Polymer Clay Daily

Artists

Vacation polymer

Dawn Schiller's polymer candlewyke

Dawn Schiller’s “candlewyck” has me spooked as I lock up the house and leave for vacation. Will these odd little creatures sense my departure and start popping up from the candlesticks when I pull out of the driveway? Her polymer oddfae suddenly make me a believer. What an imagination she has.

Arizona from a Paula Pindroh illustration

Thanks to Paula Pindroh for the polymer vacation illustration. My husband and I are off to Arizona to visit friends and family, grabbing wi-fi at McDonalds and motels along the way. We’re heading toward sun and heat with polymer supplies in the trunk, naturally.

Susan Lomuto has posted a thoughtful wrap-up of Synergy on her DailyArtMuse.

Polymer fish lips

Ottenbreit's polymer portal series
Ottenbreit's polymer fish

Alaskans Karen Ottenbreit and Katie Way brought a northern exposure to Synergy. While I can’t find a proper link to Katie online, I did catch a few of Karen’s sea creatures in the gallery.

Her series of portal pins and pendants tickled me. Karen’s story of how a sassy girl from the south side of Chicago makes good in Eagle River, AK will make you understand why her fish laugh.

Synergized

If you’re following along, check out: Iris Mishly, Amy Crawley, Janice Barbanel and comments on the clay/no clay discussion from Chris Dembinski. “Not Your Child’s Fimo” was the title of the shout out from Lisa Bayne of Artful Home.

Milner’s shifting geometry

Kylee Milner's autumn disk necklace

Need more Synergy? Try Heather Campbell’s site, Libby Mills’ or Julie Eakes‘ blogs and Kelly Russell’s site. Maureen Carlson commented yesterday and brought up issues to think about in the polymer versus polymer clay debate. Leave your thoughts and I’ll try to pick up the thread soon.

I’m going to let the topic rest for a few days as I pack for a month-long trip out west and prepare to take this show on the road.

winters_ifil_beads

The necklace at the left from France’s Kylee Milner (Bijoux and Banter) popped up as I was catching up on research. Polymer disks bump up against one another to form a shifting geometry amid the play of autumn reds.

This just in…

Elise Winters writes that while her jewelry’s debut on the fashion runways was exciting, it was, “…nowhere near as thrilling as seeing Gwen Ifill wearing my teal lattice rope necklace on the PBS news hour tonight.”

Polymer clay circus beads

Clawson's circus interpretation

Kate Clawson (OrganicOdysseys) with her polymer Carnival Necklace and Lynda Moseley with her Big Top transfer beads show life as a circus.

The two artists were responding to the ArtBeadScene’s February challenge to capture the Vestie Davis’ painting of Luna Park in beads. They both tell the stories of their creations and share their process on their blogs.

Moseley's circus poster transfer beads

This monthly challenge reminds me of Maureen Carlson’s story beads. What a great exercise.

The busy bright interpretations of the painting fit right in with my overscheduled day. I’m off to Baltimore.

Lynda’s Flickr page of image transfers from vintage fabrics is mouthwatering.

Falkenhagen snags polymer

Falkenhagen's man in red turban polymer/gold brooch

Pictures, often transfers on polymer clay, form the central visual elements of Diane Falkenhagen’s fabricated fine jewelry. She invents images or borrows them from historial sources.

Falkenhagen's Io brooch

This Man in a Red Turban and her IO brooch looked elegant and mysterious and caught my attention on her Crafthaus page luring me to examine the rest of her portfolio.

“The artistic freedom associated with less-expensive, non-conventional materials leads to an uninhibited spirit of exploration, a broader expressive vocabulary and greater artistic risk-taking,” says Falkenhagen.

She is co-chairing the 2010 SNAG (Society of North American Goldsmiths) conference in March whose theme is Going to eXtremes. Nice to know that polymer is part of that.

First contest for the girls next door in the Netherlands

Breukelman's faux jade embroidered cuff

Karin Breukelman’s faux jade embroidered cuff took top honors in Dutch Polymer Clay Forum’s oriental contest. This was the group’s first contest. The variety and quality of the entries surprised them.

Van Engelen's polymer rice fields ring
veltenaar's polymer sunset

Karin’s design was based on a Chinese coin replicated in polymer jade with faux coral accents. Lanterns, fans, geishas, bamboo and cinnabar inspired participants’ imaginations. Nicole van Engelen’s ring plays on the contours and colors of rice fields.

The other top winners were Marij de Bruijn, Saskia Veltenaar, and Paula van Veen. Enjoy this glimpse of the orient by way of the Netherlands. You’ll find some interesting tutorials on the group’s Girls Next Door site too. I particularly like the idea of faux pearls.

Polymer ruffles on the runway

winters rainbow cascade neckpiece
winters garden cascade
winters omni cascade neckpiece closeup

First she got us into museums, now Elise Winters has put polymer on the fashion runways.

How cool is it that Elise’s polymer clay ruffle neckpieces were featured on models in Cynthia Rowley’s Fall 2010 runway show during NY Fashion Week?

You can catch some of the glam in the video here.

winters omni cascade neckpiece closeup

In the February issue of Get Creative magazine you can read more about Elise and her remarkable story (download the article here). As she says, “I don’t believe in talent, I believe in drive and perserverance.”

Support Elise’s museum efforts by clicking on the Polymer Collection donate button in the right column.

Wannabees are buzzing

Kate Church polymer Wanna Bees

Kate Church‘s Wanna Bees are perfect for today and her site is full of eye candy. We’re all acquainted with Wanna Bees in one way or another and hers are delightful buzzing sprites.

Her other creatures include wabbits and starlets. This Nova Scotia artist calls her work sculptural puppetry, combining polymer clay, wire armature and fiber.

Kate Church sculptural puppetry

Kate’s Cirque Du Soleil pieces are currently sold out and a new batch is in the works. She offers workshops at her winter home in Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Thanks to Cynthia Becker for sending us this new link – a great diversion a snowy day. Years ago while vacationing, Cynthia visited Kate’s studio. She was pleased to see an article about Kate’s La Petite Managerie in the December issue of Art Doll magazine.

Cavender emerges with moss

Cavender's moss-covered sticks and pods

Kim Cavender has emerged from hibernation covered in moss! After several months of quiet, she’s added some new work that includes faux moss clinging to her polymer sticks and stones.

Cavender's polymer rocks 2010

My polymer pebble mentor, Kim has expanded her forest finds to include nuts, vines and pods that she’ll be teaching at the Ohio retreat this weekend. (Let’s hope the snow stops.)

Kim’s rocks are beauties. Take a look at her new ones.

Monday lessons from Uliczny and Campbell

Uliczny's mokume earrings

Michigan’s Christi Uliczny (RiverValleyDesign) combines pearlex powders, alcohol inks and gold leaf with two different clays to create these shimmering Rocky Path earrings.

When I saw that her tutorial detailing the process is available I jumped on it. I’m a klutz with powders and inks and need all the help I can get. Her method is straightforward and clearly explained. I’ll start my week with a lesson.

Campbell's ballet sculpture

Sculpture lessons

Heather Campbell shows her work step-by-step in a recent post. Starting with two candlesticks, toe shoes and hat boxes, Heather builds an amazing polymer-covered sculpture for Utah Ballet West’s annual “Shoe In”. This small photo doesn’t do the piece justice. It’s the kind of art that’s best appreciated up close.