Contrast of Self
March 14, 2021
Design lessons, Supplies & other fun stuff
Would you call yourself a selfish person? I doubt very many of us would think that way about ourselves. Yet, as artists, we often find ourselves “stealing” time away from others or other things to do what we love, reveling in it when we have it. Is that selfish? I mean, it is more about us than anyone else, isn’t it?
Yes, it is about us, and that is as it should be. In the requested comments for last week’s giveaway (scroll down to see the winner and this week’s giveaway), participants mentioned some version of the “me time” aspect of getting to sit down and create more than anything else. I mean, I know we create because it is something we enjoy, regardless of what anyone else thinks, but I just love that so many people acknowledged and celebrated it. We should!
I strongly believe that everyone should have something of their own, something they can turn to in order to express themselves or at least put something out into the world that would not have existed without their desire to create it. The art we create gives us purpose, exercises a uniquely human part of our brains, and helps us to love ourselves. Not to mention that we deserve the joy we get from it!
But, by definition, that is selfish—doing something because it’s what we want. I wish our society would get over the idea that doing something for ourselves is bad. I think not doing things for yourself is self-negligence. Why is that not a commonly understood thing?
This also highlights the bigger, contradictory world that we inhabit. We live in such strange societies where selflessness and humility are expected or requested, and yet we are also pushed to strive for excellence in what we do. How do we reach excellence without focusing on ourselves? And then there is this silliness where we are not supposed to acknowledge when the work we do is good or that we’re proud of it. If we do, others may think we’re being arrogant or grandiose.
So, do we strive to be great and then pretend that we’re mediocre? We talk about contrast being good in art, but this is so not the right kind of contrast!
I’ve long found the dichotomy of these contradictory but societally prescribed behaviors beyond aggravating as well as having the potential to be debilitating. I think that is why it made me so happy to see so many people acknowledging their creative hours as me-time, self-care, and a time of wonderfully selfish joy. Keep it up, I say!
Now, let’s talk about the good kind of contrast in art.
Design Refresh
Let’s look at the beautiful brooch by Lyne Tilt that opened this post. What do you notice first about this? There’s a lot going on in this little space, isn’t there? What are the three things that jump out at you as far as design elements?
I’m going to say color, shape, and texture. Did you come up with the same three? There is also a lot going on with marks and size. So, any combination of those would be spot on.
How about design principles? What do you think is the number one principal used in this design? Sure, we could refer to scale and proportion considering all the different sizes of the layers, or we could talk about focal point or even just key in on the centered composition. But the one thing this has in spades is contrast.
Obviously, there is color contrast in all the major color characteristics—she has a vibrant trio of warm colors contrasting the cool of the blue and cyan; color values range from the dark blue and deep red to the moderate orange to the light yellow and pale polished silver; and, if you check your CMY color wheels, you’ll see that the color of the bottom layer is a blue-cyan whose complementary AND split complementaries are the yellow, orange, and red that you see in the upper layers.
But doesn’t a color palette have to have at least one common characteristic between all the colors? Well, ideally, yes, and this does. Here it’s saturation. These are not muted colors. The orange may be slightly tinted (has some white in it) but not enough to feel it’s gone off base from the saturated characteristic that ties them all together.
Now, look at the contrast in the textures. The top and bottom layers might have the same texture, but the rest are vastly different. There are even different materials—metal and clay. But they work together pretty well, don’t they? Why?
The textures work together in part because they are all drastically different—the wide variety is part of the charm of this piece. But, like color, they need something to tie them together.
Did you notice that the textures are applied to the entire layer from one edge to another? Thier differences are connected because the application on each layer is the same. That does seem to be enough to allow them to exist in the same piece and not have it feel completely chaotic.
The shapes, on the other hand, are not completely different but they are not the same either, right? They are all some version of a hand cut circle, but some of them are definitely more oval. I think pulling back on the amount of contrast between the shapes also helps to rein in the potential chaos all this dramatic contrast and color and texture could fall into. The centered composition also adds a bit of calm to the piece.
Let’s take this week to consider the design principle of contrast. Would your pieces benefit from more contrast, or do you need to rein some of that in? Remember, it all depends on your intention. There are no wrong levels of contrast, at least not in art.
Last Week’s Giveaway
Drum roll please…
This last week’s randomly chosen winner is Eloise B! I’ve spoken to her and her clay is already on the way. Congrats Eloise!
This Week’s Giveaway
Thank you to everyone who participated in last week’s giveaway through comments on the post. As mentioned above, it really made me happy to see all the fantastic, positive and self-caring observations. I also hope it gave you a moment to focus on and appreciate what you love so much about creating.
So, let’s do this again.
The Goodies:
- This week I have a selection of Sculpey clays in 2 new Soufflé colors, 3 new Premo colors, and 2 big 8 oz. blocks of clay stash basics—Sculpey III in Pearl and Silver. That’s 26 ounces of fresh clay along with a three-piece set of Sculpey silkscreens.
- Or if outside the US, I have a $25 Tenth Muse certificate, since it would be such a gamble to ship clay outside the US.
How to Win:
- Put a comment in the blog comments* (below), telling me what type of contrast you enjoy creating most in your own work, or the type of contrast you wish you used more of. And, yes, if you want to share pictures, you can do so by including a link. Just don’t put more than one link in or it may spam filter the comment.
- Note: It can take some time for the comment to appear if you’ve not commented before since, due to annoying spamming, I have to approve it .
- Giveaway winners will be chosen by random—it will NOT be based on your answers. I do hope you’ll give it some thought anyway. The answers could be helpful to you as well as interesting for the rest of us.
- And let’s say you can only win once this month so we can spread the love around.
- Get your comments posted by Wednesday March 17th at midnight Pacific time to get in for the raffle.
- I’ll announce the winner here on the blog next weekend!
I’ll put together yet another pack of goodies for a giveaway in next weekend’s post, so stay tuned here!
You can support this blog by buying yourself a little something at Tenth Muse Arts or, if you like…
The Leading Part (And the Everything Sale!)
November 29, 2020
Design lessons, Supplies & other fun stuff, The Polymer Arts magazine news
Ronna Sarvas Weltman‘s Talisman necklace leads us on a simple but effective journey, starting with the large white bead that sweeps our eyes across the width of the piece, then down the vertical bead set that is unlike the others strung below it, dropping us into the dense collection of side view beads and right back up to take another circuit around it.
As mentioned last week, choosing a composition has as much to do with your intention as any other choice you make. However, there is another consideration that, although it is still steered by intention, is usually about holding onto your viewer’s attention so you have time to communicate your ideas, stories, and/or aesthetics.
What I am talking about is commonly referred to as “leading the eye”. This is the path that the viewer’s eye will take around your work. A visual journey around your piece, especially if it allows the viewer to take in all the elements you’ve created, adds to a sense of cohesiveness and intention in that it helps all the elements feel purposeful as well as showing your mastery and control of your design
As mentioned, two weeks ago, you can use a hierarchy of focal points and interest to lead a viewer around the different areas of your piece. A viewer will usually take things in from what is perceived as the most important element to the least, giving you a controllable path to lead them through. You can also use lines and shapes to make more literal paths as we like to follow lines and edges of shapes to see where they go.
Knowing this, you can determine where the viewer will first look (your focal point) and then create a path they will take from there. Not only does this allow you to ensure that they take in all of your hard work but it can also help fulfill your intention.
For instance, you can lead them smoothly from one point to another on a curve, communicating calm and ease. You could, alternately, have them energetically hopping around from one section to another to build on the idea of enthusiasm, fun, joy, etc. Or you can quickly shoot them from one side to the other on a straight line which can convey determination, strength, and/or force.
I will be feeding these ideas into your eager little minds as we delve through the upcoming lessons on Principles of Design. The principles will not only help you communicate your intention but they can be manipulated to assist you in leading a viewer’s eye through your piece.
Pretty cool, right?
Also … HUGE (nearly) EVERYTHING Sale!
[For those who ran into problems ordering digital yesterday, the glitch is fixed. Technology is such a grinch!]
I’ve never jumped in on the Black Friday/Cyber Monday thing but this year, I think we all need to get our shopping done early, destress, just spend some good quality time in our studio spaces! So, I figured this sale could help with both gifts and encouraging studio time, depending on who you buy for!
All Packages on Sale 30%-50% OFF
- The Polymer Arts magazine – 23 issues: $119 ($230 value)
- The Polymer Studio magazine – 3 issues: $15.95 ($24 value)
- All Christi Friesen publications- 8 books: $84.95 ($122 value)
- Christi Friesen Project booklets – 5 pack: $39 ($58 value)
- Polymer Journeys 2016+2019: $32 ($47 value)
- The Polymer Arts – ALL 29 issues: $99 ($173 value)
- The Polymer Studio – 3 issues: $12.50 ($18 value)
- Polymer Journeys 2016+2019: $20.95 ($32 value)
PLUS 20% OFF
ALL non-sale Publications and Design tools in your Cart*
Single issue magazines, any books (print or digital), CMY Color Wheel, Grayscale, Composition Grid tool … all at a discount!
Use promo code 202020
*20% off not good on sale packages or club memberships. Discounts ends December 5th, 2020.
Compositional Bones
November 8, 2020
Design lessons, Inspirational Art, Supplies & other fun stuff
This glass vase by Robert Coby is broken up into a rough but simple composition of thirds.
Composition is really an intriguing design aspect. It is how everything comes together because it is the structure of it. It’s the bones upon which all your elements and principles are placed. It’s a functional concept and an all-encompassing one.
The structure of our compositions use a number of anchoring concepts, all rooted in design principles. We could learn the principles first but since they are less concrete than the elements you have been learning, I think an overview of the possible compositional structures will allow you to immediately see how the principles of design we’ll get into later can play out in a composition. But in order to talk composition I need to at least touch upon a few of the principles.
Last week, I started your compositional knowledge with a brief discussion of focal points. As we dig into new compositional concepts this week, remember that focal points will be either an element we are strongly drawn to, will have tremendous contrast, will be a place where elements converge, a place where an element is isolated, or will simply strike us as unusual. In other words, they stand out more than anything else when taking in the whole piece.
So, that was a first introduction to that principle. Here are a couple more.
Hierarchy
In your piece there will be elements that stand out more than others and ones that are barely noticed. The one that stands out the most, as you are sure to surmise, should be your focal point or points but after those, all the other pieces will likely be vying for attention in a visual hierarchy. That order creates a perceived perception of each element’s importance.
Rebecca Thickbroom’s necklace elements almost always take up separate spaces with little or no overlapping. It makes them feel presented, like they are part of a story. She is also fond of including negative space beween parts in her designs which, with jewelry, make the body or clothes of the wearer part of the overall landscape of the piece. There is also a definite hierarchy of elements. Where does your eye goes first? Where does it go after that? And after that? Do you see how this hierarchy moves your view around the piece so it feels full and cohesive?
You can determine what elements are more important than others by giving them more space, making them bigger, having them high contrast, setting them where line or shapes converge, giving them a lot of energy through color, marks, lines, etc.
Hierarchy, knowing which items are most important, is needed for most standard compositional arrangements as their placement can be successfully arranged based on them.
Space
When we talk about space, we talk about positive and negative space. Positive space is usually the action, the focal point, or an area of primary interest. The negative space is usually a background or an area where the viewer can rest from analyzing the more active areas. It’s also all the empty space around sculptural object.
Yes, these principles can get kind of complex that’s why I’m going to take these things one at a time after you get this overview.
Easy Peasy Composition- The Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds provides an easy but very pleasing way to lay out your elements. It is also pretty dynamic while easily remaining balanced. Let me explain.
Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid laid over the primary view of your work, like it is in the opening image of this post. If you look at your work in terms of this 9 box grid, you end up with several choice positions for focal points and breaking up the space.
For instance, the points near where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect are great places to set a focal point as well as secondary focal points.
The grid can also be used to break up the space. If you want two background textures, instead of just splitting the “canvas” of your piece in half, you can put the stronger texture on just one third, covering 3 squares of your grid. The second texture would have more space but if not as visual strong as the other, that extra space would balance against the visual draw of the stronger texture. Again, that gives you balance.
Classic Composition – The Golden Ratio
Like the Rule of Thirds, the Golden Ratio is a kind of grid but this time, it is based on the ratio of the body and other natural occurrences—it’s a matter of proportions.
A Golden Ratio grid for composition is made up of Fibonacci squares which are a visual representation of a mathematical sequence of the same name. If you skip the math, you can just create the grid starting with any sized square then start adding squares that are as wide as the widest side of the shape you have at that step. The first time, it’s just the same size square but after that, it keeps doubling in width.
The Fibonacci sequence and this Golden Ratio are the basis of the natural world’s primary compositional method. The most often referenced example is the nautilus shell. The interior pattern is a Golden Spiral. Its shape will curve from corner to corner in every square in the GR grid. That’s because the widening of its spiral is based on the Fibonacci sequence. Cool, right?
My Ice plant brooch fits nicely in a Golden Ratio grid. I didn’t do this consciously but having studied the Golden Ratio quite a bit, it is very intuitive for me. It won’t take long for it to be intuitive for you either once you’ve worked with it a bit and start to recognize and feel the graceful balance of its compositions.
You can find these proportions (approximately 1.68 to 1) everywhere—in the proportion of your limbs (your upper arm to the rest of your arm, your whole arm to your body, etc.), the arrangement of flower petals, the way tree branches grow and split, even in the double helix of DNA. In other words, it’s everywhere and so we find order and comfort in it, even if we don’t recognize it consciously.
In art, focal points that land on that first tiny square turns out to be one of the most pleasing compositions to the eye. The grid can be oriented in any direction, flipped upside down or whatever. If the focal point lands there, you are pretty, well, golden!
Keep in mind that these compositional grids and standards I’m introducing are not used precisely. They are loose guides.
So, now you have two orderly, well balanced compositional arrangements you can use as go-to ideas for composition. These work best on groupings of elements like you might have on a brooch or pendant, single contained elements that will be part of something larger like the focal bead/element of a necklace, the primary view of decorative objects, and, of course, for wall art. They are also fantastic compositional arrangements for those photos you need of your art!
Try these out next time you are laying out a design, sketching, or snapping pics of your pieces. Scroll down for apps and gadgets to help you find these compositions in your designs.
Changing the Composition of Our World
I was so going to just let this post slide without any commentary on the news here in the US but I just want to add whatever unifying voice I can out there but I ended up writing a whole article about it! Since this is so not about art, I am not posting this here, but if you are at all interested in our understanding each other, perhaps my words here can be a helpful start or an additional push. Go to my Facebook page here.
In other news, I do have Grayscale Value Finders back in stock for those of you who missed out on them last time. If you pop over to the Design Tool Supplies page, you might find another gadget, a compositional tool/ViewCatcher, available if it hasn’t sold out to the Art Boxer Club members yet.
Keep in mind that Art Boxer Members get a much more in depth article, exercises, and other articles on living an artistic life in the weekly mini-mag so if you like these posts, support this blog and your artistic endeavors by joining up here.
Why Size Matters
October 11, 2020
Design lessons, Inspirational Art, Supplies & other fun stuff
Fanni Sandor creates exquisitely small and biologically accurate creatures in polymer clay and mixed mediums. Her choice to go small is born of a fascination with minature art and we, likewise, are fascinated by the tiny masterpieces. See more on her Instagram page.
What size art do you work in? Have you even ever thought about that? Do you work small, big, or a nice moderate middle size?
I think many of us have a limited size range that we feel comfortable working in and rarely, if ever, venture outside that range. There’s nothing wrong with that but it does beg the question, do you think about what the appropriate size is when you create something?
As you might be guessing, if you’ve been reading my blog or design articles for any length of time, I’m about to point out that making the decision about the size of your work can help to fulfill your intention.
(Do you ever think, “If she says something about intention one more time…!” Well, I do hope it’s not annoying. It’s just that important!)
Size in art simply refers to how big or small something is. It is used in a variety of ways to emphasize, organize, assist in functionality, and symbolize the intention of the artist. A lot of the size choices made have to do with relativity – something can only be called small if something else is big and vice versa.
In design, this is actually a principal known as proportion and scale. Proportion is about the relative size between two or more objects or elements when they are grouped together or juxtaposed. Scale refers to how big or small something is compared to the general understanding of how a thing usually is or should be. For instance, we expect a chair to be sized for human beings to sit in and a teapot big enough to hold several cups of tea. Anything significantly larger or smaller than these expectations would be a change in scale.
Scale represents an interesting concept in that it makes note that we do have expectations about how big or small thing should be. That may sound like we have some kind of undue constraints placed upon those of us who create, but actually, scale gives us an opportunity to step outside those expectations and make a point.
As mentioned above, size can be used emphasize things. Making something bigger than expected usually draws attention, so if you created a beaded necklace with beads as big as golf balls, those are definitely beads that are bigger than normally expected.
The same concept of emphasis works with proportions. Let’s say that you only made one of those beads as big as a golf ball in the previously mentioned beaded necklace and the rest of the beads were of a more reasonable size. In that case, you would be drawing attention to the big bead as a focal point. Size allows you to direct the viewer’s eye and their impression of the work.
It may seem that bigger items will be more impressive or have a bigger impact but, honestly, very small artistic creations can be just as fascinating, sometimes more so due to the skill needed to create beauty in such a small space. I think you can see that in the opening image of this post. Small art requires the viewer to come close to it to really see the details, creating an intimacy between the viewer and the piece.
So, have you ever thought about these considerations for size when creating your work? Don’t worry if you haven’t. It’s not that uncommon for size to be determined in some arbitrary or organic manner. And I’m not saying that doing it that way is wrong, but you could be missing out on an opportunity to better express your intention if size was a conscious decision.
A Sizable Story
One of my high corset collars with stitched copper and polymer embellishments.
When I was a working artist, I often made decisions about size based on what I thought people would want. It wasn’t a particularly conscious choice, more of an aim not to make pieces too big. I was not trying to make statement jewelry, but rather something that could be comfortably worn all day, or so that was my train of thought.
I can’t say what got me to start thinking about size, but at some point, I started to ask myself why I was afraid to go big. So, I started to push myself, making big collar pieces that would sit as high as the jawline and come down to the collarbone. Some were a little crazy, some were so uncomfortable, but I still found so much joy in making all of them.
I found something freeing in pushing myself beyond what I thought my market would like. And, as it turned out, my market liked them big too. I sold every one that I put up for sale. They never came home with me after a show. So, what I discovered was that the sizes I had been working in were completely self-imposed without any supportable basis for my choices other than my own fear of not being able to make a sale.
Once I realized why I had been working in those smaller sizes, I was able to start making decisions based on what the work needed to be instead of what I thought the market might want. For example, if I was going to make an ornate piece with the intention that the wearer feel like a queen, I would probably decide that it should be big and bold, not small and delicate or demurely moderate, to better emphasize the feeling of nobility I wanted it to embody.
Georg Dinkel works large when he is trying to make a point about our reverence for technology, like with this iPhone docking station titled IReliquary.
What’s Your Size?
So why do you work in the sizes that you do?
Is it purely functionality or rooted in the idea of what people would expect the size to be?
Is it limited by the tools or forms you have on hand, or by the capability of the materials being used?
Do you let the size come about organically or unconsciously or do you make a conscious decision about size based on the impact or response you would like the viewer to have?
I truly don’t believe that there’s really a wrong way to determine the size of your work but, like any design element, you are only truly a master of it if you are aware of its possibilities and make conscious choices.
So maybe this week, think about the size of your artwork in terms of your intention. Look at pieces that you’ve made in the past and ask yourself how the look and message, if there was one, would have changed if the piece had been smaller or larger. And in the next few things that you design, ask yourself what size piece would best serve the artwork before letting your tools or expectations of scale determine it for you.
Goodies are About Gone
Support this blog and your creative endeavors … join the club!
If you didn’t see the newsletter yesterday, I shared the stock I have left for a few special items that were first offered to Art Boxer Club Members, but a couple things are sold out or nearly so already. These are limited items that I will periodically offer publicly, without the discounts or freebies club members get, when there is extra stock, so if you can’t join us in the club, keep your eye out for my newsletters and sign up here if you aren’t on that list for my next offering.
Getting first dibs as well as discounts and freebies is one of the advantages of being part of the Art Boxer clubs, along with the weekly mini-magazine pick me up you get in your email. (The Art Boxer Success club that includes coaching is also unavailable at this time as spots are full up but I do have a waiting list going – just write to me if interested.)
These limited supplies are available on this page if you are still interested.
All Quiet on this Western Front
I have little to report on the home front. I did go in in for a small surgery Thursday only to find out I’m going have to go back in six weeks or so from now to have it completed. Nothing is straightforward and simple this year, is it? So, just trying to make myself take it easy this weekend although I am just a horrible patient in that regard.
Next weekend, assuming nothing else weird happens, my better half and I are going to slip away for the weekend to test the camper van conversion we’ve been slowly working on. I do plan to put something for you together before I go so you should still be able to visit with me next Sunday.
In the meantime, all your hopes and plans, big or small, all go off as intended this week!
The Lure of Creative Spaces
How do you feel in the space in which you create? This has been on my mind quite a bit lately – not just the function of a space but how it feels and even how it represents us. I’ve decided to let that thought guide us into a slightly different type of blog this week.
As you might have read in the previous post or two, there are some changes going on at the homestead here where Tenth Muse Arts is based and we’re about to start tearing out walls and then, of course, rebuilding in that space. So, of course, my husband and I have been asking ourselves, “What do we want in this space?”. Well, we want a lot of things but there is a budget, and it is not particularly large, so we have been talking through what is most important to us. It has turned into a very interesting conversation, one that goes beyond paint colors and cabinet styles.
After addressing the functionality of the space we have to repair and rebuild – because of it doesn’t function nothing else is going to work out well – my husband and I followed the logical path and started talking about color, materials and placement. By the end of the conversation though, we were talking about emotion. It may be because we are both artists that we backed out to ask how we wanted it to feel followed by the details that would make the space fulfill that wish. This is the space we live in (and where I work as well) and we want the home to feel comfortable, like shrugging on a comfortable but well-tailored coat that hangs great and hugs you in all the right places.
With this on our minds, Brett walked into my studio the other day and simply said “This just feels good.” And I knew why he said that. This is what we are after. Not in the style or color scheme but the inviting, comfortable feeling of the space. I have to agree, my work space does feel good but it has not always been so. It’s taken me a long time to realize the importance of creating a space that is as comfortable as my favorite coat, arranging things not just to be functional but to feed my spirit as well.
Up until we moved here a couple of years ago, I had always worked on the business and created my art in a basement or a garage – some kind of windowless, very utilitarian space (the opening photo is a shot of my windowless basement studio in Colorado) – primarily because it was the only unclaimed living space available. Although I would try to decorate, it was never a priority so it mostly didn’t happen. However, those kinds of spaces could be very hard to work in as I usually worked every waking hour there and it would get depressing, not being able to see the outside world. It would make me restless and that wasn’t good for productivity. But what choice did I have?
As it turned out, I have a lot more choices than I allowed myself. My husband made me see that. He is an animation artist and director as well as being the son of antique dealers. Both his vocation and upbringing are in things that consider space, a lot. Telling a story in animation is very dependent on how the characters and the viewer’s eye moves through the space of the frame and antiques are about decorating and so he is always arranging and rearranging the house and coming home with things to bring in more personality.
Watching him made me think about my mostly utilitarian space and how little I did with it. So, with his help, I started bringing in plants to sit in the cold corners and printed fabrics to drape over the bookcases. We even pulled in an old oriental rug to go under my non-polymer desk area. It changed everything. This was when I was working in a garage (so yeah, the plants were fake or under a grow light but then, I had the look of sunlight in the corners!) When I got the wonderful space I now work in, I really took it up a notch and so now, yep, it just feels good!
Many of you are probably in situations where the space you create in may not ideal however, you can still make it your own and you can still make it feel good, inspiring, and a place that makes you happy. What that means is up to you and what is most important. You might want it very organized with matching furniture and color coordinated accents to make you feel good or you might like the freedom to make a mess on your thrift store tables and mismatched storage bins. You might prefer to stick with utilitarian but keep a collection of favorite things on a nearby shelf to inspire you.
The question really is, have you considered what you can do with, or to, your space to make it feel good (or better) to you? Because a comfortable space is far more conducive to being productive and creative than one that is cold, cramped, awkward, or just boring.
To that end, this week, I’d like to peek in on some studios.
The Grand Tour
To start us off I’m going to I pulled this out of an hour-long bonus video I gave to continuing subscribers from The Polymer Arts and adventurous new subscribers to The Polymer Studio magazine late last year. This is a jazzy visual tour of my studio and office space, complete with boppy background music, a peek into the backyard retreat just outside my door, and an introduction to my furry in-house staff.
You’ll see I’ve stuffed a lot into this one room and it’s two walk-in closet areas, but I’ve been sure to include touches of things that make me happy everywhere. From my collection of oddities on the mantle to the jars of random materials on my jewelry cabinet to the display of all my SLR cameras from over the decades, the space is very much me and is a joy to go into every day.
I personally have always been fascinated with the spaces people create in. They feel so personal, like a little window into the mind and soul of that person. So when I first started The Polymer Arts back in 2011, I knew I wanted to do an issue all about the spaces that we work in. I figured it would be of interest to others as well, not just for voyeuristic reasons, but because it could make us feel more connected. And I sure was right! The Spring 2012 – Creative Spaces issue sold out in print quicker than any other and is still one of the most downloaded of our digital back issues.
You can really see the personality of the artists that participated in that issue. For instance, it was no surprise to see that Christi Friesen’s space was full of knickknacks and collected bits of art and all kinds of books. She is a high energy person and with an insatiable curiosity so it makes sense that she should surround herself with things that she loves and that inspire her. You can see a bit of this in the first page from her section of that issue.
By the way, Christi is actually between studios right now, or you can say the whole world is her studio as she travels all over this year, searching for the answer to how one keeps creating while traveling. You can follow her shenanigans replete with mini classes and demos in her new members only Virtual Creative Experience here.
When the photos from Leanne and Paul Stoddard at Swirly Designs came in for that Spring 2012 issue, I was not surprised to see the orderliness and organization of their studio. The ornaments they create are designed with tremendous care with a focus on whimsy – and so is their space. Their studio looks like something put together for an interior design TV show with its coordinated color scheme complete with matching white furniture and energetic sparks of red tucked in here and there. Oh … and lots of Christmas trees, just everywhere!
Now, when I asked Bettina Welker to share her space, I was not sure what to expect. As it turned out, she was also working in a basement like I was at the time. The importance of functionality is obvious and there is not much room left for decor but she has a great wall of sketches, photos and and design ideas that she keeps up for inspiration. It actually inspired me at the time to create something similar for myself. It makes so much sense!
All these studio peeks are fun stuff, right? The popularity of that issue always stuck with me, so when I was determining the concept of the new magazine, I decided that the spaces that we work in should be a regular feature and that’s how the name, The Polymer Studio, came about. The next issue of The Polymer Studio, coming out in a few weeks, features Christine Dumont’s studio and the interesting journey she took to create the space she now works in. (We’ll be sending in the mailing list for the first round of the new issue to be mailed directly from the printer on Friday, so get your subscription or pre-order your copy now to be one of the first to get it in your hot little hands!)
So, what is your approach to how you set up or decorate your creative work space? Even if you can only snag the end of the dining room table after dinner, that corner should be conducive to productive creativity. Maybe you can keep some of your favorite pieces out where you can see them to be motivated by your successes. If you can, hang pictures or put out objects with colors, textures, and forms that excite you. Make your space as physically comfortable as you can and reconsider the placement of your tools and materials if getting to them is difficult or even just a minor hassle. Doing a little spring cleaning and reorganizing and reevaluating your space might be just the thing to add that extra spark of energy and excitement to your creative time and your work right now.
More Voyeuristic Opportunities
Here’s a few more links to other studio tours for you to peer in on. Even if you studio is just how you want it, peeking in is just fun.
In 2016, Katie Oskin of Kater’s Acres invited people into her studio with a personal tour video, seen below. You’ll notice that she also has a couch in her studio. I know mine feels like such a necessity now. Can you fit one into your space? Or do you have one already? (If you have one, leave a comment! I’d love to see how many of you also thought a cozy sitting (and nap!) space was needed.
Ginger Davis Allman takes you into her studio on this post of hers but it’s focused on her tools and materials more so than the physical space. But doesn’t that tell you a lot about what’s important to Ginger?
And here’s a post full of photos of Debbie Crother’s studio. You’ll read that she’s really big on recycled and environmentally friendly furniture and organizers. She also has a lovely, dedicated display of her work. But what strikes me is that she has sooo much space! Having a builder for a husband sure has it’s benefits!
Okay gang… I have to run off now. I need to finish putting together the next issue of The Polymer Studio (and finish clearing the kitchen for demolition!) If you have not subscribed to the magazine yet and have had any inclination to do so, I would so love for you to join me there. You subscription and book purchases support the creation of this blog and all the artists that we are working to support in turn, plus you get inspiration and tons of eye candy for yourself!
In the meantime, have fun considering what more you could do with your space to encourage your creativity and enjoyment of your time creating. If you’ve posted about your space anywhere we can go check out online, leave it in a comment here. We’d all love to come e-visit!
Square Benders
December 30, 2017
Inspirational Art, Supplies & other fun stuff
First of all my apologies … this post was supposed to go out Wednesday but it got hung up over here. So here’s a surprise weekend post for you!
Okay … so now that we have gotten through the bulk of the gift-buying days, it is time to treat ourselves and spend some of that Christmas money on our creative needs. Well, that is my thought anyhow. Although I could spend a day wandering around a big box store, I really prefer to buy from the little guys, from the people who really understand why we are so passionate about what we do.
The canes on this box were made using a “Cane Bender.” These are long acrylic rods, as you see in the center image, that you can use to quickly manipulate cane designs. I’m showing the square ones (called Square Benders, actually) but the original ones are round rods of varying diameters. The comments I read about these were mainly about how much time they save in reshaping simpler canes to create these complex kaleidoscope canes and other types of patterned canes. I rarely cane and I’m really intrigued!
These, along with other curious supplies are sold by Teresa Salgado and her partner Spike Malone through their Tiny Pandora Craft Boutique shop.
While you’re peeking in on the goodies over there, I’m going to go do some more poking around for other small shops and unique goodies!
Silkscreens for Days
December 29, 2017
Inspirational Art, Supplies & other fun stuff
Here is another great company whose products you’ll want to check out. The silkscreens seen here are from a new partner of ours, EZScreen. This mother-daughter business has been working with silkscreens for years but recently they have been researching the needs of the polymer community and now offer a line of great silkscreen designs—dozens and dozens of them—ready for you to snatch up. But what is unique about them is that the pre-made screens are not their primary product.
The central product for these ladies is actually a DIY silkscreen kit that allows you to make silkscreens of your own design or, if you prefer, they will make the screens for you, from artwork you send to them. Cool right? Now, that is my kind of thing! There is nothing like having your own signature patterns to work with because you absolutely know no one else is going to be popping up with those same patterns on their work.
I have not yet gone through the process of ordering these custom-made stencils or trying their kit but I’ll be ordering some when I get home to California next week. You can get started by going to their web page here for their DIY kits or here for the custom-made stencil information or this page for pre-made designs.
If you get our newsletter, you may already have seen the discount available there but if you missed it, just punch “PA15” into the promo code box in your cart. Go have fun! Keep in mind, they have a customer gallery on their webpage and there’s no polymer work there yet. Let’s get some up there!
Outside Inspiration: Nifty Magnetics
November 23, 2012
Inspirational Art, Supplies & other fun stuff
Ever wish there was a way you could turn a single sale into a sale of two pieces? Wish you had a few pieces that were versatile and clever enough to draw the attention of the more skeptical buyers as they look over your booth? Well, when I saw these two beaded magnetic bracelets below, so easily turned into an interesting neck piece I couldn’t help but imagine all the configurations (and extra sales) a polymer jewelry artist could come up with.
These beaded beauties were created by Hildegund llkerl of Austria. I did wonder at what looks to be plastic ends on these very expensive pieces ($440). But they sold. On the other hand, just think of what beautiful covered connections a clayer could come up with?
The magnetic clasps are a pretty familiar finding now a days but I do wonder that more people haven’t considered how to use them to expand a piece. You could make beaded bracelets that fit together as a necklace, necklaces that can be adjusted to be different lengths by removing a magnetically attached section or make a short necklace with matching earrings that are magnetically attached to earring wires or post but could be pulled to grow the length of the necklace. Or make interchangeable sections of different colors or patterns for a necklace or bracelet. My mind is just whirling. Isn’t yours?
Spicing it Up
November 3, 2012
Supplies & other fun stuff, Technique tutorials, Tips and Tricks
Would you call yourself a selfish person? I doubt very many of us would think that way about ourselves. Yet, as artists, we often find ourselves “stealing” time away from others or other things to do what we love, reveling in it when we have it. Is that selfish? I mean, it is more about us than anyone else, isn’t it?
Yes, it is about us, and that is as it should be. In the requested comments for last week’s giveaway (scroll down to see the winner and this week’s giveaway), participants mentioned some version of the “me time” aspect of getting to sit down and create more than anything else. I mean, I know we create because it is something we enjoy, regardless of what anyone else thinks, but I just love that so many people acknowledged and celebrated it. We should!
I strongly believe that everyone should have something of their own, something they can turn to in order to express themselves or at least put something out into the world that would not have existed without their desire to create it. The art we create gives us purpose, exercises a uniquely human part of our brains, and helps us to love ourselves. Not to mention that we deserve the joy we get from it!
But, by definition, that is selfish—doing something because it’s what we want. I wish our society would get over the idea that doing something for ourselves is bad. I think not doing things for yourself is self-negligence. Why is that not a commonly understood thing?
This also highlights the bigger, contradictory world that we inhabit. We live in such strange societies where selflessness and humility are expected or requested, and yet we are also pushed to strive for excellence in what we do. How do we reach excellence without focusing on ourselves? And then there is this silliness where we are not supposed to acknowledge when the work we do is good or that we’re proud of it. If we do, others may think we’re being arrogant or grandiose.
So, do we strive to be great and then pretend that we’re mediocre? We talk about contrast being good in art, but this is so not the right kind of contrast!
I’ve long found the dichotomy of these contradictory but societally prescribed behaviors beyond aggravating as well as having the potential to be debilitating. I think that is why it made me so happy to see so many people acknowledging their creative hours as me-time, self-care, and a time of wonderfully selfish joy. Keep it up, I say!
Now, let’s talk about the good kind of contrast in art.
Design Refresh
Let’s look at the beautiful brooch by Lyne Tilt that opened this post. What do you notice first about this? There’s a lot going on in this little space, isn’t there? What are the three things that jump out at you as far as design elements?
I’m going to say color, shape, and texture. Did you come up with the same three? There is also a lot going on with marks and size. So, any combination of those would be spot on.
How about design principles? What do you think is the number one principal used in this design? Sure, we could refer to scale and proportion considering all the different sizes of the layers, or we could talk about focal point or even just key in on the centered composition. But the one thing this has in spades is contrast.
Obviously, there is color contrast in all the major color characteristics—she has a vibrant trio of warm colors contrasting the cool of the blue and cyan; color values range from the dark blue and deep red to the moderate orange to the light yellow and pale polished silver; and, if you check your CMY color wheels, you’ll see that the color of the bottom layer is a blue-cyan whose complementary AND split complementaries are the yellow, orange, and red that you see in the upper layers.
But doesn’t a color palette have to have at least one common characteristic between all the colors? Well, ideally, yes, and this does. Here it’s saturation. These are not muted colors. The orange may be slightly tinted (has some white in it) but not enough to feel it’s gone off base from the saturated characteristic that ties them all together.
Now, look at the contrast in the textures. The top and bottom layers might have the same texture, but the rest are vastly different. There are even different materials—metal and clay. But they work together pretty well, don’t they? Why?
The textures work together in part because they are all drastically different—the wide variety is part of the charm of this piece. But, like color, they need something to tie them together.
Did you notice that the textures are applied to the entire layer from one edge to another? Thier differences are connected because the application on each layer is the same. That does seem to be enough to allow them to exist in the same piece and not have it feel completely chaotic.
The shapes, on the other hand, are not completely different but they are not the same either, right? They are all some version of a hand cut circle, but some of them are definitely more oval. I think pulling back on the amount of contrast between the shapes also helps to rein in the potential chaos all this dramatic contrast and color and texture could fall into. The centered composition also adds a bit of calm to the piece.
Let’s take this week to consider the design principle of contrast. Would your pieces benefit from more contrast, or do you need to rein some of that in? Remember, it all depends on your intention. There are no wrong levels of contrast, at least not in art.
Last Week’s Giveaway
Drum roll please…
This last week’s randomly chosen winner is Eloise B! I’ve spoken to her and her clay is already on the way. Congrats Eloise!
This Week’s Giveaway
Thank you to everyone who participated in last week’s giveaway through comments on the post. As mentioned above, it really made me happy to see all the fantastic, positive and self-caring observations. I also hope it gave you a moment to focus on and appreciate what you love so much about creating.
So, let’s do this again.
The Goodies:
- This week I have a selection of Sculpey clays in 2 new Soufflé colors, 3 new Premo colors, and 2 big 8 oz. blocks of clay stash basics—Sculpey III in Pearl and Silver. That’s 26 ounces of fresh clay along with a three-piece set of Sculpey silkscreens.
- Or if outside the US, I have a $25 Tenth Muse certificate, since it would be such a gamble to ship clay outside the US.
How to Win:
- Put a comment in the blog comments* (below), telling me what type of contrast you enjoy creating most in your own work, or the type of contrast you wish you used more of. And, yes, if you want to share pictures, you can do so by including a link. Just don’t put more than one link in or it may spam filter the comment.
- Note: It can take some time for the comment to appear if you’ve not commented before since, due to annoying spamming, I have to approve it .
- Giveaway winners will be chosen by random—it will NOT be based on your answers. I do hope you’ll give it some thought anyway. The answers could be helpful to you as well as interesting for the rest of us.
- And let’s say you can only win once this month so we can spread the love around.
- Get your comments posted by Wednesday March 17th at midnight Pacific time to get in for the raffle.
- I’ll announce the winner here on the blog next weekend!
I’ll put together yet another pack of goodies for a giveaway in next weekend’s post, so stay tuned here!
You can support this blog by buying yourself a little something at Tenth Muse Arts or, if you like…
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Ronna Sarvas Weltman‘s Talisman necklace leads us on a simple but effective journey, starting with the large white bead that sweeps our eyes across the width of the piece, then down the vertical bead set that is unlike the others strung below it, dropping us into the dense collection of side view beads and right back up to take another circuit around it.
As mentioned last week, choosing a composition has as much to do with your intention as any other choice you make. However, there is another consideration that, although it is still steered by intention, is usually about holding onto your viewer’s attention so you have time to communicate your ideas, stories, and/or aesthetics.
What I am talking about is commonly referred to as “leading the eye”. This is the path that the viewer’s eye will take around your work. A visual journey around your piece, especially if it allows the viewer to take in all the elements you’ve created, adds to a sense of cohesiveness and intention in that it helps all the elements feel purposeful as well as showing your mastery and control of your design
As mentioned, two weeks ago, you can use a hierarchy of focal points and interest to lead a viewer around the different areas of your piece. A viewer will usually take things in from what is perceived as the most important element to the least, giving you a controllable path to lead them through. You can also use lines and shapes to make more literal paths as we like to follow lines and edges of shapes to see where they go.
Knowing this, you can determine where the viewer will first look (your focal point) and then create a path they will take from there. Not only does this allow you to ensure that they take in all of your hard work but it can also help fulfill your intention.
For instance, you can lead them smoothly from one point to another on a curve, communicating calm and ease. You could, alternately, have them energetically hopping around from one section to another to build on the idea of enthusiasm, fun, joy, etc. Or you can quickly shoot them from one side to the other on a straight line which can convey determination, strength, and/or force.
I will be feeding these ideas into your eager little minds as we delve through the upcoming lessons on Principles of Design. The principles will not only help you communicate your intention but they can be manipulated to assist you in leading a viewer’s eye through your piece.
Pretty cool, right?
Also … HUGE (nearly) EVERYTHING Sale!
[For those who ran into problems ordering digital yesterday, the glitch is fixed. Technology is such a grinch!]
I’ve never jumped in on the Black Friday/Cyber Monday thing but this year, I think we all need to get our shopping done early, destress, just spend some good quality time in our studio spaces! So, I figured this sale could help with both gifts and encouraging studio time, depending on who you buy for!
All Packages on Sale 30%-50% OFF
- The Polymer Arts magazine – 23 issues: $119 ($230 value)
- The Polymer Studio magazine – 3 issues: $15.95 ($24 value)
- All Christi Friesen publications- 8 books: $84.95 ($122 value)
- Christi Friesen Project booklets – 5 pack: $39 ($58 value)
- Polymer Journeys 2016+2019: $32 ($47 value)
- The Polymer Arts – ALL 29 issues: $99 ($173 value)
- The Polymer Studio – 3 issues: $12.50 ($18 value)
- Polymer Journeys 2016+2019: $20.95 ($32 value)
PLUS 20% OFF
ALL non-sale Publications and Design tools in your Cart*
Single issue magazines, any books (print or digital), CMY Color Wheel, Grayscale, Composition Grid tool … all at a discount!
Use promo code 202020
*20% off not good on sale packages or club memberships. Discounts ends December 5th, 2020.
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This glass vase by Robert Coby is broken up into a rough but simple composition of thirds.
Composition is really an intriguing design aspect. It is how everything comes together because it is the structure of it. It’s the bones upon which all your elements and principles are placed. It’s a functional concept and an all-encompassing one.
The structure of our compositions use a number of anchoring concepts, all rooted in design principles. We could learn the principles first but since they are less concrete than the elements you have been learning, I think an overview of the possible compositional structures will allow you to immediately see how the principles of design we’ll get into later can play out in a composition. But in order to talk composition I need to at least touch upon a few of the principles.
Last week, I started your compositional knowledge with a brief discussion of focal points. As we dig into new compositional concepts this week, remember that focal points will be either an element we are strongly drawn to, will have tremendous contrast, will be a place where elements converge, a place where an element is isolated, or will simply strike us as unusual. In other words, they stand out more than anything else when taking in the whole piece.
So, that was a first introduction to that principle. Here are a couple more.
Hierarchy
In your piece there will be elements that stand out more than others and ones that are barely noticed. The one that stands out the most, as you are sure to surmise, should be your focal point or points but after those, all the other pieces will likely be vying for attention in a visual hierarchy. That order creates a perceived perception of each element’s importance.
Rebecca Thickbroom’s necklace elements almost always take up separate spaces with little or no overlapping. It makes them feel presented, like they are part of a story. She is also fond of including negative space beween parts in her designs which, with jewelry, make the body or clothes of the wearer part of the overall landscape of the piece. There is also a definite hierarchy of elements. Where does your eye goes first? Where does it go after that? And after that? Do you see how this hierarchy moves your view around the piece so it feels full and cohesive?
You can determine what elements are more important than others by giving them more space, making them bigger, having them high contrast, setting them where line or shapes converge, giving them a lot of energy through color, marks, lines, etc.
Hierarchy, knowing which items are most important, is needed for most standard compositional arrangements as their placement can be successfully arranged based on them.
Space
When we talk about space, we talk about positive and negative space. Positive space is usually the action, the focal point, or an area of primary interest. The negative space is usually a background or an area where the viewer can rest from analyzing the more active areas. It’s also all the empty space around sculptural object.
Yes, these principles can get kind of complex that’s why I’m going to take these things one at a time after you get this overview.
Easy Peasy Composition- The Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds provides an easy but very pleasing way to lay out your elements. It is also pretty dynamic while easily remaining balanced. Let me explain.
Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid laid over the primary view of your work, like it is in the opening image of this post. If you look at your work in terms of this 9 box grid, you end up with several choice positions for focal points and breaking up the space.
For instance, the points near where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect are great places to set a focal point as well as secondary focal points.
The grid can also be used to break up the space. If you want two background textures, instead of just splitting the “canvas” of your piece in half, you can put the stronger texture on just one third, covering 3 squares of your grid. The second texture would have more space but if not as visual strong as the other, that extra space would balance against the visual draw of the stronger texture. Again, that gives you balance.
Classic Composition – The Golden Ratio
Like the Rule of Thirds, the Golden Ratio is a kind of grid but this time, it is based on the ratio of the body and other natural occurrences—it’s a matter of proportions.
A Golden Ratio grid for composition is made up of Fibonacci squares which are a visual representation of a mathematical sequence of the same name. If you skip the math, you can just create the grid starting with any sized square then start adding squares that are as wide as the widest side of the shape you have at that step. The first time, it’s just the same size square but after that, it keeps doubling in width.
The Fibonacci sequence and this Golden Ratio are the basis of the natural world’s primary compositional method. The most often referenced example is the nautilus shell. The interior pattern is a Golden Spiral. Its shape will curve from corner to corner in every square in the GR grid. That’s because the widening of its spiral is based on the Fibonacci sequence. Cool, right?
My Ice plant brooch fits nicely in a Golden Ratio grid. I didn’t do this consciously but having studied the Golden Ratio quite a bit, it is very intuitive for me. It won’t take long for it to be intuitive for you either once you’ve worked with it a bit and start to recognize and feel the graceful balance of its compositions.
You can find these proportions (approximately 1.68 to 1) everywhere—in the proportion of your limbs (your upper arm to the rest of your arm, your whole arm to your body, etc.), the arrangement of flower petals, the way tree branches grow and split, even in the double helix of DNA. In other words, it’s everywhere and so we find order and comfort in it, even if we don’t recognize it consciously.
In art, focal points that land on that first tiny square turns out to be one of the most pleasing compositions to the eye. The grid can be oriented in any direction, flipped upside down or whatever. If the focal point lands there, you are pretty, well, golden!
Keep in mind that these compositional grids and standards I’m introducing are not used precisely. They are loose guides.
So, now you have two orderly, well balanced compositional arrangements you can use as go-to ideas for composition. These work best on groupings of elements like you might have on a brooch or pendant, single contained elements that will be part of something larger like the focal bead/element of a necklace, the primary view of decorative objects, and, of course, for wall art. They are also fantastic compositional arrangements for those photos you need of your art!
Try these out next time you are laying out a design, sketching, or snapping pics of your pieces. Scroll down for apps and gadgets to help you find these compositions in your designs.
Changing the Composition of Our World
I was so going to just let this post slide without any commentary on the news here in the US but I just want to add whatever unifying voice I can out there but I ended up writing a whole article about it! Since this is so not about art, I am not posting this here, but if you are at all interested in our understanding each other, perhaps my words here can be a helpful start or an additional push. Go to my Facebook page here.
In other news, I do have Grayscale Value Finders back in stock for those of you who missed out on them last time. If you pop over to the Design Tool Supplies page, you might find another gadget, a compositional tool/ViewCatcher, available if it hasn’t sold out to the Art Boxer Club members yet.
Keep in mind that Art Boxer Members get a much more in depth article, exercises, and other articles on living an artistic life in the weekly mini-mag so if you like these posts, support this blog and your artistic endeavors by joining up here.
Read MoreFanni Sandor creates exquisitely small and biologically accurate creatures in polymer clay and mixed mediums. Her choice to go small is born of a fascination with minature art and we, likewise, are fascinated by the tiny masterpieces. See more on her Instagram page.
What size art do you work in? Have you even ever thought about that? Do you work small, big, or a nice moderate middle size?
I think many of us have a limited size range that we feel comfortable working in and rarely, if ever, venture outside that range. There’s nothing wrong with that but it does beg the question, do you think about what the appropriate size is when you create something?
As you might be guessing, if you’ve been reading my blog or design articles for any length of time, I’m about to point out that making the decision about the size of your work can help to fulfill your intention.
(Do you ever think, “If she says something about intention one more time…!” Well, I do hope it’s not annoying. It’s just that important!)
Size in art simply refers to how big or small something is. It is used in a variety of ways to emphasize, organize, assist in functionality, and symbolize the intention of the artist. A lot of the size choices made have to do with relativity – something can only be called small if something else is big and vice versa.
In design, this is actually a principal known as proportion and scale. Proportion is about the relative size between two or more objects or elements when they are grouped together or juxtaposed. Scale refers to how big or small something is compared to the general understanding of how a thing usually is or should be. For instance, we expect a chair to be sized for human beings to sit in and a teapot big enough to hold several cups of tea. Anything significantly larger or smaller than these expectations would be a change in scale.
Scale represents an interesting concept in that it makes note that we do have expectations about how big or small thing should be. That may sound like we have some kind of undue constraints placed upon those of us who create, but actually, scale gives us an opportunity to step outside those expectations and make a point.
As mentioned above, size can be used emphasize things. Making something bigger than expected usually draws attention, so if you created a beaded necklace with beads as big as golf balls, those are definitely beads that are bigger than normally expected.
The same concept of emphasis works with proportions. Let’s say that you only made one of those beads as big as a golf ball in the previously mentioned beaded necklace and the rest of the beads were of a more reasonable size. In that case, you would be drawing attention to the big bead as a focal point. Size allows you to direct the viewer’s eye and their impression of the work.
It may seem that bigger items will be more impressive or have a bigger impact but, honestly, very small artistic creations can be just as fascinating, sometimes more so due to the skill needed to create beauty in such a small space. I think you can see that in the opening image of this post. Small art requires the viewer to come close to it to really see the details, creating an intimacy between the viewer and the piece.
So, have you ever thought about these considerations for size when creating your work? Don’t worry if you haven’t. It’s not that uncommon for size to be determined in some arbitrary or organic manner. And I’m not saying that doing it that way is wrong, but you could be missing out on an opportunity to better express your intention if size was a conscious decision.
A Sizable Story
One of my high corset collars with stitched copper and polymer embellishments.
When I was a working artist, I often made decisions about size based on what I thought people would want. It wasn’t a particularly conscious choice, more of an aim not to make pieces too big. I was not trying to make statement jewelry, but rather something that could be comfortably worn all day, or so that was my train of thought.
I can’t say what got me to start thinking about size, but at some point, I started to ask myself why I was afraid to go big. So, I started to push myself, making big collar pieces that would sit as high as the jawline and come down to the collarbone. Some were a little crazy, some were so uncomfortable, but I still found so much joy in making all of them.
I found something freeing in pushing myself beyond what I thought my market would like. And, as it turned out, my market liked them big too. I sold every one that I put up for sale. They never came home with me after a show. So, what I discovered was that the sizes I had been working in were completely self-imposed without any supportable basis for my choices other than my own fear of not being able to make a sale.
Once I realized why I had been working in those smaller sizes, I was able to start making decisions based on what the work needed to be instead of what I thought the market might want. For example, if I was going to make an ornate piece with the intention that the wearer feel like a queen, I would probably decide that it should be big and bold, not small and delicate or demurely moderate, to better emphasize the feeling of nobility I wanted it to embody.
Georg Dinkel works large when he is trying to make a point about our reverence for technology, like with this iPhone docking station titled IReliquary.
What’s Your Size?
So why do you work in the sizes that you do?
Is it purely functionality or rooted in the idea of what people would expect the size to be?
Is it limited by the tools or forms you have on hand, or by the capability of the materials being used?
Do you let the size come about organically or unconsciously or do you make a conscious decision about size based on the impact or response you would like the viewer to have?
I truly don’t believe that there’s really a wrong way to determine the size of your work but, like any design element, you are only truly a master of it if you are aware of its possibilities and make conscious choices.
So maybe this week, think about the size of your artwork in terms of your intention. Look at pieces that you’ve made in the past and ask yourself how the look and message, if there was one, would have changed if the piece had been smaller or larger. And in the next few things that you design, ask yourself what size piece would best serve the artwork before letting your tools or expectations of scale determine it for you.
Goodies are About Gone
Support this blog and your creative endeavors … join the club!
If you didn’t see the newsletter yesterday, I shared the stock I have left for a few special items that were first offered to Art Boxer Club Members, but a couple things are sold out or nearly so already. These are limited items that I will periodically offer publicly, without the discounts or freebies club members get, when there is extra stock, so if you can’t join us in the club, keep your eye out for my newsletters and sign up here if you aren’t on that list for my next offering.
Getting first dibs as well as discounts and freebies is one of the advantages of being part of the Art Boxer clubs, along with the weekly mini-magazine pick me up you get in your email. (The Art Boxer Success club that includes coaching is also unavailable at this time as spots are full up but I do have a waiting list going – just write to me if interested.)
These limited supplies are available on this page if you are still interested.
All Quiet on this Western Front
I have little to report on the home front. I did go in in for a small surgery Thursday only to find out I’m going have to go back in six weeks or so from now to have it completed. Nothing is straightforward and simple this year, is it? So, just trying to make myself take it easy this weekend although I am just a horrible patient in that regard.
Next weekend, assuming nothing else weird happens, my better half and I are going to slip away for the weekend to test the camper van conversion we’ve been slowly working on. I do plan to put something for you together before I go so you should still be able to visit with me next Sunday.
In the meantime, all your hopes and plans, big or small, all go off as intended this week!
Read MoreHow do you feel in the space in which you create? This has been on my mind quite a bit lately – not just the function of a space but how it feels and even how it represents us. I’ve decided to let that thought guide us into a slightly different type of blog this week.
As you might have read in the previous post or two, there are some changes going on at the homestead here where Tenth Muse Arts is based and we’re about to start tearing out walls and then, of course, rebuilding in that space. So, of course, my husband and I have been asking ourselves, “What do we want in this space?”. Well, we want a lot of things but there is a budget, and it is not particularly large, so we have been talking through what is most important to us. It has turned into a very interesting conversation, one that goes beyond paint colors and cabinet styles.
After addressing the functionality of the space we have to repair and rebuild – because of it doesn’t function nothing else is going to work out well – my husband and I followed the logical path and started talking about color, materials and placement. By the end of the conversation though, we were talking about emotion. It may be because we are both artists that we backed out to ask how we wanted it to feel followed by the details that would make the space fulfill that wish. This is the space we live in (and where I work as well) and we want the home to feel comfortable, like shrugging on a comfortable but well-tailored coat that hangs great and hugs you in all the right places.
With this on our minds, Brett walked into my studio the other day and simply said “This just feels good.” And I knew why he said that. This is what we are after. Not in the style or color scheme but the inviting, comfortable feeling of the space. I have to agree, my work space does feel good but it has not always been so. It’s taken me a long time to realize the importance of creating a space that is as comfortable as my favorite coat, arranging things not just to be functional but to feed my spirit as well.
Up until we moved here a couple of years ago, I had always worked on the business and created my art in a basement or a garage – some kind of windowless, very utilitarian space (the opening photo is a shot of my windowless basement studio in Colorado) – primarily because it was the only unclaimed living space available. Although I would try to decorate, it was never a priority so it mostly didn’t happen. However, those kinds of spaces could be very hard to work in as I usually worked every waking hour there and it would get depressing, not being able to see the outside world. It would make me restless and that wasn’t good for productivity. But what choice did I have?
As it turned out, I have a lot more choices than I allowed myself. My husband made me see that. He is an animation artist and director as well as being the son of antique dealers. Both his vocation and upbringing are in things that consider space, a lot. Telling a story in animation is very dependent on how the characters and the viewer’s eye moves through the space of the frame and antiques are about decorating and so he is always arranging and rearranging the house and coming home with things to bring in more personality.
Watching him made me think about my mostly utilitarian space and how little I did with it. So, with his help, I started bringing in plants to sit in the cold corners and printed fabrics to drape over the bookcases. We even pulled in an old oriental rug to go under my non-polymer desk area. It changed everything. This was when I was working in a garage (so yeah, the plants were fake or under a grow light but then, I had the look of sunlight in the corners!) When I got the wonderful space I now work in, I really took it up a notch and so now, yep, it just feels good!
Many of you are probably in situations where the space you create in may not ideal however, you can still make it your own and you can still make it feel good, inspiring, and a place that makes you happy. What that means is up to you and what is most important. You might want it very organized with matching furniture and color coordinated accents to make you feel good or you might like the freedom to make a mess on your thrift store tables and mismatched storage bins. You might prefer to stick with utilitarian but keep a collection of favorite things on a nearby shelf to inspire you.
The question really is, have you considered what you can do with, or to, your space to make it feel good (or better) to you? Because a comfortable space is far more conducive to being productive and creative than one that is cold, cramped, awkward, or just boring.
To that end, this week, I’d like to peek in on some studios.
The Grand Tour
To start us off I’m going to I pulled this out of an hour-long bonus video I gave to continuing subscribers from The Polymer Arts and adventurous new subscribers to The Polymer Studio magazine late last year. This is a jazzy visual tour of my studio and office space, complete with boppy background music, a peek into the backyard retreat just outside my door, and an introduction to my furry in-house staff.
You’ll see I’ve stuffed a lot into this one room and it’s two walk-in closet areas, but I’ve been sure to include touches of things that make me happy everywhere. From my collection of oddities on the mantle to the jars of random materials on my jewelry cabinet to the display of all my SLR cameras from over the decades, the space is very much me and is a joy to go into every day.
I personally have always been fascinated with the spaces people create in. They feel so personal, like a little window into the mind and soul of that person. So when I first started The Polymer Arts back in 2011, I knew I wanted to do an issue all about the spaces that we work in. I figured it would be of interest to others as well, not just for voyeuristic reasons, but because it could make us feel more connected. And I sure was right! The Spring 2012 – Creative Spaces issue sold out in print quicker than any other and is still one of the most downloaded of our digital back issues.
You can really see the personality of the artists that participated in that issue. For instance, it was no surprise to see that Christi Friesen’s space was full of knickknacks and collected bits of art and all kinds of books. She is a high energy person and with an insatiable curiosity so it makes sense that she should surround herself with things that she loves and that inspire her. You can see a bit of this in the first page from her section of that issue.
By the way, Christi is actually between studios right now, or you can say the whole world is her studio as she travels all over this year, searching for the answer to how one keeps creating while traveling. You can follow her shenanigans replete with mini classes and demos in her new members only Virtual Creative Experience here.
When the photos from Leanne and Paul Stoddard at Swirly Designs came in for that Spring 2012 issue, I was not surprised to see the orderliness and organization of their studio. The ornaments they create are designed with tremendous care with a focus on whimsy – and so is their space. Their studio looks like something put together for an interior design TV show with its coordinated color scheme complete with matching white furniture and energetic sparks of red tucked in here and there. Oh … and lots of Christmas trees, just everywhere!
Now, when I asked Bettina Welker to share her space, I was not sure what to expect. As it turned out, she was also working in a basement like I was at the time. The importance of functionality is obvious and there is not much room left for decor but she has a great wall of sketches, photos and and design ideas that she keeps up for inspiration. It actually inspired me at the time to create something similar for myself. It makes so much sense!
All these studio peeks are fun stuff, right? The popularity of that issue always stuck with me, so when I was determining the concept of the new magazine, I decided that the spaces that we work in should be a regular feature and that’s how the name, The Polymer Studio, came about. The next issue of The Polymer Studio, coming out in a few weeks, features Christine Dumont’s studio and the interesting journey she took to create the space she now works in. (We’ll be sending in the mailing list for the first round of the new issue to be mailed directly from the printer on Friday, so get your subscription or pre-order your copy now to be one of the first to get it in your hot little hands!)
So, what is your approach to how you set up or decorate your creative work space? Even if you can only snag the end of the dining room table after dinner, that corner should be conducive to productive creativity. Maybe you can keep some of your favorite pieces out where you can see them to be motivated by your successes. If you can, hang pictures or put out objects with colors, textures, and forms that excite you. Make your space as physically comfortable as you can and reconsider the placement of your tools and materials if getting to them is difficult or even just a minor hassle. Doing a little spring cleaning and reorganizing and reevaluating your space might be just the thing to add that extra spark of energy and excitement to your creative time and your work right now.
More Voyeuristic Opportunities
Here’s a few more links to other studio tours for you to peer in on. Even if you studio is just how you want it, peeking in is just fun.
In 2016, Katie Oskin of Kater’s Acres invited people into her studio with a personal tour video, seen below. You’ll notice that she also has a couch in her studio. I know mine feels like such a necessity now. Can you fit one into your space? Or do you have one already? (If you have one, leave a comment! I’d love to see how many of you also thought a cozy sitting (and nap!) space was needed.
Ginger Davis Allman takes you into her studio on this post of hers but it’s focused on her tools and materials more so than the physical space. But doesn’t that tell you a lot about what’s important to Ginger?
And here’s a post full of photos of Debbie Crother’s studio. You’ll read that she’s really big on recycled and environmentally friendly furniture and organizers. She also has a lovely, dedicated display of her work. But what strikes me is that she has sooo much space! Having a builder for a husband sure has it’s benefits!
Okay gang… I have to run off now. I need to finish putting together the next issue of The Polymer Studio (and finish clearing the kitchen for demolition!) If you have not subscribed to the magazine yet and have had any inclination to do so, I would so love for you to join me there. You subscription and book purchases support the creation of this blog and all the artists that we are working to support in turn, plus you get inspiration and tons of eye candy for yourself!
In the meantime, have fun considering what more you could do with your space to encourage your creativity and enjoyment of your time creating. If you’ve posted about your space anywhere we can go check out online, leave it in a comment here. We’d all love to come e-visit!
Read MoreFirst of all my apologies … this post was supposed to go out Wednesday but it got hung up over here. So here’s a surprise weekend post for you!
Okay … so now that we have gotten through the bulk of the gift-buying days, it is time to treat ourselves and spend some of that Christmas money on our creative needs. Well, that is my thought anyhow. Although I could spend a day wandering around a big box store, I really prefer to buy from the little guys, from the people who really understand why we are so passionate about what we do.
The canes on this box were made using a “Cane Bender.” These are long acrylic rods, as you see in the center image, that you can use to quickly manipulate cane designs. I’m showing the square ones (called Square Benders, actually) but the original ones are round rods of varying diameters. The comments I read about these were mainly about how much time they save in reshaping simpler canes to create these complex kaleidoscope canes and other types of patterned canes. I rarely cane and I’m really intrigued!
These, along with other curious supplies are sold by Teresa Salgado and her partner Spike Malone through their Tiny Pandora Craft Boutique shop.
While you’re peeking in on the goodies over there, I’m going to go do some more poking around for other small shops and unique goodies!
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Here is another great company whose products you’ll want to check out. The silkscreens seen here are from a new partner of ours, EZScreen. This mother-daughter business has been working with silkscreens for years but recently they have been researching the needs of the polymer community and now offer a line of great silkscreen designs—dozens and dozens of them—ready for you to snatch up. But what is unique about them is that the pre-made screens are not their primary product.
The central product for these ladies is actually a DIY silkscreen kit that allows you to make silkscreens of your own design or, if you prefer, they will make the screens for you, from artwork you send to them. Cool right? Now, that is my kind of thing! There is nothing like having your own signature patterns to work with because you absolutely know no one else is going to be popping up with those same patterns on their work.
I have not yet gone through the process of ordering these custom-made stencils or trying their kit but I’ll be ordering some when I get home to California next week. You can get started by going to their web page here for their DIY kits or here for the custom-made stencil information or this page for pre-made designs.
If you get our newsletter, you may already have seen the discount available there but if you missed it, just punch “PA15” into the promo code box in your cart. Go have fun! Keep in mind, they have a customer gallery on their webpage and there’s no polymer work there yet. Let’s get some up there!
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Ever wish there was a way you could turn a single sale into a sale of two pieces? Wish you had a few pieces that were versatile and clever enough to draw the attention of the more skeptical buyers as they look over your booth? Well, when I saw these two beaded magnetic bracelets below, so easily turned into an interesting neck piece I couldn’t help but imagine all the configurations (and extra sales) a polymer jewelry artist could come up with.
These beaded beauties were created by Hildegund llkerl of Austria. I did wonder at what looks to be plastic ends on these very expensive pieces ($440). But they sold. On the other hand, just think of what beautiful covered connections a clayer could come up with?
The magnetic clasps are a pretty familiar finding now a days but I do wonder that more people haven’t considered how to use them to expand a piece. You could make beaded bracelets that fit together as a necklace, necklaces that can be adjusted to be different lengths by removing a magnetically attached section or make a short necklace with matching earrings that are magnetically attached to earring wires or post but could be pulled to grow the length of the necklace. Or make interchangeable sections of different colors or patterns for a necklace or bracelet. My mind is just whirling. Isn’t yours?
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