Falkenhagen snags polymer

Falkenhagen's man in red turban polymer/gold brooch

Pictures, often transfers on polymer clay, form the central visual elements of Diane Falkenhagen’s fabricated fine jewelry. She invents images or borrows them from historial sources.

This Man in a Red Turban and her IO brooch looked elegant and mysterious and caught my attention on her Crafthaus page luring me to examine the rest of her portfolio.

“The artistic freedom associated with less-expensive, non-conventional materials leads to an uninhibited spirit of exploration, a broader expressive vocabulary and greater artistic risk-taking,” says Falkenhagen.

She is co-chairing the 2010 SNAG (Society of North American Goldsmiths) conference in March whose theme is Going to eXtremes. Nice to know that polymer is part of that.

Winning streak

2010 Niche Award Winners in Polymer Clay

With four 2010 Niche Awards to polymer clay artists just announced, we continue our winning streak. Here’s the list of finalists and here are the winners including Jeff Dever (2), Melanie West and Sandra McCaw. The Niche site has been updated with some lovely larger photos. Thanks to Loretta Lam for alerting us to the announcement.

And as long as we’re tooting our horn. Did you see the polymer/metal clay work of Pat Bolgar on the cover of the most recent issue of Metal Clay Artist magazine? Her mixed media pin looks like spring.

Virtual Conference

The flurry of tests and silly pictures over the weekend was my attempt to get myself outfitted for the start of the conference on Wednesday. Can’t go the Synergy2 conference? Here’s the list of attendees. Join me and Libby Mills on the Crafthaus blog for your virtual version.

First contest for the girls next door in the Netherlands

Karin Breukelman’s faux jade embroidered cuff took top honors in Dutch Polymer Clay Forum’s oriental contest. This was the group’s first contest. The variety and quality of the entries surprised them.

Karin’s design was based on a Chinese coin replicated in polymer jade with faux coral accents. Lanterns, fans, geishas, bamboo and cinnabar inspired participants’ imaginations. Nicole van Engelen’s ring plays on the contours and colors of rice fields.

The other top winners were Marij de Bruijn, Saskia Veltenaar, and Paula van Veen. Enjoy this glimpse of the orient by way of the Netherlands. You’ll find some interesting tutorials on the group’s Girls Next Door site too. I particularly like the idea of faux pearls.

Polymer ruffles on the runway

First she got us into museums, now Elise Winters has put polymer on the fashion runways.

How cool is it that Elise’s polymer clay ruffle neckpieces were featured on models in Cynthia Rowley’s Fall 2010 runway show during NY Fashion Week?

You can catch some of the glam in the video here.

In the February issue of Get Creative magazine you can read more about Elise and her remarkable story (download the article here). As she says, “I don’t believe in talent, I believe in drive and perserverance.”

Support Elise’s museum efforts by clicking on the Polymer Collection donate button in the right column.

Wannabees are buzzing

Kate Church‘s Wanna Bees are perfect for today and her site is full of eye candy. We’re all acquainted with Wanna Bees in one way or another and hers are delightful buzzing sprites.

Her other creatures include wabbits and starlets. This Nova Scotia artist calls her work sculptural puppetry, combining polymer clay, wire armature and fiber.

Kate’s Cirque Du Soleil pieces are currently sold out and a new batch is in the works. She offers workshops at her winter home in Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Thanks to Cynthia Becker for sending us this new link – a great diversion a snowy day. Years ago while vacationing, Cynthia visited Kate’s studio. She was pleased to see an article about Kate’s La Petite Managerie in the December issue of Art Doll magazine.

Cavender emerges with moss

Kim Cavender has emerged from hibernation covered in moss! After several months of quiet, she’s added some new work that includes faux moss clinging to her polymer sticks and stones.

My polymer pebble mentor, Kim has expanded her forest finds to include nuts, vines and pods that she’ll be teaching at the Ohio retreat this weekend. (Let’s hope the snow stops.)

Kim’s rocks are beauties. Take a look at her new ones.

Monday lessons from Uliczny and Campbell

Michigan’s Christi Uliczny (RiverValleyDesign) combines pearlex powders, alcohol inks and gold leaf with two different clays to create these shimmering Rocky Path earrings.

When I saw that her tutorial detailing the process is available I jumped on it. I’m a klutz with powders and inks and need all the help I can get. Her method is straightforward and clearly explained. I’ll start my week with a lesson.

Sculpture lessons

Heather Campbell shows her work step-by-step in a recent post. Starting with two candlesticks, toe shoes and hat boxes, Heather builds an amazing polymer-covered sculpture for Utah Ballet West’s annual “Shoe In”. This small photo doesn’t do the piece justice. It’s the kind of art that’s best appreciated up close.

Friday love letter

We haven’t done any polymer hearts this week and there are plenty to share. The bracelet is copper and clay cold-connected by Sharon Solly. The flower-embellished versions are from Randee Ketzel. Angeli Sobrepena‘s have wings. And one of Meredith Dittmar’s newest My Guys looks poised for romance and mischief.

A Friday love letter comes from Irene Hoiles in the UK by way of Helen Cox. Irene made the polymer covered letters for her youngest granddaughter.

Irene said, “I have been confined to bed for most of December following two lots of spinal surgery which is very frustrating with the craft room next door, but web sites like polymer clay daily saved my sanity.” What a nice valentine! Have a lovely weekend.

Miniature polymer abstracts

In these new beads from Berkeley’s Selena Anne Wells the color comes from small surprise vintage glass cabochons embedded in black or faux ivory polymer, stained and buffed to look aged. Her mastery of simple and intricate sculptural and texturing techniques is impressive.

Digging deeper into her Flickr history gives you a peek at her other interests – masks, faces, kaleidoscopes. Though she doesn’t reveal much in words, her art tells an engaging story.

She calls her small pieces miniature abstract wearable art.

Kimle’s perfect pairings

I stumbled into some new works that continue our mixed media theme.

“I created these beads as an exercise in color and pattern,” says Iowa’s Patricia Kimle. “My goal was to skate along the fine line between ugly color combinations and a sophisticated palette that works.”

She used metal clay and hand drawn molds to create the silver feathers that are riveted to the polymer. The feathers create the focus and push the colors and patterns into the background. The beads are in an exhibit at her local art center. See more on her website and her Etsy page.

Kimle's polymer easter egg Iowa statehouse dome

Patricia will be teaching at the Bead and Button show in June and her second book, Perfectly Paired: Designing Jewelry with Polymer and Metal Clays will be released in April.

Taking a trip down memory lane and longing for spring, Patricia shares a picture of a polymer Easter egg of the Iowa Statehouse dome that she prepared for the White House in 2000. I couldn’t resist including it.

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