Polymer Clay Daily

Heat from Bali

Robbin and Warren Moeller-Smith's contemporary primitive colors on PolymerClayDaily

It’s below zero here but it’s a lot warmer where Warren and Robbin Moeller-Smith (ebu Robbin and ebu_jewelry) are putting these earrings together in their open-air studio in Bali. If you’re feeling a chill, Warren and Robbin’s Instagram photos will warm you. They’re getting ready for their annual trip to the Tucson bead show next month.

They have so many materials from the beach at their fingertips that Robbin doesn’t often feature polymer prominently in their contemporary primitive jewelry. But sometimes she needs to get her hands on color she can manipulate. Warren creates the findings.

You may enjoy this interview with them (StudioMojo 2016) in which they explain the ins and outs of living and working on Bali.

Trickster polymer

Leila Bidler celebrates in stone with a touch of tribal #polymerclaydaily

We might as well stretch this holiday weekend for one more day with Leila Bidler’s Kokopelli, the Native American trickster god. Leila’s carved imitative stone gives New Year’s a touch of tribal. The how-to pictures on her Instagram show her methods.

Party’s over. It’s time to get busy again but no reason you can’t slip a memento like this in your pocket to remind you of what good times you intend for the year.

Polymer party decorations

Lizzie Campbell's party decorations on PolymerClayDaily.com

The UK’s Lizzie Campbell (Clay Disarray) shows us how little polymer it takes to throw a party. This polymer illustrator knows that a 3D sign always looks festive and brings in the new year right!

Lizzie’s campaigning to get FIMO listed as a vegan product again. Check out her change.org petition. And of course, her profile picture is a polymer one. Here’s her work at a glance on Instagram.

Let’s share a virtual toast to 2018!

Party animal

Anna Nel's polymer party animal on PolymerClayDaily.com

Anna Nel’s pooch is ready to party! You can’t mix colors much hotter than his. His eyes look wildly faceted. Are they made from a cane?

Could he be a polymer relative of those wonderful Oaxacan wood carvings from Mexico? He might be scary if he weren’t so obviously ready to bark in the new year.

Enjoy Anna’s knock-out colors on Instagram and Facebook.

One more holiday weekend filled with food and football and then we can get back to business as usual. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to get back to work.

Join StudioMojo on Saturday morning for a quieter, calmer, chattier entrance to 2018.

Ending the year with a gem

Celine Charuau ends the year with a new start on PolymerClayDaily

Celine Charuau (grisbleu) admits that her latest brooch reminds her of Totoro, a character in a popular 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film. Her micro mosaic and silver piece has already prompted lots of enthusiastic comments on Facebook.

The tactile shape and delicate petals continue earlier design directions. The mosaic is a new feature that fits nicely with Celine’s aesthetic. The big photos on her Flickr pages allow you to get in for a close look at her metal construction and the tiny patch of mosaic. What look like delicate and mysterious designs are supported by sturdy and serious construction.

Celine’s is an end of the year gem.

Polymer that grew faster than expected

How Boe Holder's succulents took off on PolymerClayDaily

The popularity of Boe Holder’s sculptures took her by surprise. “I made them for myself, but they ran away with me. I can’t make them fast enough,” says the young UK mixed media artist (thiswaytothecircus) of her popular polymer mini succulents.

They come in sets of five and each set is cleverly named after one of more than 2,000 varieties of cacti. See more on Instagram and Facebook.

Boe’s latest is a collection of slightly less mini jungle islands like the one shown here that contain the same Seussian aesthetic. Succulents are all the rage and it may help that you can’t kill these delightful polymer versions.

Body length necklaces

Bonnie Bishoff goes long on PolymerClayDaily.com

Her body length necklaces are the last of Bonnie Bishoff’s Twelve Days of Jewelry series on Facebook. Her angular tube beads are longer than what might seem reasonable but they’re appealing and eye-catching in such a long piece.

Bonnie adds a few thin heishi beads between the tubes to make them join more gracefully. Each tube is covered with random veneers in a palette of blues and greens.

The wheels in my brain kick into gear and I can’t help but ask myself, “What if?”

What’s your “what if” idea for 2018?

Holiday cheer

Elf Jane Dwyer and Santa Lehocky collaborate for the kids on PolymerClayDaily

Our polymer Santa/Dr. Lehocky is still in his workshop upcycling canes (like these poinsettia and snowman slices from Jane Dwyer) and turning discards from artists around the world into hearts that will benefit the Children’s Center in Louisville, KY.

Elf Jane Dwyer and Santa Lehocky collaborate for the kids on PolymerClayDaily

This heart story has been going on for 12 years and last night’s total topped 40,520. Each one this Santa has made raises $10 for the Center. Do the math! Yes, your art can make a difference.

If you need some holiday cheer, watch Ron demo his 3-step process in this popular video or follow the Kids Center Christmas festivities on his Facebook page.

Happy Holidays! Join us for virtual eggnog and more Saturday morning tidbits over at the weekend’s StudioMojo.

Repeat for effect

Victoria Mkhitarian repeats her birds for effect on PolymerClayDaily.com

Victoria Mkhitarian (vimhandmade) is smitten with birds and she finds a lovely way to capture her obsession in polymer. She gathers her small tiles into a couple of framed bird mosaics.

The birds are fancifully rendered in mokume gane polymer on textured backgrounds in various shades of yellow.

Do you have a mark or an image that you repeat again and again, sometimes without thinking? What could you make of them if you gathered them into a composition?

Victoria Mkhitarian repeats her birds for effect on PolymerClayDaily.com

Victoria is from Russia and now lives in New Zealand. It’s hard to keep track of you artists! You can be sure to see the latest from Victoria on Flickr and Facebook.

Eliciting a response

Susan Crocenzi's 30" mixed media Radiate brought her client to tears on PolymerClayDaily.com

This sumptuous and resplendent mixed media mosaic piece by California’s Susan Crocenzi brought tears to her client’s eyes! “I don’t know how she created such a perfect replica of what my head dreamed up without me being able to describe it, but she sure did,” said the new owner.

The 30″ wall art entitled Radiate is made of polymer clay tiles (border and inner circle), salvaged glass, minerals, beads, crystals, druzy, geodes, crystals, and smalti. Follow Susan’s progress on the polymer components on her Instagram video and visit close up on Facebook 

If you browse through Susan’s sites, you can see how polymer grabbed her and wouldn’t let go. More and more pops of polymer began showing up in her work. She currently exhibits 20 6″x6″ mixed media tiles in a show at Blue Line Arts. She will teach new methods she’s developed for mixing polymer and glass in Mexico in February.

What a thrill to have your artwork elicit that response!