Polymer Clay Daily

Artists

Living to Create

Read the profile of Missouri’s Scott and Victoria Garrette if you want to know how one young artist couple struggles make a living these days. They paint and those colors and patterns spill over into their polymer clay work

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They tried New York. They tried "real" jobs. They have children. They do Etsy and shows. In the midst of their moves they left a totally cool straw bale studio behind. They’re back in Missouri and they sound quite happy.

Here are the Garrette’s Etsy sites (his and hers), the Kansas City Etsy street team they’re active in, the blog, the Flickr photos. "I live to create," says Scott.

Have a creative weekend.

Summer Horses

"When I start to spin, I try to remember who I am and I go out to the horses or down to my studio and everything falls back into place," says Utah’s Judy Summer.

A full-time artist for 35 years, Judy can’t solder or do detailed jewelry work anymore. A car accident and an infection reduced her vision but frustration is something she shoves aside.

Decades ago she dreamed of horses. After a car accident in 2000 and therapeutic riding lessons, she decided it was time to get a horse of her own. The animals have taught her patience and inspired the nuances in her polymer clay sculptures. Her site loads slowly…perhaps to teach us patience too.

Matisse


The French Yahoo group’s July polymer clay challenge was an excellent exercise and a visual treat. The instructions to "CreationFimo" were to contemplate the works of Henri Matisse and create a polymer clay work that paid homage to him.

You’ll have to scroll down their page to see the variety of artists’ responses, each a delightful and unique interpretation. Thanks to Marilyn from the Netherlands for forwarding the link along.

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Spontaneous

After the wonderful intensity of yesterday’s polymer clay pieces I felt drawn in the opposite direction. I headed to my French links for a dose of spontaneity and colorful exuberance.

I couldn’t find the artist’s name on this site. She’s elusive, my French is terrible and I’m hoping someone will reveal her to us. (She’s Dominique Franceschi. Thanks to Marilyn V. for identifying her.) Scroll all the way down to see some quick and clever extrusions turned into mokume gane. This work shows what playful confidence can produce.

Thanks for the link goes to Singapore’s Rita Sim.

Voluptuous Veggies

No better way to start your week than with a look at these new polymer clay purses from Kathleen Dustin. (Click on each one.) Her "voluptuous vegetables" signal a move on from Dustin’s layered transluscent women and more recent boar bristle series. These new species made me gasp with awe and admiration.

Thanks for the pictures go to super friend Hollie Mion who tracked down Kathleen at the Ann Arbor, MI arts festival. I’ve included a few larger images of her works and her display.

Beachwear

Polymer clay beachwear! Made by Nova Scotia’s Mary Dowden-Marrie, (MaryMusic on Etsy) these little delights look so summery.

Mary’s adept at wire work and I’m not sure that the polymer clay butterflies were made by her but I couldn’t resist. Give yourself a pedicure and take off for the beach. Have a lovely weekend.

Art as Metaphor

It’s fun to poke around in the polymer clay items offered in The Artful Home online catalog. The prices are nearly as inspiring as the work (like this spectacular box by Bonnie Bishoff and J.M. Syron).

And speaking of prices, I was captivated by Alison Lee’s interview with art business coach Bruce Baker on her CraftCast podcast.

Bruce theorizes that the very high and very low prices we see on artwork are extensions of what’s happening in our economy. "Art becomes a metaphor for what’s happening in our culture," he says. The middle is vanishing. He predicts that after this war, as after wars in the past, there will be increased appreciation for the earth and the arts.

More Cover Girls

Lindly Haunani’s purple polymer clay pods are on the cover of August’s Crafts Report magazine! Lindly talks about how she uses marketing materials to set up workshops. You can download a terrific article free from the magazine (along with great pictures). Fourteen polymer clay artists share their insights about making a living in the medium of polymer clay.

Read marketing tips from Jana Roberts Benzon, Lindly Haunani, Diane Manzi (her mosaic is pictured at right), Valerie Wright, Judy Kuskin, Louise Fischer Cozzi, Consuelo Okdie, Peggy Houchin, Eileen Cressman-Reeder, Donna Kato, Luann Udell, Georgia Ferrell, Judy Summer and Loretta Lam.

Hip


Carrotbox first showed these polymer clay rings by Mary and Lou Ann which are sunnier than other recent works from this duo. That led me to StyleHive…and trouble. Don’t go there unless you’re a serious voyeur. It’s designer heaven.

I’m a bit daunted by the "communities" and "hive it" jive but I’ll go back and catch on when I need a shot of shopping. This one deserves some quality time. The Etsy folks were there way ahead of me. Being hip is so hard.

Gracing the Cover

The graceful polymer clay designs of Ohio’s Grace Stokes are featured on the cover of the September issue of Art Jewelry Magazine. "Less is more sophisticated," says the table of contents, "Spare lines and contemporary materials rejuvenate a traditional brooch motif."

Along with the article, Grace has unveiled her web site which is full of her works which mix polymer clay with precious metal, pearls, seed beads and other materials. Her delicate lines have a very up-to-date design feel.

Definitive Color

After ten years of teaching polymer clay color, Maggie Maggio and Lindly Haunani are writing the book. They’re looking for your previously unpublished images to illustrate their pages. See all the details on the NPCG site. The deadline is November 1.