Pins with pizzazz

Marion Le Coq arranges graphic squares into brooches with pizzazz on PolymerClayDaily.com

France’s Marion Le Coq (FancyPuppet) enlivens our week with these graphic collages on Instagram.

She’s been reviving her YouTube channel and taking her work in new directions like this.

Instagram is the best place to get an overview of her work and to get a sense of where she’s headed. Are these textured and painted or silk screened? I’m not sure. We’ll have to follow along and find out.

This week’s snowstorms lengthened my visit with family. I was out of action longer than I anticipated. Not to worry, I’m back and raring to go.

A heart is born

You didn’t think PCD would get through Valentines Day without featuring Ron Lehocky, did you? Nope!

The problem was picking one. Ron has photos of his avid collecters bedecked in his pins. They make perfect gifts for any occasion.

This heart is just emerging from a great collaged sheet of veneer.

For those of you who don’t know Ron, he’s a Kentucky physician/teacher/author who has been creating heart pins for sale with all proceeds going to Louisville’s Kids Center since 2005. He’s aiming to hit 50,000 hearts in his fundraising effort. He’s the undisputed king of hearts and this is his day.

Clipped wings, new outlets

Jana Roberts Benzon moves to online sales with new designs on PolymerClayDaily.com

Utah’s Jana Roberts Benzon’s latest new pins/pendants show off her wing-like dimensional, veneer-covered collages.

She’s about to offer her work on Etsy in a few weeks after years of resisting online sales. She’also promises to beef up her Instagram. It may be the grandbabies who are compelling her to stick closer to home.

While we wait for Etsy to launch her, enjoy Jana’s works on Facebook and her website.

Feathers float you through the week

Debbie Crothers combines patterns for upcoming feather classes in the US on PolymerClayDaily

These patterned feathers on Instagram from Australia’s Debbie Crothers will take you right over the mid-week hump.

Debbie loves her veneers and surface treatments so I’m betting that she’s made herself a stash of veneers for source materials.

Assembling them in perfect balance like this is no quick project but they’re worth the effort. The occasional splice on the edge and bend in the shape gives each one distinct look.

On Facebook, Debbie says she’s refining her methods and these are prototypes for her sessions at Clay Out West from September 30 to October 3 in Albuquerque. Registration opens February 1.

Debbie offers a few clever hints about her methods in her blog post today.

Making a difference with polymer

Angie Wiggins lends a hand on Polymer Clay Daily.com

One of the extraordinary things about our medium is how and easy it is to make a statement, raise some funds or lend a hand.

Angie Wiggins quickly created these Lone Star pins to raise funds for Texas storm victims. “I hope to have 20 Lone Star pins for the Virginia show on September 16. 100% will go to the Cajun Navy,” she says. See these and other show stoppers on Angie’s Instagram.

As a polymer artist, you have a super power. Your challenge is to claim it and use it for good whenever you can.

Polymer in DC

We can all get up and do a little happy dance that polymer clay is making its appearance in the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington D.C. thanks to the work of Ohio’s Debbie Jackson.

She will be offering two series of designs for sale in the museum shop. Debbie’s indigo line shown here combines polymer clay, indigo fabric, African brass, metallic foils and raffia into a powerful group of shield shaped pieces.

See the rest of her designs on Facebook.

Debbie is also working with DC sculptor Woodrow Nash to produce beads and pieces that will embellish his dramatic figures.

It’s been a banner year for Debbie full of paperwork and negotiation and waiting. Debbie has long been known as a talented and persistent artist and teacher here in our home town and we’re very proud of her. She shows us all how hard work pays off.

Polymer surprises

Even if you won’t be traveling to the Czech Republic for Polymer Week 2017, July 2-8, you’ll want to take a closer look what the 15 teachers will be presenting. (Scroll to the bottom of their page.)

For example, these brooches from Spain’s Fabiola Perez Ajates pull you in with their layers, colors, patterns, textures, cutouts. So neatly and cleverly done!

Just when you think that your eyes have taken in all the details, you find another point of interest. Shapes that look easy and geometric turn out to be slightly askew. These visual surprise packages will be part of Fabi’s classes. She shares glimpses of her patterns and palettes on the group’s Facebook page as well as on her own blog and FB page.

Could your work benefit from another helping of surprise?

Polymer hats

Blackford, Terlizzi and Friesen on PCDaily

Pink polymer everywhere! Artists hopped on the craze for this symbol of women’s marches around the globe.

These brooches were made by Leslie Blackford (Instagram), Melissa Terlizzi (Flickr), and Christi Friesen (Instagram).

I can vouch for the vibe at the Washington, DC site which was very friendly and upbeat (more in StudioMojo which will come out Tuesday). Many polymer artists joined in marches and cleverly added their wearable reminders that women are united and strong.

Does this inspire you to make your own version?

Marching as one in polymer

Rachelle from our polymer classes at the Ohio Reformatory for Women made the We March Together pins for Jackie Burns and me.

Faces were the subject of last month’s class and Rachelle has been making face canes ever since. Mine is has orange/blonde streaked hair and Jackie’s hair is white.

Their brooches certainly remind us that we march together in support of all women’s issues.

Then Pennsylvania’s Andrew Thornton put a pink hat on his baby dragon to show his support for the marchers. He explains the details of his process on his blog. Off to march with a wild cast of characters.

Polycolored polymer

Nikolina Otrzan’s Polygonal Color brooches will wake up your Monday. Imagine lining up those angles and colors! The stripes bring another level of complexity while almost imperceptible dots of color add grace notes.

Nikolina takes her geometry in other directions as well. See what she’s up to on Flickr, Pinterest and Facebook. Surely she’ll teach her clever technique on CraftArtEdu soon.

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