How can colorfully decorated curls on a cord make such a happy statement?
The patterns are splashed on with abandon and the colors meld into each other. It looks like Italy’s Cecilia Leonini treated both sides of the polymer and darkened the edges. Would you guess that she used pastels for the base colors? Go to Facebook, Flickr, and Etsy to take a closer look.
Let’s hope Cecilia makes you giggle and smile on a day when giggles and smiles are very much needed.
Lindly Haunani’s Crayon Lei in Oranges and Greens is one of eight polymer treasures in the Spectrum exhibit on view through July 10 at the Racine Art Museum. The lei was created in 1998 when Lindly was experimenting with inclusions.
Wax from crayon shavings were mixed into the polymer and melted off during baking. The residual pigment colored the translucent polymer in a mottled pattern. Color is a central element to all three of Lindly pieces in the show.
Lindly gave me a Crayon Lei as an engagement gift that same year so it’s especially near and dear to my heart and I’m pleased to share it with you. Read more about her process in this PAA feature.
Pieces from Pier Voulkos, Dan Cormier and Jeff Dever are also part of the RAM show which focuses on works that use color as a defining principle in form and design. Read more and see the rest of the polymer works in the exhibit on the PolymerArtArchive.
A heap of 4″x4″ tiles for the FIMO50 World Project is mounding up in my studio. Here are the project details.
I’ll forward my pile of tiles to Germany in one batch after April 30. You still have time! US artists can forward entries to: Cynthia Tinapple, 1 Hartford Court, Worthington, OH 43085.
An Instagram page shows a selection of entries. If yours hasn’t shown up on there, email me a photo and I’ll add it.
The polymer community was saddened by the loss of California’s Dottie McMillan. She was one of the first people I linked up with on the Prodigy bulletin board way back when. She was a writer, artist and good friend in the polymer community. Here’s an earlier PCD feature about her work.
Thanks to Scotland’s Melanie Muir PCD readers hitched a ride to Palm Beach, Florida last weekend. Melanie was teaching and exhibiting at the Norton Museum’s Bijoux Show. Melanie’s show collection is cataloged here.
She caught up with Kathleen Dustin at Palm Beach Fine Craft Show. Melanie shares more than 20 snapshots of Kathleen’s new work including the pendant at left, part of her carved Tribal Queens series.
It seems that Melanie missed Deb Groover’s large polymer wall art at the show but you can see Deb’s work on her site and here on Facebook.
Thanks for the vicarious thrills, Melanie.
Amy Davison updates the pearl choker with wraps of deeply textured polymer, sparkly spacers, glass and refined bling.
Country club meets art gallery at this year’s Baltimore ACC show in Booth 4811 on February 17-18.
Amy also teaches Designing Mixed Media Multiples online at the OnlineArtRetreats.
She has a background in academia and the corporate world and has returned home to her studio. Read all about her on Facebook and her site.
After finding the polymer work of Tinisa Teixeira and her studio, Duo Atelie, (thanks to a tip from Sarah Wilbanks) we’re going to have to take a closer look the polymer art coming from Brazil. You can feel a very different polymer aesthetic.
Tinisa’s designs are fresh and unconstrained. The metallics of the PVclay made in Rio glow with a unusual shimmer. The manufacturer claims that the material is 100% recyclable!
See the polymer clothing of Luciana Inojosa on Instagram and the surreal video of a polymer doll coming to life by Leevi Lehtinen.
Aren’t you glad we have the weekend to dive into Brazil and these exciting fashions? There’s more of Tinisa’s work to explore on Facebook.
Ukraine’s Lela Todua (LelandJewelry) carves big bold polymer links and hangs them on a velvet ribbon. The dark wash of color over the red links adds a serious, aged look. You can see the necklace on a model on her Etsy listing.
You’ll find more of Lela’s work on Flickr, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. She’s a very social and busy girl!
Who says you can’t wear holiday decorations? Kansas’ Becky Miller wears her polymer flower creations year round. This Heavenly Holly necklace was featured on Fire Mountain Gems’ site as a finalist in their 2015 Jewelry-Making contest.
Read more about Becky’s garden-inspired works on Facebook, her blog and site. Click here to see how the model looks decked out in Becky’s polymer.
Bonnie Bishoff coiled loops of tigertail (nylon coated wire) and embedded part of each coil in striped half-circles of polymer to make this light, bouncy necklace. It can be doubled into a short curly version.
Assembling it must have been tricky since the necklace would have to be constructed first and then baked. The wire adds to the graphic quality of the design. There’s another example on Bonnie’s Pinterest site.
This was Bonnie’s response to one of the Creators Art Challenges that’s traveling around online. See more of her challenge creations on Facebook and follow Bonnie on her site.
Rebecca Watkins simplifies our Wednesday and reminds us that it’s still possible to create colorful, cheery, fashionable art by stringing big round polymer balls on a cable.
Artybecca’s beads are colored with dots of shared colors and textured with circles. A dark wash of paint brings out the lines.
The colors are “coincidental” (as she explains on her blog) and happen to match everything in her closet. She wears them here.
Nothing forced or fussy about this necklace. No laborious techniques. A smooth finish and a nice polish and they’re good to go.
Take a deep breath, lighten up on the expectations, and have some fun. See more of Rebecca on Facebook and Flickr. You may enjoy reading about how she “blew up” a perfectly good cane to get back to the big patterns she prefers.
Tanya Mayorova brings her own mokume gane colors and patterns to Helen Breil’s smart bead design. Ovals of polymer patterns fold over to become graceful beads. Helen offers a free tutorial that gets you started.
Tanya’s results blend into a five-strand boho gypsy necklace that’s assembled to reflect her own aesthetic. Here’s her work in a different color way and single strand design.
