Blooming bowls

Nancy Nearing has played with polymer for 25 years. Two years ago she gave up her stressful day job, bought a tent and decided to go full bore into her art.

Nancy Nearing's blossom bowls on PolymerClayDaily.com

We’re neighbors and I can testify about how diligently Nancy services her seven galleries, produces for fairs, teaches and searches for new opportunities.

Still she makes time for coffees and guild meetings. Nancy is not a shy artist who works quietly alone. Her energy comes from groups so she rents space at the downtown Columbus Idea Foundry where she rubs shoulders with all kinds of artists who have kept her moving forward.

Her dramatic blossom bowls are one of her signature pieces. She’s found a way to securely adhere the layers of cane slices that form her bowls and she often tops each one with an air plant.

Look at Nancy’s new website, Instagram, Etsy and Facebook to see how much energy and talent she brings to her new job.

Sunny Monday

New York’s Donna Greenberg calls her newest wall art an Olive Eater Urchin but I call it sunshine. An 11″ diameter prickly sculpted, textured and painted sunshine is a perfect way to begin our week.

“The weirdos do add up,” Donna says of her other-worldly constructions, “Some have new homes to fly to, others will be in shows or going to workshops with me. Table room is at a premium in the studio these days.” She has created these decorative gems at a prodigious rate.

You can see lots more of them on her website and Pinterest. Donna will be sharing her techniques in a Tidal Pool pre-conference class at this year’s Synergy.

Inspired wire and polymer

Indiana’s Ponsawan Sila is a whiz with wire. Moved by Sonya Girodon’s recent polymer bowls, Ponsawan wanted to try her own version.

“I always get inspired by Sonya’s works and the way she pushes us to think, dig deep into our souls and elevate our creativity to the next level,” says Ponsawan.

Ponsawan passes on the inspiration with these wire-edged fall flowers formed into a bowl that is both delicate and strong.

Kelp and polymer

Gera Scott Chandler (aMusedStudio) pairs her polymer with materials that are readily available. Not only is kelp plentiful along the BC coast in Canada, but it also appeals to Gera’s penchant for making baskets.

Look closely and you’ll see that she pierces holes along the edges of the polymer bowls. She uses the holes to weave in the strands of kelp that trim her vessels.

Kelp adorns the edge of her popular Halibut Platters as well. The rock and shells and Vancouver Island beach finds make their way into Gera’s work that you can see on Facebook.

Read about how she incorporates the landscape into her work in this recent profile. What calls to you from your landscape?

Polymer platters

Victoria’s Gera Scott Chandler works in dark, bumpy, rich coiled polymer on this bowl. You might have thought it was fabric at first glance. She scratches and paints and reveals until the colors release their magic. See more fish platters and bowls on her Facebook page.

Gera’s Fusion bracelets are made of two tubes that fit comfortably inside each other. The painted and textured semi-circles show a bit of metal leaf and mysterious shine.

Gera’s a coastal soul and many of her muses and influence come from Canada’s rough west coasts and untamed beaches. She also worked with young children and takes inspiration from the art they taught her. See more on her site and Instagram.

Mondrian polymer

It was a rainy day and Baltimore’s Linda Loew had some time on her hands so she created this simple square bowl. Its mid-century, Mondrian vibes might make you believe it’s a 50’s ashtray but stubbing out your cig on polymer wouldn’t be smart.

The playful slump of the shape, the minimalist use of color, and the gilt edge combine for an artful, amusing, MadMen effect. Would you guess that the grid lines are transferred on? That’s my theory.

Linda prefers to fly under the online radar. You’ll have to befriend her on Facebook. The previous times that PCD has snagged her at conferences are here and here.

Bowled over

Sometimes it’s good to get nervous about trades among friends and, guess what, we all do it. That mixture of fear and competition can motivate us to try harder.

Even longtime artist and Sculpey brand ambassador Syndee Holt admits that this was her second attempt at making little 2 1/2″ diameter polymer bowls for an upcoming swap. She wanted to get her new design just right so she scrapped the first batch and kept going until she felt comfortable. Let the guessing begin about how she achieved this multi-color stone-like effect.

Kim Arden’s tell-all

In the September/October issue of Polymer Cafe magazine, Kim Arden reveals how she creates her summer flower pendants. Along with a profile written by Trina Williams, Kim includes a complete tutorial.

She shows how to stack bright and translucent cane slices over a scrap background to build pendants that have color, depth and attitude. Here’s PCD’s first look at Kim’s design from last year.

Read more about Kim on Facebook and her site. See what Syndee’s experimenting with on her blog and on the Sculpey site.

Gardens in polymer

Tennessee’s Veronica Hahn spent summers working in the garden with her grandmother as a child. Those days had a big effect on Veronica and now she sculpts in polymer what she learned among the roses and at the pond’s edge.

Vines and flowers and ferns cover the shutters which open to reveal her Meadow Mirror at the right.

Her Feathers and Pinecones Bowl (below) is encrusted with leaves and branches. Here’s the side view of the bowl. Veronica’s polymer jewelry is covered with dense foliage as well.

Thanks to Kathy Bradley for leading the way to Veronica’s site which doesn’t link to any social media and would have been difficult for me to find without help. The responses to yesterday’s request for links makes means I can back away from the computer, head for the studio and enjoy a mini summer vacation. This is great. Keep those links coming.

Elevating the bowl

I’m itching to get back to work as my week at camp winds down. All week long the humble little polymer bowl has been on our minds and work surfaces. Lynda Gilcher built several prototype wire bases to elevate her little vessels.

Bowls are on the rise. I’ll leave you with that and report more when I return home next week.

Lynda’s teaching at the French Lick gathering this summer and her Ohio shop (online here) carries some tool gems. Enjoy your weekend.

Vacation polymer

Because her camera battery had died, Angie Wiggins had to rely on her eyes and her memories to bring her vacation in Wyoming’s Red Desert back to life.

This mosaic bowl was inspired by sand dunes, petroglyphs, wild horses and antelopes topped off by a picnic lunch.

The textured square tiles on the inside of this wooden bowl are polymer. She’s decoupaged papers onto the outside and added polymer legs. Could you make your own version of this with inchies?

Angie mixes polymer with paper, felt, beads and whatever else strikes her fancy. She was taught to embroider at age five and has been a detail freak ever since. You can sample some of her details on her site, Facebook, Pinterest (love looking at her inspirations).

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