Doreen Gay Kassel adds pendants to her usual repertoire of uncommon characters and pods.
Feels like a shift and a change that we’ll keep an eye on. Same unmistakeable colors with a nod to jewelry (and perhaps french fries).
Three Samunnat ladies were due to fly from Kathmandu to Detroit in October for a US tour. This week Ron Lehocky and I learned that the US denied their visa applications. There is no appeals process.
Bummer! Or as they say in Nepal “Ke Garne” That’s a resigned, “What can you do?”
We imagined angels Gita, Pramila, and Kopila with their bags all packed.
“We knew it was a possibility that they wouldn’t get the visas but I guess we let ourselves feel hopeful. It all comes down to convincing the interviewer that you have adequate ties in Nepal to make sure you return,” says founder and organizer Wendy Moore from Australia.
Thanks to all you polymer folks who so graciously offered your help and hospitality. The funds raised for travel will be redirected to other projects. Samunnat is now in its eleventh year. Please follow them on Instagram and on their blog to track their progress.
Our apologies to our would-be visitors. Let’s hope the world becomes more welcoming in the future. For now, “Ke Garne.”
Florida’s Alice Stroppel is cooking up some workshops that focus on women. “I wasn’t able to make the wedding, OK I wasn’t invited. But I do feel like the Queen of it All in my own mind. A new cane, more queenly women to come,” says Alice
Look for black and white with echoes of Picasso. “Here comes a workshop or a series,” she predicts.
Women are standing out this year. How could you feature them in your work?
This wonky, carefree vessel was built over a wooden form and has a bright red interior. The Dr. Seuss-like form is from Texas’ Joey Barnes and its carefree attitude made it a hit in the conference auction. Examine Joey’s whimsical piece on Instagram and Facebook.
After a long drive home I’m reinvigorated and back on schedule. A few days of playing and experimenting can wake you up and move you in surprising directions. PCD is back!
Linda Pearl decided that this silicone purse fondant mold filled with polymer could make great poker chips!
Chips are hotly traded during the silly part of conferences and Linda’s were real winners. Of course, you’ll note how she’s upgraded her mini-purses with paints and custom handles.
See Linda’s more serious works on Instagram. Her dog earrings were also real crowd-pleasers.
More of the tips and tools we played with this week will be listed on StudioMojo. Unless the rains flood the wifi, it’ll all be covered in Saturday’s newsletter. Hope you’ll join us.
PCD will be on travel schedule this week since I’m catching up on the latest twists in polymer at the Virginia conference. I can’t sit still long enough to write so posts will appear from time to time.
Surface decoration is still all the rage and just when you thought you’d seen it all, Karen Woods demos some alcohol tricks (click at left) on unbaked clay or Anita Kennerly and Joey Barnes show off new pigment powders they found.
PCD usually avoids talking about products since new polymer tools have been known to raise heart rates and lead to marital discord. I’m breaking my own rule to suggest you look at the PRO Slicer that has just gone into production.
Ontario’s Gail Garbe and her engineer husband Manfred travel the country in their RV for a good portion of the year. Gail sells her Nifty Stuff at art fairs and other stops along the way. Size is always an issue when you’re working on the road so Gail was looking for something smaller than the coveted and now scarce Simmons slicer.
The new PRO slicer that her husband designed has a 4″x4″x4″ work area and weighs 5.6lbs. See it in action on YouTube. This instrument will cut polymer paper-thin. The $650 price tag reflects the cost of its precision parts. The first small run sold out quickly and a second batch is due in July. Here are the specifications.
Gail says that the downside of the project is that filling orders may keep the couple at home.
If the PRO slicer whets your appetite but doesn’t suit your needs, there’s a free I LOVE TOOLS online party coming up on Craftcast on May 23. Alison Lee loves tools…and parties. See what she’s dug up for her 13th tools show.
An interesting sculpture? A grouping of succulents? Nope! This is a Mother’s Day bonanza of wooden utensils with polymer-covered handles. You know how moms love it when you gift something that’s both handmade and utilitarian.
Venezuela’s NinaStudioCaracas specializes in wooden cooking utensils and tableware embellished with polymer. Here they are on Instagram.
We’ve stirred up a delicious bunch of tips, tools, and trends for Saturday’s StudioMojo. And this week you’ll consider what your art has done for you lately. Fun stuff! Join us.
This grouping of Village Women from Virginia’s Elissa Farrow Savos was destined for Gallery C in Raleigh, N.C. Elissa captured them on her new Instagram page before they left for the art gallery.
Their pensive expressions pull us in for a deeper look as we approach Mothers Day in the midst of #metoo. She hints at their stories here.
Ellisa says, “As I sculpt, I push the polymer clay past its intended size and boundaries, then incorporate found objects, and finally paint the baked clay with layers of oils.”
The overview of her women and all their stories on Artsy.com is fascinating. Learn more from this PolymerArtArchive post and see her in the Polymer Art: Recent Acquisitions show at the Racine Art Museum until June 24.
Texas’ Deb Hart is cooking up a tutorial for her rainbow pixelated cane. Here she’s turned the cane into bangles of extruded tube beads curved to ride comfortably on the wrist.
The edges of the squares in the cane glow and accentuate each color. Look on Facebook and Etsy to see where Deb goes next with her cane tricks.
