Summer Issue, “Color!” is Out! And a Lively Bird.
May 30, 2017
Inspirational Art
As many of you have seen, the Summer 2017 issue actually went out yesterday, a day early. Unforeseen circumstances forced me to be on the road today instead of late last week as planned so I couldn’t do the release today. Hope it was a welcome surprise for you digital subscribers (if you are due a copy and didn’t see it in your inbox, check your spam/junkmail folder and if it’s not there check your subscription account here or write my assistant at connect[at]thepolymerarts.com). Print issues are actually on the way as well–the US batch went to the post office Friday (although the holiday might slow it down initially) and get the copies for international shipments tomorrow to sort and get on its way so it will be all over the world soon enough.
As tradition dictates, this week we’ll share some pieces that didn’t make it into the new issue. There is just never enough room! This parrot by our profiled artist, Jon Stuart Anderson, was one of those pieces that we just loved but could not work into the article. It is one of Jon’s newest pieces and he was just so excited to share it with us so, of course, since it’s not in the magazine, I had to bring it to you here. There is such rich color on the front but just look at the back of the bird. It has such a lovely, lively pattern and such a perfect finish! Pure Jon Anderson magic.
Please enjoy more of Jon’s newest work on his Facebook page and his website while I mosey on down the road. And if you don’t have your Summer issue purchased or your subscription active, just hop on over to the website at www.thepolymerarts.com.
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Brave Waves
May 25, 2017
Inspirational Art
Sonya Girodan has been consistently posting intriguing and quite exploratory pieces, this past year or so and I don’t think there has been one that I thought was just “meh”. They have all felt intense, with a sincere and thorough plunge into attempts to rip her voice and creativity out of herself and into the open. Maybe this sounds a tad dramatic but it’s rare to see work like this, playing around on the edge of the comfortable aesthetic range within polymer art.
That is not to say that every piece is unquestioningly successful but it is unquestionably brave to put such a range of work out there, to say, here is what I am as an artist right now and yes, it is a kind of all over the place. Sometimes an artist just need room to dance as softly or as wildly as they are inclined, to dance like no one is watching. .
This kind of gutsy approach has led Sonya through a lot of experimentation but to me, none has had quite the draw that these mixed fiber works have had. My prior craft work was in fiber, mostly natural materials in a raw state, so I will admit to a preference for the kind of thing you see here, mixing textures as well as materials. I know many people who work with polymer have such an awe or love of the material that they don’t want to work with anything else and may even feel like a bit of a traitor if they start to have an affinity for another material. But art should not have limitations, especially self-imposed ones. I think any creator should just reach out for whatever is needed to create the vision in their head or heart. The material is secondary to the vision.
Let me do some of that questioning of you, dear reader, that I was doing last month. I know this piece will not be everyone’s cup of tea but how do you feel about it? Bereft of color but rich in form and texture, does it feel like anything is missing? Does it feel whole and thought out or does it feel like an experiment that went as far as it could, a prelude to future work? You don’t need to post your answers (although I love to hear what you all think!) but if you take a moment to ask yourself these questions, maybe even write them down, you might find it interesting to see what you think put into words. There is a certain bravery to critiquing other people’s work and there is certainly a learning experience possible in it.
Sorry for the rambling. I have not had much sleep, battling some crazy neck pain this past week. But hopefully my meandering mind is entertaining! What you might find more entertaining is Sonya’s work. Take a stroll through her Flickr photostream for a better overview of what I have been babbling about here and enjoy peeking in on her artistic journey.
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Words Going Round
May 23, 2017
Inspirational Art
Okay, let’s get serious this week. First, a bit of business for readers anxiously awaiting the new issue of The Polymer Arts. The richly packed Color themed Summer edition has had its release date confirmed! Look for digital copies to land in your mailbox on May 30th with print editions all being on the way out from the printer by that day as well.
While we wait for that exciting issue to make its way to us, I thought we’d turn our attention to a few of our more prolific artists whose work is jamming up my lists and Pinterest boards, waiting to be featured.
Nikolina Otrzan has been doing some remarkably sophisticated work with very simple shapes and surface treatments lately. Like these tubes. Tubes with dots. And on the rustic side. Simple but eye-catching in solid, matte colors, these are all about ’round’, with round tubes and round dots and nothing else to distract on the earrings.
On the necklace, there is a distraction in the form of words. Words will always be distracting. Our eyes go straight to them to try and glean their meaning. They are a focal point without having to sit on one point. I love that these are on a round surface so that there is no beginning or end to the imprinted text. There is also no one word or meaning that can be gleaned at a glance so the words are not calling out some obvious message. The necklace also, still stays in the ’round’ theme but there is a more varied energy in the texture of the text, so that it has a more intricate and energized feel to it.
Nikolina’s shop on Etsy is full of inexpensive yet in-depth tutorials on her piece and techniques. If you are looking for something different to play around with this coming week, her tutorials would be a great place to start. For more visual inspiration, take a look at her work on Flickr.
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Kitten Cute
May 20, 2017
Inspirational Art
I’m actually taking the day off today. I know it doesn’t look like it but I couldn’t leave you all hanging without a little something to check out this weekend.
So here’s one more curious polymer and fur creations. I apologize but I just couldn’t resist dropping in a kitty on you. I mean, there has to be some reason cat videos are so wildly popular–people love the felines, especially those with really big eyes.
A feline with big eyes and a mischievous nature seems to be the recipe for a hit cat video and although this is not a video I think Lisa Toms got the formula just about right. Now to figure out the breed!
Go ahead and have fun with this Lisa’s cuties and curiosities on her Deviant Art pages.
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Soft and Sleek
May 18, 2017
Inspirational Art
Apparently we are doing polymer and fur this week. Looking at Tuesday’s artist led me down a rabbit hole of impressive figure and doll art where polymer is being beautifully combined with furry textures. I did try to find jewelry, and there are a few things, but nothing that was knocking my socks off.
This artist, however, did grab my attention. Furry doesn’t have to be cute, quite apparently. This majestic little creature impresses one with both the bright but not overly used dashes of blue and a very sleek and elegant line in its form. You also have to wonder what story the artist has for this creature. I can’t imagine making something like this without imagining how it would live out in the world.
The artist, Linda Lundqvist who hails from Sweden, creates a wide variety of fantastical creatures, that mix characteristics of various animals along with a good dose of pure imagination. Discover more of Linda’s world through her Deviant art pages and in her Etsy shop.
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Fuzzy Comfort
May 16, 2017
Inspirational Art
You know when you have those days, or weeks (or years!), that just drain you, sometimes the only thing you want is something or someone cute and comforting to curl up with. I do have a particularly cuddly, loving German Shepard so I can get that most days but today I wanted to find something comforting and cute to post. You just have to do that sometimes.
Now, my version of cute is usually a little off from the standard cute of kitties and puppies (not that I am at all immune to their devious cuteness) but tell me that this little mom and her, well, baby creature, aren’t just heart-meltingly adorable. Dyagileva Marina specializes in furry and polymer mixed media creations with a little bit of creature and cute all rolled up into her sculptures. The contrasting softness of the fuzzy soft body next to those polymer faces with their big eyes probably helps, plus it is a combination you don’t see too often with polymer. I do find the combination of soft fabrics works quite well with polymer, even in jewelry, although I don’t know if I have seen furry and polymer on any necklaces but I think I’m going to go look for some!
If you are up for a dose of slightly off the norm cuteness, you can see more of Dyagileva’s creations in her Etsy shop and Deviant art pages.
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Colored Paper
May 13, 2017
Inspirational Art
Today, we step just to the side of polymer and check out some amazing paper mache.
This collection I found today just blew me away. The work is by Gustavo Ramirez Cruz and the color and whimsy are just irresistible. Well for me, certainly, but I bet this little guy will tug at quite a few of you, too. It was hard to pick which one to show off. They are such strange creatures he creates, but they invariably have this vulnerable and unaware look that makes me just want to pack them up and take them home to protect them … and to cheer me up while they are at it. Kind of like my dogs, really! And nearly as big as our smaller furball. This cutie measures 46 x 28cm (18″ x 11″) but when I first saw it, I thought, that would make a great brooch! It would have to be shrunk down some!
Well, instead of blathering on with patterned animal comparisons from our other artist’s this week, how about you use your precious time to jump over to Gustavo’s site and give yourself an eyeful of joy and color this weekend. Just jump over to his simple but entrancing website.
Weekly Inspiration Challenge: Find the pattern in the animals around you. Whether they are pets, critters you see outside your window or exotic animals in a book or online, look for color and patterns that inspire you and let what you find inspire a new piece.
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Loveless Animals
May 11, 2017
Inspirational Art
Let us allow Jon Stuart Anderson’s cover piece dictate the theme this week … animals full of color and pattern. Although, unlike Jon’s bull on the cover of the upcoming Summer 2017 issue (due out end of May) is a three-dimensional sculpture, this piece is a wall mosaic by Mary Anne Loveless who just so happens to be gracing our pages as well in the gallery section of that same issue.
Even though this is a two-dimensional approach to using canes to create the shape and flow of an animal’s likeness, the mind-set is probably not dissimilar when the artists sit down to work out where the canes will go. What canes and where would they best serve the image of this animal they want to convey? Mary Anne is using mosaic and pointillism to create the form of the seahorse here while Jon uses a three-dimensional form. Does seem pretty different from that aspect but the patterns are what form the details of these animals in both cases.
I really enjoy picking out the individual canes in both cases. I am enthralled by Mary Anne’s choice of color juxtaposition in this. The aqua next to the reds and the beige and peach being the color the blues fade off to like in the chest area. It’s just beautiful.
Mary Anne really likes seahorses, as you will find upon opening her Flickr page which as of this post, is pretty much all seahorses. But she also likes fish and flowers and faeries! But mostly she loves, and is very good at, pattern and color which you can see in full evidence on her Flickr pages and her Etsy shop.
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The Summer Cover … Thank you Mr. Anderson
May 9, 2017
Inspirational Art, The Polymer Arts magazine news
Today, I just want to share the newest cover of The Polymer Arts. We are so very lucky to have Jon Stuart Anderson gracing the cover with a wonderful close up of his Raging Bull sculpture. The article on Jon’s art and life is alone worth getting this issue for.
Jon had previously not talked much about his work and yet it is absolutely unforgettable. His process, his thoughts on creating, on color, and on living as an artist are from the heart and he minces no words. The interview conducted, and article written by, the equally amazing Ron Lehocky was a dream for us. Ron had so much material, there really could have been a book. Ron was just the person to pull from Jon the stories and details that allow us a rich and colorful glimpse of the man and his work like we’ve never seen it before. I am so thrilled about this issue. Can you tell?
The whole Summer 2017- Color issue will be a great reference for color exploration now and in the future with the talent and knowledge of some of our best artists including Tracy Holmes, Christine Dumont, Lindly Haunani, Meg Newberg, and Anke Humpert, along with Ron and Jon. Here’s some of the articles you can look forward to:
- Color Theory – Simplified!
- Creating Relatable Color Palettes
- Fixing our Brains’ Flawed Color Perception
- The Wild & Colorful World of Jon Anderson
- Dramatic Color Blends for Canes
- Painting with Polymer clay
- Color Guided Necklace Designs
- Re-Thinking Your Artistic Identity
- Funding a Guild or Group
- Color Spotlight on Christine Dumont
- New Ways with the New Liquid Clays
… and much more!
Don’t miss out on this essential issue. Be sure your subscription is up to date by going to your account page or start your new subscription. It’s easy … just click here!
If you are jonesing to see more of Jon’s work or want to purchase his work, you can find it on his website.
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While doing my research this week on Russian polymer, I finally got to see what their polymer magazine looks like. I knew there was one out there but it’s really hard to search for “Russian Polymer Clay magazine” when you don’t have the corresponding keys to type Полимерная глина on your keyboard. The title you see says “Polymer Clay” and in the pink says “in Russia”, at least that is what Google told me. But it took me a while to figure that out since I couldn’t copy it from the image. In other words, there are barriers to us seeing the full range of what the world is doing in polymer because language can get in the way. But some of us are determined … or just plain obsessed with seeing everything people are doing with this wonderful medium!
This cover piece is by Maria Vidova. I feel pretty sure it is not 100% polymer clay but I can’t read it to find out–not yet at least. It is a beautifully laid out piece with the green of the succulents being repeated in the green stones. With both plant and gems being important focal points, having the same green color presents the plants and stones as equally precious objects of beauty, which I have to agree with.
Those succulents look perfectly real, don’t they? Well, their perfection comes from silicone molds and she uses liquid polymer to give it that partially translucent look. The molds look to be of her making and she sells them on her Creative Molds website. You’ll need Google Translate to navigate (if you use the Chrome browser, it usually does this automatically for you) or you can write them for instructions at info@creative-molds.ru.
Now, how about getting our hands on a copy of this beautifully presented magazine? Well, I’m going to! And since they do have this available in a digital format, all of us non-Russian speaking folks should be able to copy out the text and get some kind of translation on Google. But you know you want it for the art, even if it will be a bit more challenging to read.
You can get issues of Polymer Clay in Russia in digital or print on the polymerclay-guild-ru site.
Weekly Inspiration Challenge: Find work from a region of the world you are not familiar with–and it doesn’t have to be polymer, it could be any medium–and pick out the elements that you like as a source of inspiration for a new piece. Don’t copy what you see; just take the time to determine what makes it work and why you like it then take that knowledge and create an inspired piece of your own.
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So, what else are our Russian colleagues up to besides quilting large polymer maps of their country? A lot actually. I got rather lost, pulling on the little threads I found when I went in search of more on the Russian blanket project. There is so much lovely work out there but in the end, I spent so much time on Anastasia Astafieva‘s blog, Handmadeblog.ru, that I just had to share some of her work.
Anastasia works polymer in a number of ways–from jewelry to decor to figurines and dolls–but I was particularly taken by her work in polymer soutache. Just look at all the detail in this soutche’d purse. The color palette has a reserved energy that keeps the whole thing from feeling like its going overboard between the intricate whorls and the large glass ‘gems’. Just that touch of brown clay and the tan beads brings the lovely variations of blues and cyans a little contrast and allows us to see the soutache in defined sections.
She’s made quite a few of these purses along with coordinating necklaces and even some earrings. You can see her collection which she calls “Sutazhnuyu” (Google pronounces it in Russian as “sue-tash-nah” … cool sounding word!) on this blog post.
Anastasia does more than just blog about her work. She reports on events and even did a video documentary on what she is calling the “grandmother” of polymer, Kathe Kruse (it shows up as Keti Kruze on the translation) a famous German dollmaker whose company looks to have used polymer back in the late 50s and early 60s to make dolls. She even has a photo of what is probably one of the very first polymer clay kits. You can find that post and video here. Now if Google can only figure out how to translate audio on the fly!
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Russia is in the news a lot lately, especially out here in the States, but the conversation is not often a positive one, which can leave us with a rather uneven view of things. Personally, I think Russia is an amazingly beautiful place and I have so enjoyed the people I have met from there. My parents spent some time traveling through the country in the 90s and the photos and stories they brought home were so wonderful and memorable.
Their artistic heritage and rich culture translates beautifully to modern materials like polymer but it is not easy to find a good range of the work being done in Russia since on the internet, the difference in language keeps their pieces, listed on Russian sites and with Russian text, from popping up on English searches. So this week, we’re going to take a look at Russian polymer work in a teeny tiny effort to rectify this.
The idea for the theme this week came from the IPCA‘s most recent International Polymer Clay publication, a digital publication sent to members every other month. When I saw this wall piece, referred to in the brief article’s title as a Russian Blanket, I just thought it would be a shame not to get this out to more people. This community project, coordinated by Svetlana Taratunina had 362 polymer participants contribute work for the completely polymer quilted map of Russia. The piece is going on tour in the country right now although no schedule was mentioned.
If you are a member of the IPCA, you should have this publication in your inbox right now (or check your spam folder). If you’re not a member, considering supporting our community’s central organization with a membership and you’ll be getting this little treasure of a publication in your inbox every other month.
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