Polymer Clay Daily

FOLLOW FRIDAY: Seven and Seven

Follow Ellen Marshall and 13 other artists deepening their understanding of racism on PolymerClayDaily.com

Keep an eye on Ellen Marshall whose angular, lustrous work is being featured this week on The Gathering7and7 on Instagram and here on Facebook.

Ellen is one of seven black and seven white artists who formed a group dedicated to courageous conversations about racism in the polymer clay community and beyond.

We’ve been meeting online for a year and a half to discover our commonalities and our differences. It’s been a fascinating and sometimes uncomfortable exploration.

Truth Be Told, an exhibit of the members’ works will open in October. Follow us as we work our way forward.

We’ve got a yummy, wide-ranging lineup of artists in this week’s StudioMojo. New works will dazzle you and we’ve unearthed a tutorial that will wow.

Pop on over and have a look-see.

Celebrating differently

Lisa Mathews' sculptures provide a warm yet candid look at her experience on PolymerClayDaily.com

Atlanta’s Lisa Mathews demonstrates the power of polymer with her sculptures that illustrate the black experience. This Fourth of July, Americans are being forced to see the nation’s celebration for independence differently.

In this polymer diorama, Lisa looks at the controversial third stanza of our national them which is being scrutinized for its racial wording. The song wasn’t meant for all Americans when Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics in 1814.

Lisa’s clear portrayals of the black experience help us look at our patriotism in a new light.

At the age of 45, with no advance planning, Lisa threw caution to the wind and pursued a career as an artist. She happened upon an instructional book, How To Make Clay Characters by Maureen Carlson. It was through this book that she discovered what would become her passion as an artist.

Stories of artists’ passion are part of tomorrow’s StudioMojo. We’ll look at how Carissa Nichols turned her lack of vision into a passion for light and giving back. Join us to see how current events impact us all.