to Carol Simmons for the link that saved me today.

Saving money with polymer bezels

Libby Mills is beaming because she discovered a way to beat the high cost of silver using polymer and she found a new seed bead and polymer design she enjoys. You’ll see a bit of extruded clay in this new series too.

Her black polymer bezels are deep and sensuously smooth. They feel like metal right down to the hammered edges. Like the other posts this week, seeing the back helps you appreciate the piece even more. Here’s another close-up.

The bunches of seed beads are sewn to felt at the bottom of the bezel. They sway as you touch them.

Libby agrees that get-togethers often spark new ideas and reignite our enjoyment of the craft….even though they may leave you sleep-deprived. Have a restful weekend.

Backstory

Jan Montarsi wrote in about his new Flickr group that specializes in the backs of polymer work and their stories….the construction, the obstacles, the solutions. Check it out here.

Color burst polymer

The back and the front of Lynda Gilcher’s “Color Burst” necklace are equally intriguing. Examining polymer work in person allows you to enjoy the construction and the details. Take a look at the back.

The disks are cane slices textured in a specially created mold. They’re mounted on shanks that allow them to be strung on a cable. Lynda’s idea is efficient and the effect is both delicate and eye-catching. Kudos for cleverness.

Lynda offers the supplies in her store and shows more of her work on her group site. (Another late night….I can’t keep this up!)

Added dimension

Sometimes examining work up-close-and-personal is a pleasant surprise. Here in Virginia, Jana Roberts Benzon‘s tray of pieces to be finished was an astonishing visual feast. Jana is best known for her intricate Arabesque line which photographs well. Her newer works need to be seen to be believed.

Jana’s sea sculpture brooches are tactile treats and her dimensional landscape pins need to be viewed from several angles to appreciate the full effect of their sliced and stacked construction. Flawless finishing is always a delight to see.

Here’s her Flickr site for more examples.

The weather is terrific and we work late into the night. I must get some sleep and bring you more tomorrow.

Snail shapes for spring

Snail shapes are in the air! Yesterday Fabi’s vessels from Madrid and today it’s Germany’s Margit Boehmer’s polymer sea snail earrings. Margit is all about bright rainbow colors and her Flickr pages are packed with them. Is it the spring rains that have brought out the snails? The link to Margit came from Randee Ketzel.

The Virginia group is settling into studio mode and gradually new works are being unwrapped from their travel boxes. Tomorrow I’ll uncover someone’s new treasures to share with you.

Paper and polymer

These paper and polymer vessels from Madrid’s Fabi may bring a smile to your Monday. The quirky finishing touches are polymer shapes with a Dr. Seuss feel.

The pots themselves are made from “serpentinas”, paper strips wound into a tight coil and pushed into shape. Even if your Spanish isn’t strong, you’ll catch how they’re made on this YouTube video. (Paper streamers may be common in some places or quilling strips would work.)

Once Fabi got started she couldn’t resist adding polymer finials and making ornaments and earrings and other trinkets.

Fabi’s interests are wide-ranging as we’ve seen in earlier posts. Look at her Flickr page and her blog to see what she’s been up to.

Polymer slinky

What started out as another split ring variation by Maggie Maggio became a “Slinky” polymer bracelet as we worked side by side on vacation.

It began as a snake covered with a Skinner blend and was rolled out to four feet in length before it was pinched flat.

Cornstarch between the coils kept the layers from sticking to each other. Slinky is lightweight and as much fun to play with as it is to wear. (Here’s the original video about split rings.)

The other cool variations that Maggie came up with aren’t ready for prime time yet but you can check her site to follow her progress. She’s teaching a polymer watercolor landscapes class in June if you’re in the Northwest.

Have a grand weekend. I’m off to Virginia…another polymer-rich environment that will surely contain interesting material for next week’s posts.