Beachwear for the cause

Randee Ketzel creates a polymer bra for the cause on PolymerClayDaily.com

Texas’ Randee Ketzel shows off her submission for the Breast Cancer Resource Center’s annual gala.

Randee made the flowers for Cancer, Don’t Bug Me in Carol Simmon’s class and added her own sculpted iridescent bugs. The creation will be modeled by Randee’s friend and cancer survivor Darla Breazle.

While it’s not exactly beachwear, a project like this gives you an opportunity to stretch your imagination for a good cause.

Join us as we cover more polymer finds and finery that will inspire you in this weekend’s edition of StudioMojo.

Woodland wonders from 22 countries

Vigil flowers for Into The Forest on PolymerClayDaily.com

For your weekend enjoyment, take some time wander online to see the splendor that’s been submitted to the international Into the Forest exhibit. Now try to imagine how the curators will assemble it all for the November month-long exhibit in Pittsburgh!

These glorious flowers from San Diego SandyCamper Marni Vigil look like the day lilies blooming in my yard. There are hints of Marni online on Facebook but she keeps a low profile…like many of the other quiet contributors to the exhibit.

Look at all the pods, blooms, berries, bones and more on the exhibit’s Facebook page and Instagram. It’s a stunning array of polymer from hundreds of artists in 32 states and 22 countries.

Put the event on your calendar, contribute to help cover their costs, and be proud of what you and the community are accomplishing!

And join us over at StudioMojo for juicy weekend updates.

 

 

A tangle of polymer

AnarinaAnar on PolymerClayDaily.com

A pretty tangle of polymer flowers from Greece’s AnarinaAnar rounds out PCDaily’s week.

Her pieces have a distinctive look with ceramic-like speckled finishes and dark edges that provide contrast. These flowers bobble on thin wires.

There’s a spontaneous quality about her work that starts the weekend on the right foot. Check Flickr, Facebook and Etsy if you need to soak up more of her cheeriness.

What’s in your forest?

Page on PolymerClayDaily.com

Have you been watching what’s being submitted for the Into the Forest exhibit later this year?

Each leaf, bug and blossom is more intriguing than the last and it’s hard to wrap your head around how Emily Squires Levine, Laura Tabakman and Julie Eakes will combine all the colorful bits they’ve collected for this international collaborative project.

Page on PolymerClayDaily.com

This week’s submission from Eriko Page may make you wistful for spring. Her tight round polymer buds are ready to burst into bloom. But wait, a second batch of Eriko’s flowers have already opened! See more of her hyper-real caned flowers on her sales site and FB.

A preview of Into the Forest will be on view at this summer’s Synergy4 with the whole shebang on view beginning in November, 2017 in Pittsburgh, PA. There’s still time to join and add your work to the project. Pieces must be postmarked April 4, 2017.

Read the guidelines on the FB page where nearly 700 polymer artists hang out, watching every forest fantasy that arrives from around the world.

Polymer gardening

Arden on PCDaily

Few people tend their flowers as faithfully as Ohio’s Kim Arden. Gearing up for her summer shows (this weekend is Kalamazoo) she’s awash in flowers.

You’ll note a subtle stripe in her backgrounds and a mix of surface textures and graphic elements. The pearls here add another grace note. She has such a bounty of blooms that she makes it fun to pick from her garden. You can get a burst of energy just by visiting her Facebook photos.

Arden on PCDaily

Exploring gardens

Way on PCDaily

There are hints of flowers in the online air. These from Alaska’s Katie Way (Bullseye Studio) are updates from an earlier polymer garden.

Her thin multi-layered disks are textured then enhanced with a wash of paint and stacked. If you know Katie’s work, you’ll recognize them as hers instantly. Look on Facebook, Flickr, and Etsy for more.

Simple, subtle, modern and they give us a taste of the colors ahead. We’ll explore a few more gardens next week.

Collaborative gardens in polymer

Simmons on PCDaily

Carol Simmons has been working on this breath-taking modular Wearable Gardenseries for months. This photo is of a box of her components. She’s been shaping and stacking the caned polymer blossoms into fantastical organic creations that can be worn as brooches or pendants.

Carol feels at home with complex pattern but struggles with three dimensions.

Sculptor Maureen Carlson saw Carol’s flowers and thought the heads would take on new life if they were perched on stalks. She envisioned the pieces as sculpture, wall pieces, terrariums, habitats.

Simmons and Carlson on PCDaily

Both artists had been to the Chihuly exhibit in Denver. Maureen felt that the blossoms could be at home in the Avatar or Epic movies.

Carol and Maureen’s collaboration on this Woodland Garden led to plans for a couple of possible separate workshops, each taking a different approach.

You can look over their shoulders as they work here and here.

Red, white and floral

Mravcova on PCDaily

This red, white and blue is from Katarina Mravcova (Ketlin) from the Slovak Republic but we’ll snitch it for the US July Fourth because these earrings feel festive on our festive day. You can see them on some lovely models here.

Gathering bunches of delicately blended and layered petal cutouts, Ketlin creates bouquets of pastel polymer.. She suspends her mini-florals from ear wires or pendant bails.

Mravcova on PCDaily

In her day job, Ketlin is a Geographic Information Systems research scientist who relaxes with polymer art which she sells online. Her soft, serene color sense sets her work apart and you can see it best on Facebook.

Happy Independence Day!

Polymer rainbow roses

Hlavach on PCDaily

Ann Duncan Hlavach knows her roses. The color tricks she learned in a recent class in Chicago with Lindly Haunani took her flowers to a new level. “I think my head may have exploded,” she says.

Rainbow roses are a real phenomenon. Here’s a tutorial on how to tint a natural white rose.

But I prefer Ann’s translucent petals with their contrast tinged edges and jewel centers. You can enjoy them for a whole lot longer. You’ll find more on Etsy, Facebook and Pinterest.