Mixed Medium Mandala

So, business first … the Fall issue of The Polymer Arts came out yesterday, September 7th, and already there is all kinds of cheering online about it and many, many comments in my inbox, all overwhelmingly positive so far. I’m so glad people are already enjoying it so much–I absolutely loved putting this one together as the idea of simplicity in design is something I have always been fascinated with and serenity is something I am always hoping for more of! And I know I am not alone on either point.

If you ordered a print copy or subscription before the 6th, your issue is on the way.  We’ll be shipping again over the weekend too. If you were due a digital copy but did not see it in your inbox, check your spam/junk mail folder, and if it’s not there, write us at connect ( at ) thepolymerarts.com. If you are wondering about the status of your subscription, you can go to our brand spanking new Subscriber’s Account page logging in with your email (if you paid with PayPal, it may be the email PayPal has on record) and your password or use the ‘Forgot password’ link to set one up. On this new service, you can check the status of your subscription, change your address, see your order history and get links to your digital issues for subscription purchases from this year on. Pretty neat stuff.

Now onto this great piece you see here. It is one more example of an atypical but wholly legitimate mandala based creation. The basic concept behind mandalas may be symmetry but what you end up with doesn’t have to be symmetrical or with obvious radiating lines or sections. The point of creating a mandala is to let go so if the process leads you to something different from what you or someone else might think of as a mandala, so be it. It’s much more about the process than the outcome. But what an outcome it can be!

This piece, Orbits, was created by Susan Crocenzi and is primarily tempered glass with a polymer clay tile centered on it and bits and bobs and images scattered here and there. I just love the colors and the playfulness in this combination of elements. For those of you with a penchant for mixing mediums, this will give you a good idea of just how far you can go with other materials, alone or combined with polymer, when creating mandalas or just any intuitive craft work.

Susan has more mandala like pieces and more polymer heavy work to be found on her colorful website.

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Let another medium inspire your polymer. Whether you plan on doing a mandala or simply want to play, pull out some other mediums or found objects and put them on the work space with your polymer. You don’t have to use them if it doesn’t feel right but just contemplating the idea may move your clay play into areas you didn’t expect.

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