Polymer Clay Daily

Sometimes I don’t know…

To someone somewhere, polymer earrings that soothe on PolymerClayDaily.com

Sometimes I don’t know who made it or what it’s made of but my alarm bells start chiming and I run to see who’s at the door.

After an exhausting day, I was happy to settle on these earrings from Maria De Oliveira. (to someonesomewhere). Obituaries came up when I googled her. That can’t be right!

Instead of digging up Maria and verifying the material, I’m just going with my gut and the huge exhale I felt when I happened upon these ombre earrings. My shoulders dropped, my neck felt better. They’re what we would call Skinner blends. I’m calling it a polymer post.

There’s a bulging file folder of clickable candies just waiting for me to organize them into this week’s StudioMojo. When I feel everything’s a hot mess, that’s usually when I’m on the right track. Come see if I’m onto somthing good.

Polymer evolution/revolution from India

Radhika Sadhika sketches in polymer and wire on PolymerClayDaily.com

India’s Radhika Sadhika (radicalsbyradhikasadhika) illustrates the flow of line transforming into shapes that are aesthetically different in every piece.

She combines clay and wire in ways that make them look like sketches. Brass wires connect clay designs and turn them into minimalist wearable line drawings.

You’ll only find a cryptic bit about Radhika on Instagram. You have to DM her for sales information on her intriguing pieces. Her links lead you to a Google Photo gallery of her work. The path to her works mirrors the Evolution/Revolution theme of her work.

Read about her on Arts Thread.

Polymer comes alive

Nancy Blindeman sees her dancing in the sand on PolymerClayDaily.com

Belgium’s Nancy Blindeman (Art BeYou) has started making faces in polymer lately.

The illustrations of Patrick Nagel and the music of Duran Duran inspired Nancy to work in a new way and it suits her well. She builds up extruded strings of clay into a portrait.

She says of this character, “Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand.” When an artist can see and hear and her characters, we can sense that aliveness in the work.

The right touch

Ann Dillon's textures from surprising sources on PolymerClayDaily.com

New Hampshire’s Ann Dillon creates textures and shimmer that beg you to touch them.

Ann Dillon's textures from surprising sources on PolymerClayDaily.com

I asked her how she created the impossibly fine lines on one pair of lovely earrings and she replied, “Corn husks.”

She has an eye for natural textures and slight bends combined with a fall palette that gives her leaf shapes a “just fallen” look.

As you wander through her new website and Instagram, notice the textures.

Captivated by moths

Daria Telegina makes the most of moths on PolymerClayDaily.com

Russia’s Daria Telegina (Balambeshka on IG) is smitten with moths.

Her Facebook and Instagram are filled with these exotic creatures which she refers to as cute things.

Each one is more complex than the last with exquisite details on their polymer wings, cane-slice antennae, and minutely textured bodies.

Don’t you wonder how she became fixated on moths? What do you feel compelled to make and why?

Challenge with a twist

Janet Bouey gives her challenge a twist on PolymerClayDaily.com

Vancouver Island’s Janet Bouey finishes her 100-day challenge with this hollow twisted tube.

Looking at her recap on Instagram you get a sense of how muscles loosen and fear is diminished by the commitment to a daily studio exercise.

There’s no wrong or right, there’s just moving forward. I’m guessing that Janet will want to explore this new tangent from Day 95.

We’ll look at the challenges (polymer and otherwise) of the last 100 days on StudioMojo this Saturday. What have we learned? What’s next? Join us for an inside look. 

Challenge home run

Dayle Jones finishes her 100-day challenge with a winner on PolymerClayDaily.com

UK’s Dayl Jones (Planet Isis) slides into the end of her 100-day challenge with this collaged veneer two-sided home run.

The soft watery colors of the oval pendant are impressive but she tops it off by repeating the colors in the polymer tubes and thin-sliced beads on the cord. Now it all hangs together with panache.

It’s those little touches that bump Dayle’s pendant up a notch.

Garden inspirations

Pavla Cepelikova creates Columbines on PolymerClayDaily.com

Czech Republic’s Pavla Cepelikova (SaffronAddict) has taken liberties with her version of the Columbine flowers (at the top right of the photo).

The long tubes drape down and flare to reveal secret colors as they open at the bottom. Pavla likes these bell shapes in her garden and polymer will allow her to wear them on her ears.

What inspiration is blooming in your garden?

From the berry patch

Monika Busch picks her colors from the berry patch on PolymerClayDaily

Germany’s Monika Busch (Efmoni) consistently creates stunning colors in her striped polymer beads and buttons. “The luminosity of the colors and strong contrasts fascinate me,” she says.

The raspberry colors on these big-hole (7mm) beads are combined with reds, greens, pinks, and deep browns.

Monika makes what she calls dread jewelry for beards and hair and dreadlocks.

Don’t you want to try her juicy palette?

Dots with a twist

Gail Garbe takes dotted tube steps forward on PolymerClayDaily.com

I flinched when this necklace from Ontario’s Gail Garbe popped up on my screen. “That looks remarkably familiar,” I thought.

Then I had to laugh at myself when I realized that Gail took my Saturday Craftcast class and stayed up late coming up with her own twist on the concept. I must have done something right! Gail extruded the tubes and added the dots perfectly.

Then she added her own off-kilter gaily colored spacer beads. It all works!

This is what teachers hope to see – students who take their concepts to the next level. Gail has taught me a thing or two!