Virginia’s Angie Wiggins takes advantage of every scrap of silkscreened polymer at the end of the day.
Sorted into colorways and backed with a layer of solid color clay for strength, the tiniest leftovers become useful and decorative napkin rings and coasters.
You’ll be surprised at what polymer clay can become in the hands of the experts we cover in this week’s StudioMojo. Discover awesome possibilities in what you thought were your most flawsome efforts.
Catch a good look at these shimmering hollow big beads from Boston’s Betsy Baker (StonehouseStudio). She made this labor-intensive patterned series during the lockdown.
“Now that life and shows are getting back to normal, I won’t have time,” she says.
Seclusion also gave Betsy time to dabble in designing and making dresses. Take a look at her Instagram.
Are there favorites that you’ll have to set aside now that demands for your time are changing?
“I could never wear these,” is what you’re telling yourself, right? I’ve been adding progressively larger earrings to my stash to get over my fear of being too old, too short, too whatever.
And you know what? I’m getting comfy with in-your-face, I’m an artist, deal-with-it earrings.
These colorful collages from Poland’s Gosia (Malgorzata Wawrzynczak at Moiko) are my current favorites. She’s in the silkscreen biz so I’m guessing that’s part of her process. Are they bits of collaged silkscreened veneers or are they canes? Who knows?
Earrings that don’t match? Really? Yes, really. It’s a thing and it won’t hurt you to try it. It’s time to (carefully, gently) drag our scaredy-cat selves out of the house and into the roaring 2020s.
Monday can be a shock to the system and sometimes it helps to start slowly. What could be easier than buttons?
These simple gems from France’s Helene JeaneClaude have a surprising sophistication. The shape is common but the patterns are exciting. Some have a fiber look, others could be stone.
She may have used silkscreens over marbled clay. Go to her Instagram to see lots of others. Helene has been in a button mood lately and her methods change from batch to batch.
Swap out ho-hum buttons with your own fashionable versions. Two holes in a colorful slab of polymer and you can extend the life of your favorite sweater or jacket.
Virginia’s Wiwat Kamolpornwijit calms his jittery nerves with a new spring line. This bracelet with magnetic closure reads differently depending on your perspective.
Patterned circles bend to reveal black and white graphics. “I’m too tired of being worried,” says Wiwat. “I started getting my hands on polymer again, and it really helped getting my mind in the right place.”
Would your mind feel better if your hands started moving?
Slovenia’s Marijana Grubic heads us back to Valentine’s Day with these shapes silkscreened with love and topped with teensy hearts. Here she is on Facebook.
By combining two veneers bisected by a band of silver on domed shapes, Marijana makes an unusual pendant and earrings beyond the usual hearts and flowers.
It was all about love and caring as we began our fundraiser for Lindly yesterday. Didn’t you feel proud of your art community as they turned out to help Lindly without hesitation?
Keep spreading the love. Thank you for your generosity!
Baltimore’s Amy Sun Ah (SunAhBlair) Is in the throes of the holiday bazaar season. While the repeated shapes in these earrings and pendant are straightforward, it’s the mix of patterns that makes them harmonize..
Amy deftly brings Victorian and Japanese textile designs to polymer via silkscreen and paints. Some, like the pendant here, are backed with slightly larger textured clay shapes and joined by a central crystal.
Visit her on Instagram and her site to experience the variety in her collections.
I’m still stuck on the simple stuff.
Yesterday the theme was circles, today we take in squares from Poland’s Moiko that have been silk screened, cut out, and plopped on top of each other.
Moiko is owned by Malgorzata Wawrzynczak who offers a wide selection of silk screens that have been designed specifically for polymer clay.
She excels at simple geometric combinations that feel fresh and fashionable. Here she is on Instagram.
When you can’t get into the studio, looking at what others are producing is especially inspiring. “Yes, that’s what I’d be doing if I had my taxes done,” I tell myself.
Look at how Angie Wiggins layers silkscreens over a juicy blend of colors. But Angie can’t stop there. Her inner embroiderer has to add a few bits that look stitched on. Oh, I’d much rather look over Angie’s shoulder than add up columns of numbers.
Or maybe I’d rather follow Nadia (NadVals) lead and whip up some imitative turquoise. Those strands of tiny faux beads embedded in the middle of the pendant give the stone a more arty and authentic edge.
You go look, I’m pretending I’m a bookkeeper today (sigh). Some days are like that.
Spain’s Manon van Kempen has a way with flowers and she’s not ready to give up summer’s brilliant colors.
The pink of this 3D flower brings the delicately silkscreened base to life.
See all the flower gardens Manon brings to life on Instagram, Facebook, Flickr and Etsy.
