Maryland’s Ali Bojanowski (bycamelliadesign) drapes red, white, and blue into patriotic earrings for Memorial Day.
Granted, it will take longer than the few seconds that Ali shows here.
But fast forward to the end of May, and you could be sporting these flag buntings on your ears in the town parade.
Folded, draped, and wrinkled polymer is quite fashionable this year.
Pennsylvania’s Genevieve Williamson considers polymer a semi-precious material in her Redeemed show of all-recycled jewelry in Ohio. “Plastic has been vilified,” she says. “It’s not the material that’s the problem, it’s our one-use, throwaway attitude toward plastic that has caused the problem.”
Genevieve makes a case that could change your whole approach. She gives us new talking points that elevate our art in this conversation recorded for last week’s StudioMojo.
Today’s end-of-the-year video treat comes from Ohio’s Carissa Nichols.
There’s nothing quite so soothing as her way of taking bits of scrap and creating a swirled lentil or bicone bead.
In this tiny tutorial from StudioMojo, Carissa helps you get the hang of the body movements required for a creative and meditative trick.
Australia’s Bonnie Gilmore (HatchingSparrows) launches us into the weekend with a frenetic Instagram video that will kick your Friday into high gear.
She cuts, positions, layers, textures, smooths and readjusts at high speed. The resulting earrings carry that energy and brightness with them. Here she is on Etsy.
If you’re looking for energy and brightness but not so much the frenetic part, hop on over to StudioMojo. We slow the pace down and take a more leisurely Saturday morning look at the week’s developments in our polymer universe. Kind of a spa treatment for your over-stimulated creative brain. Relax with us.
Last week Meg Newberg (PolymerClayWorkshop) showed us her fun repeating hearts made from a bullseye. With a few additions and sleight of hand, she makes that cane work from Valentines Day to Easter!
If you look closely at the slices in the photo you’ll see hearts on the edges. By cutting the original cane slightly differently and shaping it into triangles, then hexagons, she covers a hollow egg with slices.
Don’t take my word for it, watch her give one of the quickest, cleverest classes ever. Her videos are on her Instagram.
California’s Syndee Holt bypassed using scrap polymer for her mosaic jewelry based on Kim Korringa’s video. See them on Instagram.
Syndee pulled out her pan pastels and created a colorful abstract for her top layer of polymer.
This may sound confusing but it’s all explained in Kim’s video of her simple and quick way to play with a bit of clay. It makes a good warm-up exercise in case you’re in a post-holiday rut.
Our polymer Santa/Dr. Lehocky is still in his workshop upcycling canes (like these poinsettia and snowman slices from Jane Dwyer) and turning discards from artists around the world into hearts that will benefit the Children’s Center in Louisville, KY.
This heart story has been going on for 12 years and last night’s total topped 40,520. Each one this Santa has made raises $10 for the Center. Do the math! Yes, your art can make a difference.
If you need some holiday cheer, watch Ron demo his 3-step process in this popular video or follow the Kids Center Christmas festivities on his Facebook page.
Happy Holidays! Join us for virtual eggnog and more Saturday morning tidbits over at the weekend’s StudioMojo.
Feeling much better, thanks all. I wasn’t going to post but this video from Adina Pastelina (Israel’s Adi and Sam Leder) brightened my day and I thought you’d enjoy this (and all their videos). Don’t miss their site, Pinterest and Facebook bits too.
To meet his quota of 10-12 polymer heart pins each day, Ron Lehocky has to get up early (we shot this video at 7:00 a.m.) and take advantage of every spare moment.
Funny how that daily quota has added up to 27,000 hearts in 9 years! All the proceeds support the Kentucky Kids Center where he is also a physician.
Used to the routine, Ron’s hands moved gracefully and effortlessly as we chatted. He’s refined his process to 3 steps which he shows in this demo. A few hundred hearts are always waiting for sanding and finishing which he does as he watches TV or listens to music. To purchase hearts, contact Ron on Facebook or via email. Watch the video here.
In this weekend’s StudioMojo, Ron continues talking about his studio habits, his motivation, and his own designs. Join us on StudioMojo if you’d like more.
Sunday school
Those of us who love both technology and polymer are ecstatic that Mags Bonham will teach an online Craftcast class that explains how to cut polymer using the computer and a Silhouette Cameo printer/cutter. That’s on Sunday at 12:00 noon (EST). I plan to be in the front row (virtually) with the rest of you artist/nerds.
These Embrace beads by Steven Ford and David Forlano showed up in a recent blog post about how their work touches on themes similar to those in the Art Nouveau period. They share a focus on organics and a sense of movement as illustrated in these luscious new beads.
A slideshow about the Racine Art Museum gala is up for your enjoyment. In my excitement I simply pointed my phone camera (somewhat shakily) and started snapping. Please forgive omissions and silliness.
A comprehensive recording of the event, the panel discussions and events will be available in the future. Pieces from the exhibit are thoroughly documented in the companion book. And the exhibit itself will be open to you until February 5. In the meantime, enjoy my hastily assembled 3-minute snack.
A video conversation with Pier Voulkos will be part of this weekend’s StudioMojo newsletter.
