I’m itching to get back to work as my week at camp winds down. All week long the humble little polymer bowl has been on our minds and work surfaces. Lynda Gilcher built several prototype wire bases to elevate her little vessels.
Bowls are on the rise. I’ll leave you with that and report more when I return home next week.
Lynda’s teaching at the French Lick gathering this summer and her Ohio shop (online here) carries some tool gems. Enjoy your weekend.
Little dishes are all the rage as polymer artists venture beyond jewelry. Florida’s Sherri Kellberg (BeadazzleMe) shows us her fun footed 3.5″ bowl made using polymer, gold leaf and inks.
Sherri’s been experimenting with larger polymer bowls like this dramatic caned version as well as teapots.
She’s also developed several tutorials that mix polymer with resin to create glowing glassy effects. See her work on Etsy, Flickr, Pinterest, her blog and Facebook.
My slightly wonky bowl from a slightly wonky and very snowy weekend at the combined Ohio guilds’ event (Buckeye Bash) weekend. I cheerily combined stripes and chevrons from scrap plus extruded flower slices. No sanding and not a bit of worrying went into this little pedestal bowl. I’m adding this to my growing collection of playful objects which make me happy.
Meanwhile I ignored the computer and didn’t troll through your latest work. I have no choice but to feature myself if I want to watch the Oscars on tv with my husband.
The red carpet wins. You’re oggling the gowns and the jewelry too, right? Back to work tomorrow.
Vermont’s Mags Bonham has some techno tricks up her sleeve that she’ll be teaching on Friday evening at the Cabin Fever confab in Maryland. The polymer layers for this 4″ green bowl were drawn on her computer and cut with her Silhouette machine.
Here she builds up contrasting layers to boost the thin clay’s strength. The bowl has a Celtic look perfect for St. Patricks Day.
Mags started running polymer through her cutter in order to make the hops charms that she creates for her beer gear. She sells beer-themed items on Etsy and on the artisan beer circuit.
Mags expanded her repertoire to flowers and has taught a Silhouette/polymer how-to lesson on Craftcast. Now she’s adding bowls. What next? Read more on her Facebook page, on Flickr and on Pinterest.
No cane slices were combined to create Barb Fajardo’s latest experiment! For this 4″ diameter bowl she’s using her Mandala Flora technique that includes a clever mix of cut and replace plus texture and paint.
It’s a welcome departure from the usual. (Remember her last bowl experiment?) We sometimes forget that with polymer there’s always more than one way to get the results you want. Start a week full of possiblities.
While her site is undergoing a makeover, you can find Barb on Flickr, Pinterest, and Facebook.
This all-polymer lidded round container is from Isabelle Bordelais (Lilaroz). By combining the hidden magic technique and Victoria James’ natural textures Isabelle developed this bark-like mokume gane pattern that resembles a map.
On her Flickr page you can see how she has moved from building small boxes to larger ones, perfecting kaleidoscope canes along the way.
Where will Isabelle head next? Even larger, perhaps? And where will your work take you this week?
For this decorated vase London’s Olga Perova uses Jana Roberts Benzon’s New Age Bargello methods and applies them to a vessel rather than jewelry. The result is stunning.
Olga cut autumn colored sheets of raised bargello textures into leaf shapes that drape comfortably over the 11″ x 5″ vase’s curves. The rugged terrain of this pattern is best enjoyed up close and the vase shows it off to real advantage.
Here’s Olga on Facebook and Etsy. You may remember her earlier vessels on PCD in September.
A look through Jana’s bargello photos shows you how she continues to push polymer to new textural limits that her students take in all directions.
Leave a comment on Polyform’s FB page to be entered in their drawing for a pasta machine! Today’s the day.
Slovenia’s Claudia Kurent has stockpiled an impressive stash of bowls. She’s taking a few days to admire them before they disappear at the holiday artfair. You can examine these little beauties on her blog. It looks like she’s built them on glass liners.
Seems PCD always gravitates to Claudia during the holidays. Here are her snowflake ornaments from last year.
You may particularly like her Tips and Tricks album on Flickr. She’s also on Facebook.
Cat Szetu’s shawl pins swoop and curve more than you might think possible. That’s what may first catch your eye on her Etsy shop.
If you look on her Flickr page you’ll see she’s starting to apply those same movements to vessels, containers, desk sets. The clay whips around as if the wind had blown it.
This former Connecticut packaging and communications artist is experimenting and having fun with her Nestled Vessels. Be sure to see her cane slicer built from Legos too!
London’s Olga Perova formed this 9″ x 7″ x 3″ polymer vase, adding decoration later. She treats the surface as her canvas, painting, carving and applying patterns to the openwork structure.
While Olga dabbles in jewelry, it’s clear that she’s most at home with larger forms where she can tell a bigger story. See Olga’s work on Flickr, Facebook and Etsy.
What format feels best for your art?
