The Netherlands’ Jeanine van der Linde (Argilo) makes her big dark polymer beads look warm next to the chunks of aluminum tube in her latest work.
The polymer has a rich mottled patina that contrasts with the hard aluminum spacers.
Is it the jaunty angles bumping into each other that gives the necklace its energy?
Go to Jeanine’s Flickr and Facebook pages to follow her. She likes to experiment.
A pick-me-up for Monday from Argentina’s Sandra Pulgar. Her Contradictoria Eva necklace done in polymer and silver was inspired by Eva Duarte Perón and is part of the Women show at the 1 Latin American Biennial of contemporary jewelry in Buenos Aires.
This video of the opening puts you right in the middle of a lively event.
See more on Facebook and thanks to Laura Tabakman for the link.
This striped free-form hollow bead necklace from London’s Carol Blackburn certainly brightens our week!
Carol has an absolutely magical and ingenious way of creating these patterns. She often cuts and reassembles simple stripes into more complex geometric forms (see her Chop and Change workshop) but the stripes also look gorgeous on their own.
See examples of her stripe manipulations on Flickr and catch up with her latest on Facebook.
This Geometrik neckpiece from France’s Florence Minne-Khou represents the tip of a pyramid-shaped iceberg. There’s a trend emerging that takes us back to geometry class.
Florence usually likes curves and the sharp cuts represented a challenge. The possibilities make it worth the effort.
Look at the way the light changes the color on each surface. See more of her experiments on Facebook and her blog.
if the move toward geometry makes your brain buzz, you might want to look at Nikolina Otrzan and Dana Phamova for a couple more examples.
Switzerland’s Justyne Schwery continues our circle theme. Her disks are painted, crackled and distressed for a wintery, worn effect with dashes of collaged colors. The graceful domes connect and overlap each other.
Justyne gravitates to subtle, muted palettes that you can sample on Flickr and Facebook. Her colors are calm and soothing, meant to coordinate with denim and comfy sweaters. They’re perfect for the chill of the coming weekend.
Has your palette been affected by the season?
A jolt of color propels us through the week. This one is an award winner from France’s Alabala Bijoux (I couldn’t find her name). It was named the winner in round one of the Lucy Clay Cutters Challenge for October.
You can’t lose with circles and she shows us how with cane slices of several sizes, colors and gradations layered on a base. It’s a cheerful and energetic piece to help us round out the week.
Steve and Dave (FordForlano) reveal just enough of their new work to whet our appetites. These thick rope necklaces are made of thin oblique slivers of canes. The unfinished bits and pieces they reveal are works in progress for the November 10-13 Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft show,
Peek at the tweaks and twists (more complex components) they’ve given their latest work on their Facebook page. You can also examine the bits waiting for inspiration and assembly on David’s work surface in Santa Fe.
Their work has evolved while at the same time it’s circled back to some themes that were there from the beginning. What themes have persisted in your work?
Each side of Cecelia Leonini’s (ImpastArte) leaf-like beads provides a separate canvas. She uses very different geometric patterns on each surface to create her Leaves of the World necklace.
You may like her in-process photos that show how she shaped each of the 3-sided beads on a single gently curved wire. Here she is on Etsy and Facebook.
This more complex and updated worldview of fall leaves is right on target today. Have a great fall weekend.
In the original picture these knots and curls from Lindsay Locatelli (WazoDesigns) are photographed laid on top of an Art Jewelry Forum article on contemporary jewelry. Our medium’s sculptural flexibility and color possibilities place polymer squarely in the mix for the future.
Uninhibited gestures like these move us in new directions. They’re also reminiscent of macaroni necklaces that every kid makes.
Lindsay’s Instagram post got me thinking. You too?
See more of her recent mixed media pieces on Facebook.
With her latest series of splats and swashes, Donna Kato indulges her love of colored pencils. She always liked the look and feel of pencils but didn’t feel she had the talent to become an illustrator. She always felt at home with polymer.
The Ribbon brooch is the newest iteration that combines the two processes. The Splat necklace continues a sunny spring version.
More and more polymer artists are coloring on both baked and unbaked polymer,
creating gradations, textures and colors. A black edge enhances the contrast.
Donna has uploaded photos of her growing collection of bright hand-drawn designs on Facebook. Combining pencils, polymer and most recently, animal drawings hits a sweet spot for Donna. “This series really makes me happy, happy.” she says.
Would pencils brighten your day?
