Toops/Adams site

Cynthia Toops and her husband, glass artist Dan Adams, have launched a new site with loads of mouthwatering work, old and new.

While Cynthia is known for her figurative polymer micromosaic pieces, in the last few years she has been concentrating on thin sheet work, creating the cone and claw necklaces and the rolodex series. Cynthia will teach at Arrowmont in September. This comes to us via the DailyArtMuse site.

You may enjoy revisiting this Seattle Art Museum video about Cynthia and this earlier post.

Maunsell’s connections

Claire Maunsell doesn’t quite know what to call these new hollow polymer beads. I call them fabulous. The way her new “plank” beads interlock opens up a world of possibility. They’re rough and evoke fish or wood. She plans for this species to evolve.

Claire is great at making connections. See how her beads hug each other on her Etsy and Zibbet sites.

Polymer windows

With her “Windows” series, Betsy Baker gives us a stunning view of a growing trend in polymer (via DailyArtMuse.com).

The window metaphor is a powerful one. It suggests something not entirely visible and a bit beyond our grasp. Arden Bardol features them in her “Connections” series shown at the right.

Lori Wilkes gives the design a more literal interpretation with her “Metaphor Doors” and window pendants. “They are glassed-in spaces through which we see everyday life. They also serve as portals to the world within,” says Lori.

Polymer accumulation

Rachel Rader's blue lagoon mixed media bracelet

Fancy Gallery’s “Accumulation” exhibit features Seattle-based emerging jewelry artists who break the mold of what is expected. Rachel Rader and Dixie Darling both mix their media into magpie-like nests of beads and use polymer clay shapes to supplement color and vary shapes.

Dixie Darling's embroidered polymer and fiber pendant

Says Dixie Darling, “I take pleasure in the process of figuring out new techniques and translating them into a language of my own.” She sorts and arranges her finds, “…in order to stitch together the past and the present into these objects of my fictional world of beauty and borderline kitsch.” She embroidered and assembled the pendant at the right.

Influenced by The Little Mermaid, Rachel Rader’s pieces are heavily encrusted with jewels and drip with sea life from her fanciful Mermaid Empire. Her Blue Lagoon bracelet is shown here.

Creative de-stressing

Jana Roberts Benzon says that the stunning new works on her site, “…are the fruits of those priceless de-stressing days.”

“The first three show the fun I’ve had playing with form; this type of work is zen-like and apropos to my state of mind. The last three images show my woven style of work, this time with undulating dimension,” she explains.

In Jana’s Dimensional Woven Brooch, she builds on the bargello style first popularized by Laura Liska and adds dimension within flowing shapes. Jana’s works are sold at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Thanks to Randee Ketzel for the link!

Cavender emerges with moss

Kim Cavender has emerged from hibernation covered in moss! After several months of quiet, she’s added some new work that includes faux moss clinging to her polymer sticks and stones.

My polymer pebble mentor, Kim has expanded her forest finds to include nuts, vines and pods that she’ll be teaching at the Ohio retreat this weekend. (Let’s hope the snow stops.)

Kim’s rocks are beauties. Take a look at her new ones.

Polymer dipped fabrics from O’Neill

O'Neill's liquid polymer dipped gauze cuff

Susan O’Neill (11BoldStreet) brings us a Friday smack-your-forehead moment with her bracelet made of liquid-polymer-soaked fabric wrapped around a faux stone.

O’Neill tinted white gauze with alcohol inks, dipped the gauze in liquid polymer clay, shaped it around a form and baked it. Brilliant!

Check her Etsy and Flickr sites for more views of her creations. Thanks to Doreen Willey for tipping us off to this technique that will keep us thinking all weekend.

Wild West work

Melanie West promised new work and true to her word, she’s featuring a new line of brooches that expands her sea creature-inspired repertoire. She’s bravely posted her plans for the year.

New beginnings are good for us. Lots of polymer clay artists are rolling out fresh work, reorganizing, posting and updating. There’s a definite out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new vibe in the air.

My young tech-saavy neice is coming over today to discuss my social networking strategy. Losing weight used to be my social networking strategy but I don’t think that’s what she has in mind.

Shriver’s new year, new site

Sarah Shriver has started her year with a new website. To click on the images of the sixteen new works that march across the top of her home page is like a getting a booster shot of creativity.

Sarah debuts more dimensional and more colorful pieces on her updated site.

Some of her new canes are brighter, more jewel-like and often more organic. She adds accents of color, flawless trim and silky smooth finishes that make them irresistible.

Abrams’ new direction

Lauren Cole Abrams’ polymer clay class with Kathleen Dustin inspired Lauren to try new techniques and reassess her style. She says that, “In the weeks I’ve been back I’ve gone round and round trying to figure out what it is that makes me passionate about polymer clay…and what direction to go in”

Her blog posts here and here about how she found direction may launch your week on a better path.

And if you’re looking for more inspiration, check out the latest playful, moveable rings from Donna Kato. Thanks to Susan Lomuto (DailyArtMuse) for pointing out Donna’s new pictures on Facebook (or just click on the picture).

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