Wanda Shum is only inspired to create one or two polymer-covered teapots a year. This year’s Space Girls theme was prompted by the Jetson-like shape of the pot. The best view of the rest of her line of jewelry and accessories is found on her Facebook page (it’s public).
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If you click on these images, you’ll see the smooth, flawless finish on Wanda’s intricate collage of canes and textures.
She provides inspiration to rocket us into a new week.
The latest discovery in my hunt for polymer and texture techniques led me back to Celie Fago. She posted these carving and texture plate tips on her blog a while back and I happily stumbled upon them.
When Celie first started in polymer, she spent many hours carving warm, baked polymer and she developed many tricks, including ways to keep tools sharp.
Time-intensive carving made her think about creating texture plates which she now uses for both metal clay and polymer. You’ll see evidence of both techniques in her Etsy shop. I hope your weekend is filled with texture.
LA’s Laurel Steven calls herself a mixed media creatrix and she’s teaching her hinged polymer Heritage Locket at next month’s Portland Art and Soul retreat.
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Laurel has also formulated her own twist on faux enamel and assembled a tutorial. You can see some of her samples in her Flickr pages, very faux.
Sue Corrie works with polymer on the Ghost Shift, when her family is settled and it’s dark outside. “Of course, Dr. Who fans know that the Ghost Shift was also the period when mysterious forces were able to seep into this world across the void,” she admits.
Sue has a mysterious force with color, putting together calming combinations and soothing palettes that invite further exploration. She shifts gears from fall’s rich dark colors in this leaf pendant to a brighter palette in this Natalia bead bracelet. Take a look.
Jenn McGlon’s sculpted polymer clay Luettes have bits of vintage text added for extra charm. Her sweetly haunted houses are featured in Somerset’s Holidays & Celebrations current issue.
The little village is also part of this month’s SpookyTime Jingles offering. In keeping with spooky, new works are added on the 13th of each month.
SpookyTime is a sales site for like-minded holiday artists gearing up for the season. They say it’s “…where sweet and spooky comingle” and the site could keep you clicking through Halloween and Christmas sculptures for the rest of the day. I like getting an overview of what’s new on their Flickr pool.
Helen Breil’s recent polymer works (and some new stamps) show off more of her expertise with textures. A sneak peek at her radiating lines tutorial has convinced me to try textures this week.
I was also encouraged at a recent retreat by a chance to inspect Laura Tabakman’s stash of homemade texture plates made from Super Elasticlay.
She creates and collects graphic elements that transfer in a deceptively simple process. Of course arranging the elements is the trick and learning to use the plates is another art.
Look at the works of these two artists to get an idea of the possibilities.
Colorist Lindly Haunani has refreshed her site and refined her class offerings. (I’ll happily add the disclaimer that I assembled the site.) After writing a bestseller and overcoming other challenges, Lindly’s back up to speed.
She’s the queen of pinched beads. Her subtly blended polymer squares pinched together at two corners instantly become convincing flower petals.
Read about how her necklace of pinched rounds attracted the interest of Nepali polymer artists.
If, like Lindly, your work often takes its cue from nature, you’ll love this BBCearth online show. This month’s theme is “Life is Colourful” and it’s stunning. (via Coolhunting) Have a colorful weekend!
Polymer beads that could be dismissed as hippie beads become ethnic treasures when they’re masterfully strung by Thailand’s Aow Dusdee.
Aow’s world travels have given her a keen eye for ethnic traditions. She combines fiber and polymer with metal and stone beads to create modern tribal pieces.
Photos of her living spaces show how she incorporates polymer in her distinctive decor. It’s all so Eat, Pray, Love, isn’t it?
Each polymer dot, loop and swirl on Jennifer Morris’ jewelry is added one at a time. She calls it her “embroidery” style. It’s not hard to believe her when she says she goes into a meditative state when she works. You can learn more from her interview with ArtBeadScene here.
Jennifer’s ornate baroque/victorian style is often rendered in the sunny colors of Mexico. Add to that her romantic product shots and her poetic descriptions and you’ll understand why she’s a big seller on Etsy.
Rebecca Watkins of West Virginia likes texture and she shares her personal process for etching unbaked polymer on her Flickr site. No smelly solvents, just a stylus and some patience.
This process looks like it was made for the Zentangle/polymer crowd.
Rebecca’s turtleneck-wearing fishes are dressed for fall. They’re shaped and marked in delightful ways. Thanks to Christine Damm for leading us to this new link.
