I’ve been intrigued by the Renaissance pieces created by Jennifer Parrish of Parrish Relics. While the pieces aren’t specifically labeled as being made from polymer clay (resilient resin, resin-based…is how they’re described), I’m assuming that this is polymer clay.
It’s fun to see these departures from the usual millefiore, mokume gani designs. The pieces are well crafted and interesting. If you’re needing to feel like a Queen for a Day or have a theatrical bent, take a look at her site. Don’t miss the journal pages.
Tennessee’s Jai Johnson has developed an interesting twist on cloisonne which she plans to pursue in 2006. She talks about her plans and has the best pictures on her blog.
Jai first created the setting with genuine gold leaf on the edges. Then she built a network of "cloisons" (cells or compartments) by forming 14K gold filled bezel wire into a pattern for the center of the pendant. Each "cell" was then painted using tinted polymer, filled gradually until she obtained the shading and coloring she wanted, with multiple firings between layers.
Connecticut’s Libby Mills calls it "textural glazing" or scribbling with liquid clay. I call it fun. The colors in her Blue Split Silver are yummy and a great way to integrate techniques she learned from Kathleen Dustin into her work. Take a look.
It’s a big sea of polymer out there and I’ve snagged another one. Judy Dunn caught word of the site and sent me a link to her work. You’ll want to be sure to take a look. If you know of some polymer artist whose work has gone unrecognized, send me a link and we’ll reel ’em in.
And today, Judy’s sent me three new links I would never have discovered. It feels like Christmas came early…what a gift! I’ll let you open them, one at a time (slowly…just like my mother doled out presents) in the next few days.
We’ve been dealing with our late cat’s legacy….fleas. I suppose that’s why I’ve been drawn to all the polymer bugs. Luckily it’s winter and my red-spotted legs are hidden from view. How inhospitable is it to have fleas during the holiday season? The charmers on the left are from Karen Kozak.
Jody Bishel (right) has some great ones on her photo album site too. It’s a shame they’re so darkly printed and hard to see on the web, they’re really wonderful.
I am sometimes mystified in the scrapbooking aisles at the crafts stores. "What is all this stuff for?" I wonder. "And why?"
I was pleased to see Geraldine Newfry’s use of these bookplate frames. She’s part of the altered books crowd that makes great combinations of altered books and polymer. Take a look at her site.
In my web exploration I came upon some young dark artwork, Darkside Dolls. I loved the energy of this cat by Michelle Steele and think her sculptures are terrific.
After travelling halfway round the world to locate new works, turns out that Michelle is from right here in Ohio.
Sort of a Christmas Grinchy-looking cat, right? Very Leslie Blackford/MoodyWoods-ish. Michelle says she’s putting some new polymer work on her site soon.
I spent a good bit of time over the weekend browsing through the online photo sites, flickr and pbase and such. After slogging through a ton of typical polymer work, I happened on some fresh foreign designs.
I ran a young French designer’s site through Altavista Babelfish for translation. What a hoot that was. Many of Magali Thiébaud’s pieces look like candies. The idiom translations are very rough.
"My jewels point out candies, the chocolate, the liquorice and of other sugar refineries. To carry a Croquezmoicreation jewel is to be beautiful to crunch."
Late at night with a glass of wine it’s a surreal experience. I found some interesting Portugese things too. Nothing like other cultures to shake you out of your own design rut and widen your horizons.
I’ve written to Magali Thiébaud to get details about her work but there’s no response yet. Visit Croquezmoicreation.com.
Her Flickr albums contain her most interesting work. Be warned, it’s easy to get lost in the maze of these monster sites and there’s a lot of stuff to wade through. Let me show you the way. Try this page.
It felt good to take a whole box of unused materials to the guild’s tag sale. End of year cleanout to a good cause. Next year I resolve not to buy the same things over again…glitters and paints and colors that don’t suit me but I might use some day.
I dumped some unsuccessful projects into the trash as well. I remember Kathy Amt telling a class that it was good to empty your studio of discarded projects. These projects nag you and induce guilt. It’s good to get rid of them. Her only rule is that you must know why the project failed before you toss it.
I learn from others’ fine work and I’ve been finding it in the most unlikely places….like this bracelet by Donna Kato that was photographed by Florida’s Nancy Welsh at a workshop earlier this year. Leaf through Nancy’s album of pictures.
