Brainiac polymer

Qixuan Lim's art keeps you guessing and learning on PolymerClayDaily.com

Polymer brainiac Qixuan Lim (QimmyShimmy) is not your average polymer artist. She calls herself an accidental sculptor. Her subject matter may make you squirm. Here she is on Instagram.

She’s an art school grad and designer-by-day from Singapore, currently based in the Netherlands.

I don’t understand but I can’t stay away. I pore over her works to figure out how the brain of this 25-year-old talent works. I happily add her to PCD’s mixed bag of artists.

We’ll be look at more oddities on StudioMojo tomorrow. Plus I’m moving studios so I’m knee-deep in organizing and learning how other artists pare down their supplies to make room for new ideas. Join us!

The Synergy from hell

Georg Dinkel goes to hell in polymer on PolymerClayDaily.com

Germany’s Georg Dinkel was the darling of the Synergy4 conference with his award-winning visions of heaven and hell in polymer.

His most recent small characters (which sold out quickly) allow him to complete a project in an evening. These creatures from hell (a la Hieronymus Bosch) give Georg a break from his complex architectural constructs that take months to build. The ship shown here was built over a metal gravy boat.

Synergy4 was a rich and energetic environment with perhaps the best presentations and most forward-looking projects yet. Georg has also posted some great shots from Synergy4.

My travel schedule continues and PCD posts will be sporadic for another week. In the meanwhile, please explore the archives and check in for updates. We’ll explore new ideas from Synergy4 at StudioMojo on Saturday. Join us there.

Gypsies, tramps and thieves

It’s rare that my husband suggests artworks so I paid attention when he said, “Have you seen Leslie’s new Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves on Facebook?” He has his own collection of manly polymer and Leslie’s pieces are his favorites.

Kentucky’s Leslie Blackford feels a kinship with outcasts of all types and you need to look closely to catch the personality, humor and heart in her lovable characters.

Leslie’s gearing up for her classes with Porland’s Wendy Wallin Malinow at Art & Soul, the popular mixed media conference in Virginia Beach on October 1.

You won’t want to miss this duo teaching their version of the Garden of Earthly Delights. Wonderful art emerges when they put their considerable talents together. See what I mean by checking them out here and here.

Monday dragons

These Monday dragons are from Alessio Busanca, an illustrator from Sardinia who picked up polymer as his primary medium in 2010. His small sculptures combine influences from American comics and Japanese manga. His dragons may be his most popular series and he sells them on Ebay.

His Pinterest page has the most up-to-date offerings. I also tracked him down on Facebook, DeviantArt, Twitter and Instagram. It’s worth the hunt to research his endearing miniatures. His pop culture characters, horror show stars and fanart creatures are packed with an endless variety of personalities and styles.

Tender tentacles

Arizona’s Kaity O’Shea has a long term love affair with octopuses and her tentacle heart necklace begins our week of love. Kaity sells smaller items on her Etsy site (Killer Tentacle Octopus) and shows her commissions and larger pieces like this Killer necklace with matching earrings (fake gauges) and bracelet on her Deviant and Tumblr pages.

She also posted some in-progress shots and shows her glow-in-the-dark octopi on Deviant. The Comic and Anime communities share Kaity’s tender feelings for tentacles and she has a growing fan base there. Thanks to Carol Simmons for prodding me to look at this unusual polymer work.

New polymer shoots

These New Shoots from Kentucky’s Leslie Blackford may make you smile. She combines found shell casings and polymer into a hopeful, bittersweet visual pun.

The tag line on her recently updated web site says, “For those seeking out the odd and unusual.” Her work champions outcasts and unloved characters and somehow she makes their oddness endearing.

Leslie has a raw talent that doesn’t rely on technique. Her fingers put her heartfelt sentiments into the polymer and she is able to communicate keenly through her work. Her themes often center on animals and ephemera found in Kentucky’s moody woods. Her Pinterest page may amuse and delight you too.

Feeling beastlie

If you were one of Leslie Leving’s polymer beastlies, which one would you be?

There are loads to keep you guessing.

Vacation posts from another part of my Internet brain

Deviant demo

When Judy Belcher and I mentioned deviant art in our Synergy presentation, a surprising number of artists in the audience didn’t recognize the term. While Wendy Malinow’s work might fit in any number of categories, deviant is certainly one of them. Anyone who sets up her own bone-a-day challenge certainly qualifies as deviant.

Her latest polymer faux antler is inlaid with garnet, sunstone, raw sunstone, abalone, pua. Air plants sprout from its openings. She’s offering this piece as a free giveaway to people who follow her Tumblr Inkhead site. The drawing will be on April 1.

If you’re an antler fan, you’ll love her 32-inch long polymer antler lariats. Her Etsy shop shows a wider range of wonderfully strange and deviant art.

Otto-matic polymer

After several days in a hotel at a great polymer event I’m GPSing my 8-hour drive home. Otto-Matic, a 12″ polymer, wood, metal and resin sculpture from Virginia’s Jake Johnson makes perfect sense.

Jake’s on Etsy and Facebook but he doesn’t explain much about his art. Jake’s other characters have names like Freakshow Freddie, Klankenstein, Ape-Bot. You get the picture.

While you may not understand this horror genre, when you’re facing a long road trip Otto’s demeanor looks right.

Who do you think sent the link? Bet you didn’t guess Ronna Weltman!

Skull chips

These alien skulls from Susan Detwiler looked right at home sprinkled among the polymer poker chips at the Mammoth Cave guild event. They were highly sought prizes.

Susan also features voodoo dolls, robots, faerie houses, hearts and more on Flickr where her art combines ghoulish humor with whimsy and wit. Be sure to introduce yourself to her Fred, Ethel Mae and Lola.

There are a few snapshots from the Kentucky event on Flickr for you to enjoy while I catch up with your posts and a pile of email.

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