Madrid’s Elena Fernandez (NaniPollito) combines many talents in this mosaic polymer neckpiece. The polymer elements are sewn on and surrounded by intricate beadwork,
The focal piece is strung on a long cord of polymer and antique trade beads.
Wherever her muse leads, Elena bravely follows. Her work is free form and dramatic. It requires bold wearer.
You can sense that Elena has been a painter all her life. Look at her wide-ranging art on Flickr.
Laurie Mika’s home/studio class turned antique wooden shoe lasts into vintage jewelry and polymer-encrusted shrines topped with regal crowns.
What a treasure to tuck on a bookshelf or feature on a coffee table. Important dates and words are stamped into the clay and mysterious photos become focal points. Laurie makes us want to haunt the flea markets and antique stores. Read about them on Instagram and look for a class near you on Laurie’s site.
California’s Syndee Holt is happily going rogue with this modern pendant made of distressed circles captured by a loose black grid.
Syndee works in threes so you’ll find two more examples of this dot/grid combination on her Instagram.
She has worked for Polyform Products for years developing designs, mixing colors, and trying out products. A good gig, eh? She shares some of her own tutorials and experiments on her blog and there’s a cool extruded coiled bowl post there now if you’re looking for a playful way to start your week.
Anna Nel’s hollow beads look remarkably like lampwork. It’s Friday so you have the weekend to sit and study her beads and the cane they came from.
She uses some ingenious combination of mokume gane and Skinner blended bulleyes to pull off this sleight of hand. Anna says she was inspired by Arizona’s mountains. She even offers a photo of her luminous palette. Look on Facebook and Instagram.
Come on over and join us on StudioMojo, a Saturday morning in-depth look at the week in polymer. Grab a cup of tea, open your newsletter, and create yourself a wonderful weekend!
A browse through the photos of Italy’s Alessia Bodini is like skipping through her brain.
Alessia experiments and turns the pieces that speak to her into designs that please her. She shapes and reshapes until her eye is happy.
The blue extrusions were just her colors so she wove them into a brooch. The earrings are pleasantly off kilter. Thumb through her Flickr and Facebook photos to remind yourself how it is to play.
Ireland’s Silvana Bates (silvabeads) may give you cane envy. Her blue and whites are softly patterned. Not too precise but created echoes of old tiles and well-worn fabrics.
The only cure for cane envy is fresh clay and a few blissful hours bringing your own cane designs to life.
See how Silvana puts her cane slices to good use in collages and veneers on Instagram and Facebook.
Wiwat Kamolpornwijit showed his latest petal necklaces at an art fair in Orlando before moving on to Houston, Atlanta and then Washington.
The curved petals fold over gracefully to reveal alternating patterned surfaces. Wiwat is known for his geometric construction tricks.
This feels like a new venture into more lyrical designs. Zoom in for a closer look on Facebook.
This gorgeous chunky collar from Chicago’s Marina Rios (fancifuldevices) includes thirty-one handmade polymer clay beads with textures, pits, facets, and inclusions in a soft array of greens and pinks graduated in size from large to small.
To ensure a smooth visual transition between beads Marina created special spacers including vintage rhinestone rings and gemstone rondelles. The necklace is adjustable from 19 to 21 inches.
As I composed this post, her lovely spring-like necklace sold on Etsy but have a look anyway.
Marina shares some of her methods in tutorials. If you’re thinking about making faceted beads, review her free step-by-steps here on Instagram.
Texas’ Adriana Allen (adrianaallenllc) has concocted a secret sauce for her new Nebula and Sunset earrings. She adds very bumpy grunge over great colors and amplifies the effect with a dash of gold.
Polymer artists continue their tradition of camouflaging the material with finishes that beg to be examined more closely. The trend is exciting and encourages lots of experimentation. Seems we’re getting bolder.
StudioMojo (the weekend newsletter) offers 6 tips for talking about our work. We look at the latest products that will help us mix up our own signature finishes and refine our personal aesthetic. Join us!
Colorado’s Ann Kruglak (MysticDreamerArt) has helped save thousands of acres of rainforest with her polymer art. She has donated 100% of her earnings since 2010 to the Rainforest Trust.
The project allows Ann to put her money where her mouth and her heart are. At the same time, her art has taken leaps forward as she has created hundreds of pieces of wall art and jewelry. Her colors have grown brighter and her textures deeper on clearly defined shapes to match her energetic retro patterns.
Ann is passionate about both her art and her service project. She sends each piece off with prayers of peace. It’s a win-win use of time and talent. Here she is on Instagram. Thanks, Ann.
