Polymer Clay Daily

Bold bowls

Polymer vessels are moving to the wild side thanks to artists like Massachusetts’ Kathryn Corbin.

corbin_vessels

This one has holes and textures and what looks like three or four layers with a rough exterior. The chopped edged interior is colored with pastels and who-knows-what and given a mysterious touch with some cryptic drawing.

There are more vessels on Facebook and an earlier post on PCDaily to give you more samples of Kathryn’s work.

How many of us have drawers of pens, powders and inks that we’re saving for just the right project? Maybe this is the week to pull them out and venture beyond our comfort zones.

Mixing polymer digitally

Burgess on PCDaily

The UK’s Jon Burgess brings his computer drawings to polymer in the ways that don’t have the usual hard-edge digital transfer look.

He’s working on ways to camouflage the seams on round and tube beads and hints that he’s working on a tutorial.

burgess_tube_transfers2

If you’re not in love with your phone’s camera and editing software and printing, you may not share Jon’s enthusiasm (and mine). To us the mash-up of polymer and computers looks like a big unexplored territory with lots of possibility.

See Jon’s very personal way of mixing media on Etsy, Facebook and his blog.

Kelp and polymer

Chandler on PCDaily

Gera Scott Chandler (aMusedStudio) pairs her polymer with materials that are readily available. Not only is kelp plentiful along the BC coast in Canada, but it also appeals to Gera’s penchant for making baskets.

Look closely and you’ll see that she pierces holes along the edges of the polymer bowls. She uses the holes to weave in the strands of kelp that trim her vessels.

Chandler on PCDaily

Kelp adorns the edge of her popular Halibut Platters as well. The rock and shells and Vancouver Island beach finds make their way into Gera’s work that you can see on Facebook.

Read about how she incorporates the landscape into her work in this recent profile. What calls to you from your landscape?

Decoding polymer DNA

Russell on PCDaily

Samples of cane slices are not usually newsworthy but these translucent pieces from Maryland’s Kelly Russell will have you transfixed.

The patterns have a slightly DNA look. Kelly holds a #5 slice out in the sun and the delicate strands light up.

russell_transl_sun

There’s much that we’re just discovering about building layers of pattern with translucent thanks to Kelly and other experimenters.

If you check her out on Facebook, you’ll also see the stunning results from her recent master class with Carol Simmons.

Disks dotted with energy

Haskova on PCDaily

These dotted circle beads by the Czech Republic’s Eva Haskova may stump you. Zoom in and out and still you’d have to guess. Caned? Carved? Extruded?

The disks are part of a new “energy topography” class but the translation doesn’t explain much.

All that aside, Eva’s mind works in interesting ways and this new work is an extension of some of her distinctive earlier works that you can study on Flickr and Facebook. Can you follow the dots and unravel the mystery?

Polymer breakers

Veesuel on PCDaily

Splash through the 22 entries in the wave-inspired challenge of France’s ParoledePate group. The challenge was the idea of Florence Minne-Khou and included very few restrictions and lots of possibilities. You’ll see waves interpreted in jewelry, paintings, vessels, books and sculpture.

This 3-ring stackable set of watery translucent shapes is by Veesuel and you can see it from several angles here.

Creativity flows when group members get pulled into a challenge! Congrats to all.

Leaves of the world

Leonini on PCDaily

Each side of Cecelia Leonini’s (ImpastArte) leaf-like beads provides a separate canvas. She uses very different geometric patterns on each surface to create her Leaves of the World necklace.

You may like her in-process photos that show how she shaped each of the 3-sided beads on a single gently curved wire. Here she is on Etsy and Facebook.

This more complex and updated worldview of fall leaves is right on target today. Have a great fall weekend.

Flying high with polymer

Webb on PCDaily

Linda Webb’s little 4″ polymer mosaic butterfly, Monarch Migration, won the People’s Choice Award in the Peoria, Illinois ArtPop contest and grew into a 49′ billboard where it will be featured for a year.

The inspiration for this piece came after Linda learned about the Monarch Butterfly Task Force, a local group that educates the public about the rapidly declining numbers of Monarchs. The group plants milkweed and other host plants for pollinators.

Webb on PCDaily

“My hope was to create an appealing piece of art that could assist the Task Force’s efforts,” she explains. By giving them the reproduction rights, Linda allows the group to produce bookmarks, cards, t-shirts, posters and other fundraising items.

“The positive feedback I’ve received encourages me to think about more ways I could use my art to help local groups,” she says. Makes you think, doesn’t it?