Welcoming Monday monster

The latest monster from Sardinia’s Alessio Busanca (Buzhandmade) is flying to Galerie Friesleben where it will greet visitors to a new facility for polymer in Germany.

Ariane Friesleben has been unveiling polymer art from all over the world that will be on display in the inaugural exhibit in her new facility that opens at the end of the summer.

Enjoy a peek at the upcoming art while you admire the amazing transformation of her marvelously renovated spaces on the gallery Facebook page.

Ariane has attended to every detail and her facility is sure to be a popular destination. The colorful orc will fit right in and keep the students in line.

See more of Alessio’s creatures on Pinterest and Instagram.

Horselovers polymer

Horse lover Donna Kato sent us the work of fellow horse lover Wendy Jorre de St Jorre from Australia. Wendy created this Faux Turquoise Horse using Lynda Moseley’s methods to great effect. Talk about synergy!

Donna says that Wendy started out as a ceramicist and considers herself a newbie at polymer (she took a class from Donna). Lots more interesting works on her Flickr site.

You’ll find quick snapshots of Eurosynergy on Facebook. Wish you were here.

Catch of the day

Something fishy is happening with Mary Anne Loveless. Lately this Utah artist has been drawn to making her Poissons series with beautifully patterned scales made from cane slices.

Most of her fish are hollow and measure from 10 inches to a foot long. Some of these beauties have ferocious looking teeth. Some shimmer with colorful Skinner blends, stripes and dots.

Are they wall art? Free-standing sculptures? Maybe she’ll tell us. Can’t you envision a school of these swimming across a wall? Right now you can see them best on Flickr. With any luck she’ll post them in her Squarespace shop soon.

Polymer selfie

There’s more than one way to create a selfie! Ireland’s Joanne Bolger formed her own 3DeePortrait in polymer. She cut those realistic lenses for her glasses out of a plastic bottle.

Joanne has developed a knack for capturing likenesses that become gifts for all occasions.

Her polymer subjects usually sit in the foreground near the edge of the frame and on top of the mat. An illustration in the mat opening sets the scene. Here she is on Facebook.

Joanne sent me her link. I would have had a hard time finding her otherwise (hint, hint). Sometimes sending a selfie can lead to good things.

Where in the polymer world

Christi Friesen invites you to join her as she travels around the world teaching from now until December. Don’t worry about tickets or accommodations, Christi brings the flavor of her travel to your computer chair. She offers projects, prizes, free stuff, souvenirs and a glimpse of each venue.

“I looked at my teaching schedule and realized that I was pretty much going on a world tour, visiting every continent except South America. So many of you come along with me by attending classes or by following my adventures on Facebook that an official World Tour was in order!” says Christi.

You will need a passport and it’s available on the World Tour site along with all the details. This enthusiastic and energetic polymer professional will take you on a journey of discovery.

The Orca Potlach Box (pictured here) is the first project of the tour. It’s part of the San Juan Island workshop and was inspired by the First Nation peoples.

Blooming Idiots

Blooming Idiots from Kentucky’s Keven Carlton are perfect for April Fools Day.

Leslie Blackford sent the photo along and I couldn’t find a link for Keven other than Facebook. If you know where she hides online, let me know. (Here she is! Thanks Ginger Allman.)

Then I hopped over to Jody Travous Nee’s site for more polymer puns – a shotgun wedding cake topper, road kill, a can of worms. Jody hears a pun and starts sculpting.

Humor may be one of polymer’s best possibilities. Happy April 1.

Polymer grandmothering

This is my way of explaining why I didn’t get my research done today. These 3″ sculptures are all about creative grandmothering with polymer.

I loved the little sculptures that Leslie Blackford was making at the Ohio Bash weekend. This blue guy with an ominous face has bitten into a fish. He joins a whole group of mermaids, dogs and devils in striped pants. She’s posted a few finished ones here.

While I can’t begin to channel Leslie’s wonderfully weird vision, I couldn’t wait to try making mini-me dolls for my grandsons. Leslie taught me that first you make a head using an easy photo transfer (with water and a laser print) and then you model a body and embellish it with abandon.

I hope that my first clumsy attempt at photo transfer sculpture won’t scare my lovely toddlers. Not great art but I had great fun in the studio.

USA polymer

Olympic fervor has thrown us into an oddly patriotic mood. Who better to show team spirit than Chicago’s Dan Crowley? His ladies, loosely based on his aunts, are his favorite characters. This one is called America the Beautiful!

Dan is a sculptor and puppeteer and you can watch him build a finger puppet while he talks about his career in this short video interview. He sells online through Etsy and Art Of Toys and shares new works and tidbits on Facebook.

Five winners

Five lucky PCD readers will be picked to win a copy of the Fire issue of From Polymer To Art magazine published by Saskia and Marjon in the Netherlands.

Scroll down and submit a comment to this post and you’re automatically entered in the giveaway drawing. Instead of competing for Olympic gold or silver, you’ll be in the running for Fire if you make a comment by Sunday midnight. Look at the goodies in this issue and have a winning weekend.

Polymer phone home

A snake crawls through Leslie Blackford’s polymer woodland scene and bird peeks out of one of the tree stumps. Moss creeps onto the rocks. The creatures are waiting for something.

This small pastoral scene provides a perfect setting for a cell phone!

Leslie worked out the structure (it’s 4″ x 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″) so that a phone balances perfectly against the trees. Now your phone which used to get laid down and lost has a stand that makes it easy to find.

She devised a Candyland scene and other themes for her phone cradle sculptures. Making polymer art that doubles as a useful household item is a trick that Leslie does with style.

Read about the L’Atelier: Polymer Clay Workshop that Leslie and friends are setting up from June 1-3 at the French Lick Resort in Indiana. Registration opens February 24.

Trailblazing polymer

You are invited to follow along on the class blog as students at Carthage College begin their adventure in learning polymer. Read the syllabus, check the links and examine the work produced in this first college level studio course that focuses on color theory, textures, patterns and compositional strategies using polymer and mixed media.

This Lichened sculpture was created by Professor Diane Levesque. “Polymer Clay Color Inspirations: Techniques and Jewelry Projects for Creating Successful Palettes by Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio is the required text for this course. Lindly and Maggie have been extremely instrumental in helping me to launch this course,” she says.

During the semester students will submit their work on the course blog. The class marks new territory for our community and you can witness the path they’re blazing.

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