Jana Roberts Benzon has a designed a necklace that says "Beware!"
Jana was inspired by the rattlesnakes in Utah and simulated their warning signal in a polymer clay necklace. Her "Vrindavana Rattlers" are much more colorful than the snake's and they rattle when shaken.
New work by Mary Filapek and Lou Ann Townsend (aka maryandlouann) was spotted by Ronna Weltman at a recent show. This work, which they've graciously offered to share here, is a departure from their earlier pieces.
With titles like "scarab" and "singing bowls" and "celestial tones" I sense a story. The work is much more sculptural with a heavier reliance on metal.
You won't see these items on their web site yet! It's a PCDaily exclusive!
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Milwaukee's Debra DeWolff started out as a fiber artist, adding polymer to her repertoire a few years back. At Ravensdale she showed these very popular bracelets that combine felt and polymer clay beads. The felt beads are large and the colors bright…definitely diva attire.
Debra says that her web site will soon be in the works. In the meanwhile, you'll have to settle for these pictures or contact her for more information.
Kathleen Dustin has added some spectacular new work to her web site. While there are a number of additions to the Village Women purses for which she is best-known, the most exciting work shows a departure from the smooth hand-drawn layered figures.
Featuring boar's bristles and carved polymer, some of Kathleen's new pieces have a stiffer and more tactile quality. The polymer stones that she's created for years are now incised and stacked in new and appealing ways in her carved stone sampler bracelet.
The "tornado pins" pictured here blend the layered, luminous look with new textures and shapes. It's inspiring to see one of polymer's early pioneers continue to produce such new and exciting work.
Loretta Lam has spring creations on her site and it’s time to take another peek. See, you will be rewarded if you update your pictures! Ronna Weltman was web surfing and found Lorettas’ new work. Note that Ronna’s site shows her new work as well.
Ronna sent me one off-topic link. While I try to stick to polymer sites, this one intrigues me with its different approach to PMC. So here’s a link to Hadar Jacobson’s site for the PMCers among you dear readers.
NWPCG's Jenn Dorion pointed out some new beads from Grant Diffendaffer that you might enjoy.
That led me to the Ravensdale site which has lots more information to contemplate and pictures to intrigue.
I couldn't help but include this Jeffrey Dever piece too. It looks like a spring bloom. Have a lovely weekend.
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Just when I think I’ve plumbed the depths of the internet, when nothing looks particularly interesting to me. Just when I’ve become the most jaded, I get a tip from an artist (in this case Susan Lamb) who leads me to work that melts my heart.
Camille Allen has a masterful touch with babies. If you’ve ever tried to make miniatures, you’ll appreciate her delicate touch and her magnificent ability to capture a baby’s softness and expression. Oh my, what a treat.
Susan says there was an urban legend going around that these babies were made of marzipan. While they do look scrumptious, they are actually made of our own inedible polymer clay.
Somehow I missed the new works on Laura Balombini’s site….tsk, tsk. She posted some recent works in December that you’ll want to see. Laura’s often imitated but never duplicated.
Thanks to Babs Young for tipping me off.
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In the Guild.com site I found only one piece of polymer, this "O’Keeffe Pin" by Ford and Forlano. These two artists, the text says, "…primarily make one-of-a-kind jewelry, passing pieces back and forth between themselves at different stages in the creative process. With the introduction of precious materials such as sterling silver, gold, and pearls, their work is as bold and expressive as ever. Part of their goal is to transform an inorganic, man-made material into something that looks as if it was found on the beach, or growing in the woods."
Even the Columbus paper proclaimed chunky jewelry a fashion trend for 2006. Let’s hear it for polymer beads which, often as not, fall into the chunky category.
"Say hello to big hair, big shades and big jewelry in ’06." says the Dispatch. "It’s very much a ‘world story’ in accessories for ’06 with a lot of ethnic influences: African tribal with wooden beads and bangles in neutral colors. The Russian influence in a lot of accessories this season will transition into more of a Turkish and Mediterranean look of embellishments. There’s also a nautical influence with seashells. Overall, everything (handbags, jewelry, belts, etc.) is very handcrafted-looking with a lot of texture."
Check out the trendy look (pictured above) on Emma Ralph’s site in the UK. The bracelet is by Jean Yates (at the bottom of her online store).
And this from BusinessWire – Artisanal is the New Product Adjective — This is a correlating trend to the food focus and this year artisanal will go way beyond a descriptor for just cheese made by monks using milk from nomadic yaks. We will see it attached to coffee and chocolate as well as non food products. There are already artisanal knives, jewelry and home accessories in catalogs and stores. I am sure there is a small band of workers in New Jersey right now hand making something that will be in the stores next month labeled artisanal. By the way, artisanal means made by an artisan aka a skilled worker.
