“All this sheltering in place is giving me the blues,” says Boston’s Betsy Baker (Stonehouse Studio).
Are you surprised by the small gem tucked in the middle of Betsy’s folded layers of polymer? There are gems hidden in this hardship and heartache. Look closely.
These small tribal mask brooches from Key West, Florida’s Terri Wlaschin (Shanty Chic Beads) are sculpted, collaged, painted and textured with great energy and spirit. “I am continually inspired by what I see riding my bike around town, walking the beaches, and observing the colorful characters that inhabit this island,” says Terri.
“I did not even know I had a creative side until my late 30’s when I started dabbling in creative writing and photography. When I began working with beads, I couldn’t stop. I never really knew what having a passion for something was until then. It’s like a religious experience to me, bringing joy and a glow to my spirit.”
Thanks to Sharene Screws for the link to an article about Terri in Jewelry Making Journal. Go with your glow!
While most of us are squirreled up at home, Australia’s Wendy Moore (after_the_monsoon) comes back online with a splash.
Wendy’s been watching quietly from the sidelines for a while as she took a break. Now she’s collaborating with Dissonance Fashion and creating new work inspired by Helen Breil and Bonnie Bishoff. Wendy’s resurgence shows us the value of taking time off!
Of course, her heart is never far away from the ladies of the Samunnat Nepal project that she has nurtured since 2006. Welcome back to good health and polymer, Wendy.
Make time on Wednesday for the free Fun At One on Craftcast. This week watch Deb Hart create her polymer eggs and see Deb Karash (prismacolor on metal) demo her black block tool.
Virginia’s Wiwat Kamolpornwijit calms his jittery nerves with a new spring line. This bracelet with magnetic closure reads differently depending on your perspective.
Patterned circles bend to reveal black and white graphics. “I’m too tired of being worried,” says Wiwat. “I started getting my hands on polymer again, and it really helped getting my mind in the right place.”
Would your mind feel better if your hands started moving?
New Delhi’s Jaishree Choudhary (JudaMani) creates mostly items based on Indian themes. These masks have more of an African flavor.
The features are added with a few rolls for lips and eyes and sharp triangular-shaped noses.
The colors add drama along with carved and textured details. Looking at the mask bases may tempt you to try to create your own tribe.
Jaishree has been working for several years to bring realism to her polymer figures and faces. Even her unpainted tiles have great power in their simple shapes adorned with abundant and accurate details.
Where do I our ideas spring from? That’s one of the subjects we’ll look at in this weekend’s StudioMojo. We found a fun and surprising story about how “what goes around, comes around.” Come on over to StudioMojo for a smile and a surprise.
I know very little about Cyprus’ Arieta Stavrodou except that she’s a strong, in-your-face, badass kinda woman.
And I want to paint like she does with polymer. Her 5″ x 6″ portrait is aggressive, driven, forceful with a soft underbelly and a discerning eye.
We’ve covered her wild teapots and other quirky works but her latest polymer paintings reveal something more.
See the power in her recent Instagram and follow her earlier works on Facebook.
Friends came back from a weekend class with Kentucky’s Leslie Blackford gushing about how much they’d learned about clay…and themselves.
There’s something touching, innocent, and vulnerable in Leslie’s unending series of loveable animal sculptures. How does she do that?
For the next few weeks, she will show how she imbues simple sculpted animals with irresistible qualities.
Class details are on Facebook. The tutorials are accessible, inexpensive and just the kind of play your inner child may be yearning for in rough times.
After so many years of posting, I don’t question why I choose items to post. I trust my gut and this one feels like a warm blanket on a comfy sofa.
Indiana’s Anita Long (nee.nee.ree) makes her ring bowl look like a really restorative nap. Soft and cozy. Not your usual one-layer ring bowl.
Want to step your bowls up a notch? Add a few more layers and it feels like a cuddle. Who couldn’t use a cuddle?
How do you picture this menacing virus? Polymer is a perfect medium for giving you an outlet for venting your anger, anxiety, and fears.
Here New York’s Nicole Johnson (mealymonsters) and Indiana’s Amy Hucks (supersculptor) show you their interpretations.
Nicole calls her containers of polymer specimens caught in resin Germ Jars.
Amy’s are more prickly and they’re wearing masks.
I’d love to see your versions of this monster.
Perth, Australia’s Bonnie Gilmore (Hatching Sparrows) loved making these commissioned statement earrings. They are a vibrant mix of colors, cultures, and styles. They combine ancient culture with a modern twist.
The earrings combine stories of family, history, weddings, Peranakan (Chinese) outfits, and favorite flowers. “I loved using elements of traditional culture alongside the client’s modern-day self,” she says.
Bonnie adds small sculpted polymer elements onto a slab base. Here she photographs the finished earrings laid on a magazine page to stunning effect. She gives us a breath of Spring. See more of Bonnie’s gorgeous polymer appliques on Instagram.
Need more beautiful reminders of spring? Come on over to StudioMojo for a look at what beauty these difficult times have forced into bloom. You’ll be pleased with the stories we uncovered this week.
