Polymer Clay Daily

Kruglak’s polymer meditation

Here’s a pleasant approach to consider as I putter and play this week. “As I work, I meditate consciously, imbuing each piece with energy and blessings to benefit the person who will eventually own it,” says Boulder, Colorado artist Ann Kruglak.

Ann first started making masks from natural materials, a service project that raised $9,000 for rainforest charities. Now she’s using polymer clay, natural materials and glass to create masks, wall hangings and sculpture, donating all her proceeds to the World Land Trust – US, a land conservancy charity. “It is my joy to create, and be of service, so I donate all of my time in creating and marketing the art, as well as the cost of materials to benefit the Earth,” she says.

Ann’s Anemone Teapot received first place sculpture honors in the international guild’s 2008 Progress and Possibilities competition. Her work is sold online here.

Thanks to Maureen Carlson for pointing me to Ann’s site. Maureen met Ann at the recent IPCA conference in Chicago and was charmed by Ann’s story (and nobody knows a good story better than Maureen).

Playful experts – Bohmer and Aaron

Taking a playful approach in the studio has drawn me to others’ playful polymer clay works.

For instance, this loop necklace from Germany’s Margit Böhmer is colorful and carefree with a few bead surprises tucked in the centers. Or you could interpret this as a primitive piece made from rainbow steak bones. Either way, it’s unselfconscious and fun. A browse through Margit’s Flickr site reveals more of her adventurous and capricious spirit.

Israel’s Shay Aaron posted a tiny tutorial of his miniature fish cane. You’ve got to be a bit of a kid to make tiny fish. His sandwich earrings, pizza charms and totally believable small foods are big fun.

Note: In response to your requests, I added a couple of “after” pictures to Friday’s post.

Polymer playing, risking

Atlanta artist/illustrator Tammy Durham has begun a blog devoted to her polymer clay illustrations. Her newest 18″x24″ piece, Cardinals and Girl with Red Hair, gives us a colorful and exhuberant start for a creative summer week.

Tammy is developing art for physicians and childrens hospitals. She shares her ambitious plans and goals on her website and blog – a bold and gutsy move. Take a look.

The quote below is from Tory Hughes’ latest post. She makes me want to proclaim this a week to play. Following her own advice, Tory allowed herself to play as she created a mobile of 51 polymer butterflies for the August Sculpting Color show at the Fuller Craft Museum. Reading about her stumbles and obstacles may make you more willing to take chances with your work.

Playing and creating are very close together.
When we play, what do we do? We make something up.
When we create, what do we do? We make something up.
When we let ourselves enter the world of play, we…start to romp around in what might be. In the ‘what if’.

My faux slate sleight of hand

As a way to get myself off the computer and into the studio more, I’ve decided to post about my own work every week or so (blush, blush). Hence my Friday faux slate switchplates.

A local woman’s expensive kitchen renovation with slate backsplash fell flat because first things that caught your eye were the generic switchplates. She read about my faux stone and we decided to give it a try. All six plates are different colors and configurations. You can read more about how I made them here.

Cozzi’s polymer hearts

I hadn’t caught up with Louise Fischer Cozzi for a while and somehow I missed her Etsy store where she sells her latest polymer clay creations and a line of heart pendants for charity. The story behind the hearts is a touching and uplifting one.

Her website had some new additions that I hadn’t seen and a very nifty catalog.

Louise shuttles between Stresa, Italy and Brooklyn, NY and has pioneered a number of polymer clay metallic, silk screen, and image transfer techniques.

Color winners and Simmons’ jeweled beads

Three polymer clay artists were named in the top 10 entries in the Step by Step Beads Colorworks Contest that was limited to works in the purple-green-orange triad. The other finalists are seed bead artists.

Lindly Haunani, Maureen Thomas and Carol Simmons were among the finalists. Carol entered the beads pictured above that use an extruded cane process she’s been refining. See the complete necklace here.

Carol has resumed teaching after an 8-year hiatus, hitting the road to teach her new jeweled technique that exploits the properties of metallic clay, producing patterned surfaces with extraordinary depth and luminosity. See her jewel eggs from an earlier post.

Carol is a researcher and scientist at heart and you can be sure that she’s discovered some entirely new processes that will change the way you think. Her fall classes are full. She’ll be teaching at the Phoenix guild in March (I’m signed up) and is setting up her 2010 schedule.

Kulakova’s polymer canvases

Russia’s Mariya Kulakova (pterdaktell) doesn’t just take a painterly approach to her beads, she uses polymer clay as her canvas!

The twenty year old produces polymer Picassos, Klimts, Warhols, Van Goghs and her own flowers and scenes on bead canvases.

Check out the Flickr site of this St. Petersburg artist’s dazzlingly bright colors sometimes mixed with caned spirals and traditional onion dome beads.

Treasurefield’s fee fi faux

This sunny Rosa Amarilla polymer clay necklace and enamel-look swallow pin from Alisa Treasurefield look sunny and just right for the first post of the week.

Alisa specializes in unusual faux effects – wood, enamel, bakelite, ceramic, metal and more – in the items in her Etsy shop.

It takes a keen eye and a deft hand to use the clay so convincingly. In an earlier post we looked at her faux faceted wood gems and now there’s much more to look at.

Distractions

Here are two tutorials I found this weekend as I tried to distract myself from other chores that were calling me. Both the faux agate cane and the twisted wire/polymer ring look interesting and need little translation. If you experiment with them, I can get back to work.

Wilkes’ wonky pendants

These wonky polymer clay chrysalis pendants from Lori Wilkes made me smile with their colorful, lopsided messages. And I read that she’s in a show in my area this weekend.

I’ve seen her scarabs in the June Bead and Button magazine, she’s had her wearable icons, story lockets, and windows in Belle Armoire. It’s about time I saw Lori’s work in person.

“Lately, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking of works that incorporate trash. Redeeming used up, throw away items is a great spiritual metaphor. It’s these stories and ideas that keep me working into the wee hours. Pushing for something new,” she says.

Here’s her blog and her flickr site. Have a lovely weekend.

Krohn’s hot colors

Several people told me to look at the polymer clay work of Denver’s Valerie Krohn (NovaFolia) and I’ve been lurking in the web weeds waiting for the right day to feature her bright, hot colors.

Valerie’s only been working in polymer for a year and a half and already she’s made her mark with a distinctive color palette and graphic style made more complex with mica shifts. If you don’t mind a little more summer heat, check out her Etsy site.

Thanks to Janice Abarbanel and Dede Leupold for pointing me in Valerie’s direction.