When you deconstruct these wonderful yellow bugs by Debbie Jackson, you’ll see how she parlays limited colors and basic cane shapes into delightful insects with quirky personalities and a fashion sense.
Even those who don’t like creepy crawlies will be won over. You can see how she used these canes in other applications on Debbie’s Facebook page.
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.
Toronto’s Afsaneh Tajvidi designs lovely delicate jewelry and sells her jewel-tone watercolors and prints on Etsy. Every once in a while she gets the urge to play with polymer – usually when she’s inspired by her window sill succulent garden or has a request for a cake topper.
Afi rediscovered a stash of tiny flower pots that she had collected and started making a new miniature cactus collection in colors that delight the eye. Is it the gelato colors that make them so mouthwatering?
Here’s her polymer collection on Flickr, her Facebook page, her Etsy site (with a feature on Afi) and her blog.
Nova Scotia’s Kate Church has uploaded a stash of recent work that will keep you thinking about sculpture. The posture and expression of each of Kate’s polymer sculptures imparts emotion, drama, action and joy.
Most of them are made to be adjusted, posed and moved. “Each piece is meant to become an artful muse for those who collect them,” she says.
The 21″ tall Betti and Geranium is one of Kate’s current favorites. Look out, her site is full of treasures! Don’t miss the gallery, her blog, her list of classes and even this student’s class pix.
Cat of Prague’s Hamlin Designs distills the essence of her subjects into small smooth sculptures. Using only a lump of polymer Cat packs action and personality into simple shapes that convey energy and attitude.
Each piece is around 2″ long and is hand formed, then sanded and buffed. “Often times, when I have a hunk of clay in my hands, I try to hear/feel what it wants to become,” she says.
Janet Hoy sent the link along because she admired the artist’s economy of line. See Cat’s entire menagerie on her Etsy shop.
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.
Usually houses don’t sell so well at this time of year but Nevada’s Marjorie Dalgarn is doing a brisk business in home sales.
She uses polymer to sketch custom house ornaments and she’s booked through the season. She stamps the name and date on the back and they’ve made such popular gifts that she’s already stopped taking orders for the holidays. Should you add “Build a polymer house” to your holiday to-do list?
Marjorie also makes family ornaments, cake toppers and other themed polymer works and beaded items. She offers a free pumpkin pie tutorial just in time for Thanksgiving.
South Florida’s Pamela Carman upcycles ceramic sculptures and vases, covering them with complex polymer cane slices mixed with metal leaf. The result is busy, beautiful fish (this one is 14-inches long) and bright finely-feathered birds (this Chickeechirp is 6-inches long). Pamela says that she has a blast making these sculptures and it shows.
France’s Sonya Girodon sent in the link. Having a link to a Florida artist come from a French reader reminds us just how global PCD fans have become.
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.
These polymer pocket totems (all about 1.5 inches tall) from Danielle Pedersen are imbued with spirit. “This series is for the travelers, the kids-at-heart, and everyone who wants to take an animal wherever they go. Of course, you can always keep them on your desk or any place in your home that currently needs an animal,” she says.
Picking out the ones that best fit your personality or mood can be challenging. Danielle cleverly offers sets so that you can build your own zoo. They’re all hand sculpted and meticulously painted. Read more here.
