Polymer karma

This bracelet from Anja Overdijk (based on Helen Breil’s shapes) jarred me. You can move from pendants to bracelets and beyond using Helen’s ideas! Anja’s bracelet helped me see the possibilities.

Mentioning Helen’s book is karmic payback. Helen mentioned the Nepal women’s project to the Kazuri Bead folks in California. Because of her recommendation and with Wendy Moore’s help, the Samunnat ladies in Nepal will have their polymer beads for sale at the Tucson Bead Show. Don’t you love how that works?

Helen’s e-book is also dynamite in its own right as many of you have discovered. The link to Anja comes from Karin Breukelman who’s minding karma for the members of the Dutch Polymer Art Guild.

Breil curves and cuts polymer

Sinuous shapes in polymer are lovely but for those of us who weren’t paying attention in geometry class, these smooth curves look impossible. How in the world would you make those cuts?

Luckily Helen Breil’s new e-book comes to the rescue. It’s 180 pages of step-by-step instructions and clear explanations of cuts and twists you probably haven’t even considered.

The book’s gallery is full of real-life examples from artists you’ll recognize (you may have run into them here on PCDaily). This beautiful spiral version is from Ron Lehocky.

Don’t take my word for it, download the free 25-page sample. Why fight your way back through geometry class when you can simply follow what Helen has so brilliantly figured out? Here’s the free link. Buy the $20 book here.

Organic extruded cane

Louise Smith’s Swanwalk cane marries Bettina Welker’s extruded retro cane with Alice Stroppel’s scrap idea. The resulting combination cane looks organic and like snakeskin.

Louise takes a chunk of scrap ho-hum cane, reduces it to a diameter that fits the extruder, and tops it off with two chunks of contrasting plain colored polymer. The resulting long extruded snakes are combined Bettina-retro-style. It’s all documented on Louise’s Flickr site. Getting your head around the concept is a good exercise to start the week.

And while you’re getting acquainted with Louise, be sure to look at her Facebook page which is filled with even more eye candy. Thanks to Perrie May for the new link.

Polymer pod clusters

This cluster of polymer pods from Loretta Lam hangs like a bunch of colorful bananas. The pendant cluster is suspended on a long copper chain. It’s a new design that she debuted on her Facebook page.

Is it the ripe fruit look that makes them appealing and ready to be plucked?

Loretta thinks the configuration makes them look like fetishes. The vibe is very contemporary. She’s on to something.

Have a inspired weekend!

Emerging polymer

Melanie West is on a roll too! She’s added two vessels along with three new textured necklaces in a series she’s calling Beautiful Uglies. Note the clever use of small rubber O-rings as spacer beads.

Melanie moves between heavy texturing on her new beads to a cane-slice encrusted 6″ tall vessel in her signature style. She’s calling this vase NudiFlounder.

If she tires of one style, she can move to the other. Smart! Melanie was working toward these new series when we played together in the spring. What a gift to see them emerge.

Bottled polymer

The peek-a-boo quality of Donna Greenberg’s polymer covered glass vase catches your eye. Rich colors and patterns with metallic sheen add to the allure.

Organic shapes and rough textures replace the flowers and frills we’ve come to expect on polymer covered items. Donna’s bottles shake up our expectations on this Cyber Monday. Be sure to visit Etsy and other online galleries as you start your holiday shopping. Dan Cormier and Tracy Holmes offer this coupon for discounts on their tools and techniques today.

Here’s Donna on Facebook and her FB fan page for more browsing.

Polymer pistachios

Scotland’s Jacky Mullen has closed her Etsy shop temporarily to look after an actual new baby. While she’s busy, we can still rifle through her past sales and her tumblr site to admire her polymer babies, fairies, mermaids and caterpillars.

This “Handful of Pistachios” is both enchanting and silly as baby faces burst sleepily out of their shells. Her busy bee will certainly be a Monday favorite. We’ll all be cheering for Jacky’s return. Thanks to Lindly Haunani for the link.

Scream of consciousness polymer

Wendy Malinow’s grinning polymer shaker is filled with steel shot which makes it fit for a serious percussionist. But her musician husband is frightened by the menacing 12 1/2″ tall multi-eyed root. The real teeth embedded in pink polymer gums add to the scariness of this piece that both attracts and repulses.

Her root has been accepted into this year’s 38th Toys Designed by Artists exhibition November 21 to January 6 at the Arkansas Art Center. Here’s Wendy’s official site.

In Las Vegas where Wendy taught last week, the shaker looked at home among the skulls and bones strewn across her work surface. The students made more benign eggs, bones and mushroom charms. Wendy’s quirky woodland vision merged perfectly with Leslie Blackford’s dark and deviant characters from the farm and circus. Check out this snake!

Their “scream of consciousness” approach to polymer art made students stretch their skills and search their souls. It was all in good fun and perfectly timed for Halloween.

Polymer coastlines

Scotland’s Melanie Muir shifts coastlines and colors with her new Reggae series. Named for its color palette, this new necklace is built on hollow forms.

Melanie has also posted some new shapes and three-dimensional pieces that reflect her studio view of Ebb Tides and Rock Pools and Whirlpools from her studio on the coast.

Her flawless finishing work brings out the best features of her designs and colors. For the most complete view of her world (and her shape templates) go to her Facebook page.

Enjoy your weekend!

Woodland charms

Kindred spirits Wendy Wallin Malinow and Leslie Blackford will team up to teach a polymer class at this year’s Clay Carnival Las Vegas in October (not sure if there are any spaces left).

Wendy’s polymer antlers, bones, eggs and acorns will meet up with Leslie’s birds, snakes, sticks and stones. This “Garden of Earthly Delights” workshop will introduce students to an incomparable variety of woodland charms from two charming artists.

Wendy’s Tumblr site chronicles her own “bone a day” progress. Her mixed media Woodland Goth Choker is jaw-dropping. And Leslie’s Carneys and Freaks will melt your heart. What in your autumn environment speaks to you this Monday?

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