Zero in on Chris Baird’s brooches featuring shapes, flowers, birds, and fish that are different from the usual. This Minneapolis artist works small and relies on gradations of dots and stripes.
Chris slices narrow bits of graduated or striped canes and places them next to each other on shaped bases. The light and dark bits reverberate against each other.
She keeps the tap-tap-tap going with indentations and repeated textures. The beat goes on. Here’s Chris on Etsy.
Normally, pink isn’t what you’d think of as a soothing color. But these pinkish canes from the UK’s Dayl Goulsbra-Jones (Planet.Isis) provide the perfect stress-reliever.
The patterns are organized and repetitive and well-executed. Look at them and exhale.
I should have more to say, but I don’t. They make me giddy. Think pink.
Australia’s Melanie Allan (innervisionpc) lights up her polymer! What looks like a lovely glass bottle covered with polymer cane slices comes to life when lit from within.
Melanie definitely has a “cane brain” that gravitates to very complex patterns that she brings to life in big kaleidoscope canes.
Here’s the surprising part. Melanie zooms out from the big kaleidoscope and focuses back in on the juiciest, most spectacular smaller patterns. Those smaller patterns she features in earrings.
When you look at her IG and FB, concentrate on big pattern/small pattern to follow how she moves in and out.
You probably have some questions about how France’s Cécile Bos (11prunes) creates these delicate canes.
How big are the original canes (these seem impossibly small), what’s her inspiration?
Cecile intends to mix up these canes. The white background surrounding each of them ensures that she can combine the elements into a larger botanical image.
Here’s a previous similar cane to give you an idea where she’s headed. Cecile brings a fabric designer’s sensibility to polymer. We are used to kaleidoscoping and repeating designs. These are complex canes from a different perspective.
Marni Southam from Australia’s Oleander Avenue hosted the FriClay challenge last week. The topic was Shibori and these are the canes she came up with to illustrate the concept. They’re a fresh, Aussie, updated Shibori.
My eye keeps getting snagged by canes. I tidied my laundry room/pandemic studio. I feel a tug on my sleeve from my inner little girl artist plaintively saying, “It’s only two colors. We could try this.” She really wants to play. It’s time to let her/us have some fun.
Do you have a younger-you asking for some playtime?
Don’t go looking for this exquisite dragon from Jon Stuart Anderson. It’s already gone and yes, there are problems with the site but let’s focus on the bigger picture.
We’re coming up on Father’s Day and the site is being handled by Jon’s daughter. Transitions are sometimes difficult. I like the story of father and daughter getting back together, no matter how messy. Let’s just sit with that for a moment.
Jon’s pigs and bowls are available. He is a character. Brilliant but not easy. Jon has wormed his way into our hearts and he has a loyal staff in Bali who can execute the wild ideas in Jon’s head when his health is challenged. You’ll find him on his site, on his daughter’s and on Facebook. Be patient. Happy Fathers Day.
Here’s my interview with Debbie Jackson from last week’s StudioMojo. We often talk about color in polymer but we rarely broach the subject of the black experience. The conversation will be on-going. We’ll settle for easier news items in StudioMojo this week. But don’t get too comfy, we’ve got work to do.
Thailand’s Aow Dusdee makes beads that burst with the psychedelic colors of the early days of polymer. The shapes are updated and the tassels are trendy but Aow’s beaded pulls and dangles have an unmistakable 60’s hippie vibe.
They harken back to days of youthful protests of another era and give us hope that today’s passion and energy will become a breakthrough moment for societal repair.
“Smile on my face. Love in my heart. Peace in my mind. Color in my life. Creativity in my soul. Wanna share it with the world,” says her tagline. Her Facebook will put you in the Wayback Machine.
Houses, homes have appeared frequently in polymer imagery of late. These small brooches from Minnesota’s Chris Baird (BairdPlayWorks) celebrate “Gratitude for home, nature, and curiosity” according to her tag line. This series is all made of small stripes and solids with touches of gold.
Her striped birds on Facebook are charming as well.
We may be missing the parades and parties today but we can enjoy the beauty of home as we celebrate Memorial Day.
Texas’ Deb Hart takes polymer back to its roots with these three hippie-themed tiles.
With regular retreats canceled, Deb is using her free time to indulge her inner flower child and make some class samples for next year’s events.
On her Facebook, you can see her in-process photos as she creates an outline with a string of extruded polymer and positions the main elements. She fills in later with colors and more patterns. The peace theme feels hopeful and right.
Utah’s Maryanne Loveless has been creating a garden of earrings for her 100-day challenge. No shy, shrinking violets here.
She arranges flower petal and leaf cane slices a backing shape and then adds texture, pods, and dotted details. They hang head up or down. She arranges a garden of delight from a handful of small canes.
Maryanne and her mother started long ago making salt dough creations and she carries on the tradition. Here she is on Etsy.
