Kelp and polymer

Gera Scott Chandler (aMusedStudio) pairs her polymer with materials that are readily available. Not only is kelp plentiful along the BC coast in Canada, but it also appeals to Gera’s penchant for making baskets.

Look closely and you’ll see that she pierces holes along the edges of the polymer bowls. She uses the holes to weave in the strands of kelp that trim her vessels.

Kelp adorns the edge of her popular Halibut Platters as well. The rock and shells and Vancouver Island beach finds make their way into Gera’s work that you can see on Facebook.

Read about how she incorporates the landscape into her work in this recent profile. What calls to you from your landscape?

Painted pot

Greece’s Arieta Stavridou (Big Fish Arietas Handmade World) brings us a look at the last of the summer flowers with this polymer covered vessel.

The dimensional textured blossoms hover near the outer edges of the graceful shape. The blended background makes the whole arrangement look more like a painting than a pot. See more of Arieta’s unusual approach to covered shapes on Facebook.

Follow the dots

UK’s Olga Petrova shows off her latest polymer-covered 4″ x 8″ vessel.

Extruded designs? Probably. Textured? That too. Accented with a wash of black? Yes. Begs to be touched? Indeed!

The vase looks like a 3D zentangle with islands of designs floating in rivers of dots. Wouldn’t this look stunning as a shelf accent? See more on Instagram, Facebook and Flickr.

Room accents

If you’d like to create accents for your home decor, sign up for one of the remaining seats in my class at Creative Journey Studios in Georgia, October 7-9. You’ll learn all about polymer and wood plus other unusual decorative accents that will make your heart sing.

Spring shapes emerge

London’s Olga Perova used oil paint with Cernit polymer to wind this 6″ x 7″ vessel into its elaborately layered and sculpted shape.

Olga experiments with many techniques and objects, occasionally leaving jewelry to craft small bulbous vases that express her feelings about events and places. Her series of vases leave the viewer wanting to know and see more. You can follow her on Flickr, Etsy, Instagram and Facebook.

Are there shapes that you find yourself trying again and again?

Puddle of success

Cate Van Alphen shows off her Week 15 mistake on this wavy art vessel. Her glaze made of ink in liquid polymer clay slid down the sides of the bowl into a puddle. “Next time I think I will try to set it a bit using a heat gun before curing in the oven,”she says.

But Cate wasn’t altogether displeased with her mistake/discovery. Isn’t that the way? She explains more on Flickr and her blog.

I’ve slid back home into my own post-vacation puddle. Time to get busy!

Polymer platters

Victoria’s Gera Scott Chandler works in dark, bumpy, rich coiled polymer on this bowl. You might have thought it was fabric at first glance. She scratches and paints and reveals until the colors release their magic. See more fish platters and bowls on her Facebook page.

Gera’s Fusion bracelets are made of two tubes that fit comfortably inside each other. The painted and textured semi-circles show a bit of metal leaf and mysterious shine.

Gera’s a coastal soul and many of her muses and influence come from Canada’s rough west coasts and untamed beaches. She also worked with young children and takes inspiration from the art they taught her. See more on her site and Instagram.

Featuring flaws

You might want to reach up on the shelf and blow the dust off Elena Sevva’s vessel. Her polymer-covered jar makes a charming accent with an ancient flair.

I’m drawn to Elena’s piece because my first impulse when covering my own items is to chase all the seams and smooth away the imperfections.

What if you and I celebrated and featured the flaws and highlighted them with paint like Elena does? Could you allow yourself this approach? Could I? Just wondering.

See how Elena embraces looseness and imperfection in her artworks on Flickr and Facebook.

Prototype polymer

These two pieces from Jon Stuart Anderson fall into my ones-that-got-away category. Arlene Groch pounced on the 3-legged cup when Jon showed it to us during a demo in Bali. Then she posted a picture of her acquisition on Facebook as an eye-catching reminder for Clayathon. (Arlene was just showing off her purchase, Jon’s not going to be in Atlantic City.)

This Buddha carved from a solid cane block is another one I missed when we were touring Jon’s studio looking at his experiments and one-offs.

Jon’s recovering from a bout of typhoid (the downside of the tropics) and PCDers will surely want to wish him well as we gaze at the astonishing work on his site and Facebook pages here and here.

Mondrian polymer

It was a rainy day and Baltimore’s Linda Loew had some time on her hands so she created this simple square bowl. Its mid-century, Mondrian vibes might make you believe it’s a 50’s ashtray but stubbing out your cig on polymer wouldn’t be smart.

The playful slump of the shape, the minimalist use of color, and the gilt edge combine for an artful, amusing, MadMen effect. Would you guess that the grid lines are transferred on? That’s my theory.

Linda prefers to fly under the online radar. You’ll have to befriend her on Facebook. The previous times that PCD has snagged her at conferences are here and here.

Khaleesi stemware in polymer

Game of Thrones fan Marie Segal felt compelled to make an iconic goblet that reflects her favorite show’s sensibilities. She piles on the flourishes and adds vining leaves, fleur de lis, hearts and other insignia in polymer.

Washes of metallic and dark paint give the glass a heavy ancient air and make it fit for the Khaleesi. What a great gift for a special occasion!

Here’s the glass up close. You’ll find more Marie on Facebook, the Clay Factory, and Etsy.

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