Polymer Clay Daily

Mindful remaking

Doreen Willey rearranges lost scraps into dazzling tiles on PolymerClayDaily

These tiles from California’s Doreen Willey are a dazzling blast from her past. Encouraged by Christi Friesen’s Play Days and driven by bags of scraps that Doreen was anxious to reduce, reuse, and recycle, she jumped into this project with stunning results.

Years of design decisions added up to works with wild variety yet a cohesive, exuberant look and feel. “If you are like me, you probably have a huge stash of stuff you’ve made that’s gone into boxes never to be seen again,” says Doreen.

“I pulled out my boxes, started cutting my stuff up and put it back together in a new way,” she explains. And we’re lucky she did! What an inspiration! Here on Facebook.

Polymer packs a punch

Anita Kennerley gets in your face with her polymer message on PolymerClayDaily.com

Georgia’s Anita Kennerley shows how polymer can pack a punch. She calls her 4 1/2″ round piece Rona Rules. Crocheted red dots are tucked in between textured and torn bits of silver clay with a tattooed fist that gets in your face with a message.

What a powerful way to emphasize the number one rule for fighting this virus.

Anita has great spirit and she never pulls her punches. Here she is on Facebook.

Coloring outside the polymer lines

Deb Groover arranges bakes stripes into a vibrant polymer painting on PolymerClayDaily.com

Florida’s Deb Groover (@debortinastudio) has loosened her approach to painting with polymer on wood. She cures these quickly formed bright stripes, arranges them on a wood substructure, and finally paints the background.

I didn’t think she could create her large paintings in a more loose, vibrant way but she’s managed to do just that in recent works. They’re more abstract, more geometric.

Whether it’s beaches or birds or just stripes, there’s a lively attitude that permeates her paintings.

Here’s my old video interview with fuzzy audio (the microphone slid down her blouse). Persist through it for an explanation of this former ceramic artist’s unfettered style in polymer.

Walk on the wild side

Margaret Polcawich takes a different tack on PolymerClayDaily.com

Lindly’s fundraising campaign has put me back in touch with artists who usually lurk quietly in the background.

What a treat to get reacquainted with Maryland’s Margaret Polcawich. Her vessels and wall art have a delicate sensibility….reeds blowing in the wind, small tiles thick with color, vessels with spindly legs.

They trigger some part of my brain that says, “Yes…let’s try that!” Visit her site if you need to walk on the wild side.

Layers for 2020

Libby Mills 6x6 squares reveal layers of textures, shapes, and colors on PolymerClayDaily.com

Connecticut’s Libby Mills (Libzoid) has hit her stride with her wall tiles that are made of layered slabs of polymer. This latest is not only brighter but there’s a lot going on.

Look closely and you’ll spot veneers and canes, stitches and waffles, circles and arcs, cutouts and appliques.

That’s a lot of elements to make work together! And she does it! Libby comes into 2020 with a look that’s distinctly hers. Here she is on Facebook.

In this weekend’s StudioMojo, we will look into our crystal ball and see who’s leading us toward new ways with clay. Come on over if you want to see what’s ahead.

Seeing what she feels

Lynn (Whimsyatwork) likes others to see what she feels on polymerclaydaily.com

Florida’s Lynn (WhimsyAtWork) offers us Love and Peace with this outstanding mixed media wall piece.

Layers of handmade papers and fibers become the background for the central polymer face which looks like it’s sewn on.

Big lips, sultry mismatched eyes, tattooed nose. Love the loops on the left

She says of her work, “I breathe art. I didn’t always. I held my breath for a long time waiting for life to smack me. And when it did… WOW what JOY!! I hope you can see what I feel.” On Facebook here.

Rebounding polymer

Nancy Nearing's small works show big progress on PolymerClayDaily.com

Ohio neighbor Nancy Nearing displays these four small artworks in a local gallery’s “Small Works” show for the holidays. We covered the start of this project as a work-in-progress in August.

What is remarkable is that Nancy’s new spurt of creativity comes after a tough year of grief and change.

Nancy Nearing's small works show big progress on PolymerClayDaily.com

“Nine months, ten trips, three clay retreats, and one class later, I’m starting to rediscover the joy of creating new pieces and series,” Nancy says in her blog post.

Going through a slow period, dreading the holidays, facing a crisis? Nancy shows us how creativity can disappear or remain dormant and then come back full throttle.

Feeling loopy

After years of white, Angela Schwer adds color to her wall sculptures on PolymerClayDaily.com

Oregon’s Angela Schwer swerved off her usual path and ventured into color for this loopy wall sculpture.

Don’t you wonder why after years of making wall art in white only, she was compelled to add pale pinks and yellows with a splash of black?

And she usually sticks to very natural and organic shapes, not mod loops. She says she doesn’t know what came over her.

We’ll have to follow along.

Preparing for Fall

Donna Greenberg prepares for Fall in polymer on PolymerClayDaily.com

New Jersey’s Donna Greenberg prepares us for fall with her 18″ Carnival, an explosion of colors and shapes.

“After months of working in controlled somber tones, it’s just what the doctor ordered to lift my spirits going into Fall,” Donna says.

Polymer, paper, pencil, and paints.

Zoom in to experience the lush layers. What does Fall look like in your work?