This framed 4″ polymer tile from Australia’s Leah Radlett (leaha_radlett) is entitled A Mother’s Prayer. The shades of gray and intense gaze feel solemn and serious.
Leah admits she’s been troubled about mothers and their children in these tough times. Leah rolls balls of color by hand. She calls them her bubble paintings. She recently added a number of new scenes and animals in this style to her Etsy site.
It’s hard to look away from this polymer.
New Jersey’s Donna Greenberg adds a secret to her scrappy leaf earrings. On the front, she adds dots for interest.
Only the wearer knows that the back is as interesting as the front. Donna added an overlay of cutout clay. It’s like a private message from the artist.
Donna reminds us that the back is as important as the front.
You may see circles joined into a shallow bowl but scientist/clay artist Terri Powell (ArtScidesigns) sees molecules. Though this work was a throwback to 2017, Terri correctly foretold the correct 2020 Pantone colors of gray and yellow.
I’m currently fixated on dots and this piece grabbed me. We all see things differently, don’t we?
I had several “moments” this week when things seemed confusing, then clearer. For better or worse, it’s a turning point. On StudioMojo we’ll look at changes that are clearly emerging and ponder what the future of polymer will bring. Join us for the latest scoop.
My brain’s all mushy and there’s nothing better than this cane reveal from Australia’s Robyn at Kaori Studio to capture a tired mind. That first slice is the equivalent of a cat toy for caners.
Robyn has pumped out one big batch of extruded dots! She has a baby so she works at night which accounts for the lighting. Doesn’t it make you want to try it? This is what we extruder types dream about. Watch her upcoming jewelry to see where this pops up.
Get the full slicing effect on Robyn’s Instagram (@shop.kaori). Now wasn’t that satisfying?
I flinched when this necklace from Ontario’s Gail Garbe popped up on my screen. “That looks remarkably familiar,” I thought.
Then I had to laugh at myself when I realized that Gail took my Saturday Craftcast class and stayed up late coming up with her own twist on the concept. I must have done something right! Gail extruded the tubes and added the dots perfectly.
Then she added her own off-kilter gaily colored spacer beads. It all works!
This is what teachers hope to see – students who take their concepts to the next level. Gail has taught me a thing or two!
Florida’s Lynn Yuhr (the FlyingSquirrelStudio) explores liquid polymers. “What if?” is her guiding principle.
In this case, Lynn dotted, painted and stamped liquid polymer over thin translucent. She wanted the metal grid behind the veneer to show through so she used a light touch and kept the patterns sparse with plenty of translucent showing.
The piece at right is the start of the veneer.
You may have seen this 2019 video before, it’s Lynn in her early liquid polymer exploration. She’s on day 63 of her 100-day 2020 excursion
Last I talked with Australia’s Debbie Crothers she was going to lay low for a while.
If you check in with her Instagram, you’ll see she’s wasted no time and is coming up with hot new ideas like crazy. “I’ll be running an eight-week course in Geraldton next term so I’ve been busy preparing workshop content,” she reports.
I particularly like this dotted “stick” necklace that shifts between positive and negative dots on narrow strips of polymer. Some are painted on, some are cut out. The colors are muted with a fashionable grungy feel.
Over at StudioMojo we’ll look at how our current situation has affected us. Some of us hunker down and others are kicked into high gear. There’s no right way, there’s only your way. Join us at StudioMojo.org
I went way back into PCD archives to pick out my 2020 Ron Lehocky valentine.
This is an early Ron though I’m not sure what year. Maybe he can tell us.
The background dots are black on color. They frame the dimensional heart whose dots reverse to color on black. It’s loose and carefree, probably from before he set his goal of 50,000 hearts.
Ron can make beautiful hearts in his sleep now. This playful version still sings.
Ron will probably reach his goal this year. That’s $500,000 raised for his Kids Center Heart Pin Project. Who better to feature on this day of love?
These pieces from Germany’s Olja (@olgasmodeschmuck) look like men’s silk tie patterns.
There’s something very buttoned-down and crisp about the blue gradations intersected by gold lines. The bail is made from the same clay.
The polka-dotted element loosens up the tight geometry.
I couldn’t find much info on Olja. Care to comment with some details or links?
Croatia’s Nikolina Otrzan (Orsons World) tempts us with a new downloadable tutorial coming out at the end of the month. On her slim collaged tube pendants, dots join stripes along with distressed solids.
Her tutorials are full of surprising methods, copious photos, and sophisticated designs. This could be an end of the year gift to yourself that will properly launch your skills into 2020.
Here she is on Facebook and Etsy.
