Polymer Clay Daily

Artists

Williamson’s cool polymer

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Pennsylvania’s Genevieve Williamson (Jibby and Juna) loves gray and muted colors for her polymer clay designs. Her cool, organic designs have a very modern sensibility and you’ll want to soak up the ambience at her blog and on her etsy gallery.

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I’m soaking up the ambience of this coffee shop, my wifi oasis in Florida. My in-laws long ago opted out of technology and are baffled by my need to drive off to get a daily hit of caffeine and electrons. I’m writing fast and trying to remember that I’m on vacation.

Today’s link comes from Eugena Topina’s PolymerClayChameleon site. I’m headed for the dock to watch the porpoises.

Where you get it from, where you take it to

I’m on the road today so I’ll leave you with this quote. Even if you’ve seen it before, it bears repeating and reconsidering.

Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic.

Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery – celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from – it’s where you take them to.

– Jim Jarmusch

George’s solo polymer exhibit

Ellen George’s Nose Touches Twig solo exhibit of polymer clay sculptures inspired by nature will be at PDX Contemporary Art in Portland, Oregon through May 30.

A former dental technician Ellen pushes the clay in new directions with her abstract forms that vary in density, color and translucence.

The imagined forms are evocative of undersea life, water, clouds, and geological formations. The relationship to the wall is explored in pieces like this 14.5″ by 14.5″ Scatter where holes are carved out of coral-like pieces of large flat pieces of polymer clay.

Here’s a post about an earlier exhibit. I love the vibrancy and size of this new series.

Toops bead video

Seattle’s Cynthia Toops takes you through the process of making polymer clay beads in this quick and wonderful video. It’s sure to give you breathtaking inspiration and overwhelming studio envy to start your week.

Toops’ jewelry is featured in the installation, A Bead Quiz, on view now at the Seattle Art Museum. Her husband, Dan Adams, has a companion video here.

You might want to look at Cynthia and Dan’s self-published book and her Facere Gallery listings too.

I’m scouting out polymer clay in Chapel Hill, NC today and send my thanks to Carol Simmons for sending me today’s link.

Arscott’s polymer clay riddle

This polymer clay sculpture from Dean Arscott’s Ringling College senior illustration show is good for a Friday chuckle. It’s a twist on the old “Why did the chicken cross the road?” riddle.

Arscott says of his sculptures, “This pervasive silliness was and is a great escape for me in this sometimes up-tight world.” You can see a quick video of his polymer clay silliness here. Susan Lomuto sent the link.

I’ll be on the road for the next couple of weeks, bouncing between Starbucks and MacDonalds web connections to keep in touch with you as we visit friends and relatives in the south. Have a great weekend.

Blackburn’s polymer clay Möebius Strips

Carol Blackburn’s “Möebius Strips” polymer clay necklace fools the eye. You’ll have to look closely to see how Carol cleverly combines strips of Skinner-blended clay to look like undulating, interconnected beads. My science guy husband was impressed with the engineering of the piece.

Read more about Carol in this article in the March/April Craftsman magazine.

I first came upon the Möebius necklace on the British guild’s site. The necklace made its debut at last year’s EuroClay Carnival. This year’s event sold out quickly as polymer clay expertise and enthusiasm grow in Europe.

Maunsell’s polymer constructions

Canadian Claire Maunsell must have as much trouble with spacer beads as I do and she’s come up with a new twist and a great design that avoids them.

Every other bead nests into the next on this “Lava collar” polymer clay necklace.

Her “Armadillo” bracelet shown here has glass balls embedded in the clay and is assembled in more of a ball and socket configuration. I remember seeing a similar trick on a Gwen Gibson video.

Claire’s colors and textures are a treat and you’ll want to browse through all her Flickr pix.

Kewy’s clay babies

Greek artist Tina Kewy starts our week with a basket of fresh spring possibilities. She has been making polymer clay babies since 1999 and her expertise shows.

Tina has sculpted more than 1000 dolls of all sizes including realistic premature babies for hospital use. Her attention to accurate anatomy is remarkable and you can see it all in her self-published book about sculpting which features her recent work. See my previous posts about little polymer clay sprouts here.

Schwarzenberg’s one cane, many leaves

These polymer clay leaves from Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg’s class descriptions look a lot like the wild things popping up in my garden. Do you suppose the creator, like Lynne Ann, only uses one cane?

You can see her mind at work as she takes a simple cane and grows it into a multitude of petal, leaf and foliage shapes. Click on the her pictures, you’ll get an even closer look.

Lynne Ann is teaching California and Milwaukee in May if you want to catch up with her. Here’s an earlier post about her. She’s the only artist I know who has Skinner-blended her hair color!