The Party is in Full Swing. Come join us!
May 31, 2023
Polymer community news, The Polymer Arts magazine news
What party is this? The latest project from little ol’ me, Sage. The Sage Arts podcast is more than up and running… I have 25 episodes up as of this posting, ready on your favorite podcast player (New to Podcasts? Click here to find out how easy it is to enjoy them!) and a new one coming out every week.
What’s This Podcast All About?
This podcast is all about feeding and exciting your muse. By enlightening or reminding you about important and maybe unconsidered aspects of creating and living as an artist, I hope to help you find more joy and satisfaction in what you do, sharing ways to create with authenticity and fearlessness, while supporting your uniquely defined version of success.
Now what the heck does that all mean? Well, let’s look at what this is and what this is not…
It IS…
… a way to consistently feed your muse
… all about you. Myself, my guests, and my guest co-hosts speak to the issues, curiousity, and hurdles that you as a creative deal with on a regular basis.
… focused on creating a more fulfilling, joyful, and meaningful artistic journey.
… a conversation that goes both ways with lots of opportunities for you to be heard.
It is NOT…
… all about polymer clay or any one medium, as it’s important stuff for all artistic folks.
… focused on “how-to” or the latest tools and materials.
… just interviewing successful artists and talking at you. Rather it is like a coffee house chat or other friendly gather and I include you, the listener, in every way I can.
I created this podcast to supercharge your creativity, motivation, and artistic style through novelty, story, conversation, and community. Everyone has how-tos and ways to increase your sales – valiant and necessary stuff, of course! But what does your muse need? What does your work and your love of your art need to thrive? That’s where I want to help.
I aim to give artists ways to further hone their unique voice, increase their joy and productivity, and create a version of artistic success that is meaningful, satisfying, and anything but ordinary.
Come Join the Conversation
If you have something to share, would like to be a guest (for a chatty interview), or be a guest co-host (you and I banter on a particular subject) drop me an email me via my contact page on the show website: https://thesagearts.com/contact/ or send a voice mail (use the red button on that same site, bottom right corner of any page.)
And join me on social media!
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thesageartspodcast/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheSageArtsPodcast
And don’t forget to click “FOLLOW” or that little arrow on your favorite Podcast player so you get notices of new episodes. New Episodes come out weekly on Friday evenings, barring natural disasters or other bits of interference, of course. I hope you’ll join me there, on The Sage Arts podcast!
There are new artists and creatives joining every day with tons of great things to say…
“Just what I needed!”
“I just binged-listened … and I can’t wait for more!”
“There is so much validity in your presentation…”
“Looking forward to all the thinking and creating that they prompt.”
Taste test on my RSS website: https://rss.com/podcasts/thesagearts/
Or on the podcast home website: https://thesagearts.com/
Or start with this episode:
Inspired Pins–Portugal
May 5, 2014
Inspirational Art, Polymer community news
So you saw Dan’s pin that started this different version of the inspiration centered project on my previous blog (see it here.) Now he has sent me three of the resulting pins to share with you until he is back and can get the whole project up on their own website and Facebook pages.
The first is from Cristina Almeida who lives in Lisbon, Portugal. Can you see what she pulled from Dan’s work to create her own personal version?
Go back and look at Dan’s pin and see where they connect. Then take a gander at more of Christina’s work to better understand where her style and aesthetics meet and what she drew from Dan’s work on her Flickr page and blog site.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
The Broken Internet Project
May 3, 2014
Inspirational Art, Polymer community news
No, this post is not a rant about the vagaries of the world-wide web, problematic wifi connections, or website issues but rather, of all things, polymer art! If you recall from Synergy last year or from the blog posts or article about it, there was a rather groundbreaking experiment known as The Broken Telephone Project conceived and directed by Dan Cormier. He sent a pin he created to an artist who created a pin inspired by his who then sent their inspired pin onto another artist who then did the same thing until 8 pins were created based on another artist’s work.
It was such a successful and insightful experience, that Dan decided to expand on the project for this year’s EuroSynergy. He made it a primarily European project, enlisting artists from the UK to Russia but instead of the artist sending pins onto the next person, he sent them all a pin he had made and each of them created a wonderfully different piece from that same inspiration. These artists didn’t know that they were all working off just Dan’s pin so it was a bit of a surprise as he presented the final pins in today’s presentation in Malta. Here is the pin that started what Dan is calling a radial project.
Are you curious to see what the other pins look like? Well, I am trying to get Dan’s okay to publish more than just his pin but I haven’t gotten my permission list yet. I’ll be running down to the final gala dinner and see what else we can share in the coming days. Perhaps next week we’ll have a lot of very, very new art in the form of pins to share with you. Let’s see what I can sweet talk him into, just for you, my dear readers.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
From Czech with Love
May 2, 2014
Inspirational Art, Polymer community news
I have been taking a lot of shots of the art being worn by the attendees, or as we keep noting here, of people’s chests because between pins and necklaces; that is where most of the jewelry is so what choice do we have, right? It has made for some funny moments. I had a great time with a trio of gals from the Czech Republic during one of our breaks. We couldn’t stop laughing as I tried to photograph their jewelry. I was trying to compare the work and they were standing next to each other comparing, well, other things that were ending up in the shot. They were so fun.
Martina Malaskova
Pavla Čepelíková
Dana Phamova
My grandmother was from Czechoslovakia and I had learned a few words in the language when I was a child so I do have a soft spot for people from that part of the world which is probably part of the reason I chatted it up with these gals. Their fun and happy demeanor can be seen in the type of work they made and wore this week. Take a look at more of their work on these pages:
Pavla Čepelíková: www.saffron-addict.com
Dana Phamova: www.fler.cz/fruitensse
Martina Malaskova: www.lca-jewellery.com/home_en.php
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
New Clays and New Toys
May 1, 2014
Polymer community news
Down in the vendor’s hall here at EuroSynergy, there are artists selling their beautiful work so we are getting the rare chance to see the craftsmanship and beauty of dozens of very skilled artists up close and personal. That in itself is very exciting but there is also the huge variety of new clays and new tools coming out from big manufacturers and small. It’s like Christmas comes early for polymer people!
You may have heard that there are some new clays coming out but did you know that there are new varieties by three big manufacturers? I am lucky enough to have a sneak peek back at the TPA office but to see all of the new products in one room is kind of overwhelming.
Both Polyform and Staedtler have brand new lines of clay as well as tools. Premo Souffle and a batch of truly new products are just streaming out of the creative centers at Polyform. Iris Weiss and Syndee Holt were demonstrating the new tools and sampling the new soft colors of Souffle at their very busy little corner of the room.
Staedtler’s new professional color wheel based system with a thoroughly tested color mixing system along with some really high quality new tools and supplies were drawing people in just as much.
I was personally most thrilled to meet George Desmare and his lovely wife from The Clay and Paint Factory who brought the lines of Cernit to the show. I know they have been working on getting these new lines out to more retailers which I find thrilling. The colors and lines of clay are very obviously different when you just look at the color palettes.
I can’t tell you more now as we are in the process of gathering all the details about the new products for out “Clay Report” that you’ll find in the next issue. So you have your peek here and then be sure you have an up to date subscription so you’ll get the Summer issue of The Polymer Arts due out at the end of the month.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
EuroSynergy: Beauty at the Reception
April 30, 2014
Inspirational Art
The reception at EuroSynergy is the time when many of the attendees run into each other for the first time or at least not in a rushed situation. So it is natural that we also put on our best pieces or our newest acquisitions from fellow artists. It is rather dazzling to see the variety of pieces and so truly thrilling to see pieces in person that one has only seen in photos at this point. I don’t think I made it a quarter way around the room stopping to look at some much wonderful art. It was like a live, moving gallery of the best and most innovative and skilled work.
I did manage to stop my gawking long enough to take a few pictures. I do have to apologize–my camera seems to be having some issues with some modes I am used to working in so I will need to work that out and adjust it so we can have better images through the week. Here are a couple pieces I got photos of that I thought would be particularly fun to share.
This piece by Katrina Marsh Sarlin is an obvious Maggie Maggio project. She worked on and completed this necklace and earring set during her Monday workshop with Maggie. She said she had decided that she needed to get these pieces done just for the reception as her efforts early on in the workshop revealed she was on her way to making the perfect set to go with her Wednesday evening outfit. That kept her focused! You can’t quite see the wonderful variations in color in the links but you can certainly see all the work that went into this very newly finished piece. I just love that we can do that–decide we need something to pair with an outfit and just sit down and make it! That is another huge advantage of our primary medium–the speed of creating.
This piece just took me by surprise. As you probably know if you’ve followed this blog for long, I look to a lot of other art forms as inspiration for polymer work. One I had never considered was graffiti art. But when I asked Anke Humpert how she came up with the idea for this bracelet below, she shrugged and put up her hands like it seemed so obvious that graffiti would inspire polymer. And I have to agree. With the range of colors and the expressive forms in the lettering, it is suddenly obvious to me too.
Well, after a day of exploring Valletta and seeing the kick-off of EuroSynergy, I need to get a little sustenance and get ready for the rest of the week. I will post photos from our little tour around Malta’s capital and will try to fit in some quick stories on both The Polymer Arts and Sage Bray Facebook pages so come join me over there a little later on to see what our polymer people are up to.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
Workshops in Malta
April 29, 2014
Inspirational Art, Polymer community news
Stopping to write a blog in the midst of all the fantastic conversations I’ve been having this first day in Malta has been a challenge so this will be a little short–we’ll let the photos speak for the most part.
I was lucky enough to have time to drop in on workshops being given by Kathleen Dustin and Melanie West. The energy in the rooms was amazing and the dazed look as the students left the day long workshops attested to some exhausting but exciting creativity going on. Melanie West’s class was “Make It Big And Organic!” and focused on the idea of process more than on the creation of any one thing. Kathleen was divulging her signature “Translucent Layering Techniques” in her packed classroom. Here are some shots of these masters at work demonstrating and sharing their pearls of wisdom. Then you get a close up view of Melanie’s ingenious necklace–a reversible pendant that is engineered with a magnet and a removable center piece.
Kathleen Dustin explaining technique during her workshop.
Cara Jane Hayman’s project in the middle of the process in Kathleen’s class.
Melanie West talking color choices with her workshop attendees.
Melanie West’s fabulous reversible necklace.
The other side of Melanie’s necklace showing the magnet design (isn’t that wonderful!?)
I am going to leave you to enjoy these images for now. I’ll be touring Malta in the morning and posting those images on Facebook so if you don’t already follow The Polymer Arts on Facebook, you can get more EuroSynergy peeks there as well!
Wow … day one and I’m already filled to the brim with ideas to ponder and write about and create from! What will I be like come Sunday?
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
Dialing in From Frankfurt with French Polymer
April 28, 2014
Polymer community news
I have been traveling for 16 hours as I sit down to write this and I have another 7 hours to go before I reach the hotel in Malta. Every change of scenery, the many different people, the variation in languages is enervating–I’ve been trying to guess people’s country of origin based on jewelry and clothing but you know what … people are more or less the same everywhere. It’s still been a fun game. I just wish I was more awake to really take it all in here. Many polymer people are already in Malta. See if you can sneak a peek on Donna Greenberg’s Facebook page–she’s taken some amazing pictures of the places in Malta she and other polymer peeps got out early to see. I just can’t wait to get there.
My opportunities for photos as well as a decent Internet connection while traveling have been slim so instead of sending the overcast images of Reykjavik and Frankfurt this will be simple and brief and get in some info I couldn’t squeeze in last week about polymer in print.
If you don’t know about Polymere & Co., it’s the newest magazine on the scene and the first one of its kind not in English. The French language magazine focuses on project tutorials and jewelry and is available in both print and digital editions. Even if French isn’t your language, don’t let that stop you from getting a copy. Get the digital and plug the articles into an online translator. In this day and age there is not any reason to stay away from publications simply because they aren’t in your language. What a wonderful time we live in!
Editor Beatrice PICQ will be joining us at EuroSynergy to talk about why she started this magazine. I’m so excited to talk to her and hear about her vision. Because at this point, there is definitely still room for more quality polymer instruction and inspiration.
Okay … I’m off to get myself set for my final leg to Malta!
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
The Polymer Dynamo
April 27, 2014
Inspirational Art
It’s really hard to talk about polymer publications and not bring up the prolific and non-stop dynamo that is Christi Friesen. She has 8 polymer specific books published and so many articles in so many different magazines, I can’t even guess how many she’s done. I can’t even remember how many times she’s written articles or contributed to articles for us at The Polymer Arts magazine. Plus she sends out regular newsletters, has almost daily Facebook posts and keeps up a Yahoo group. You know she enjoys what she does to do so much with it!
This year Christi is traveling around the world–literally. Her travel calendar makes me tired just looking at it. But to keep her fans in the loop and to create more fun approaches to working with polymer she and her little team put together a “World Tour” project. Each leg of her travels will be documented for those following along and a project based off the location or purpose will be presented as a challenge for her armchair traveling companions. For Malta, this is the project–wire and polymer!
Get on board with Christi’s fun adventures this year–get your ‘passport,’ project instructions and get lined up for prizes by signing up on her World Tour page. She also has a number of great new products in her store so if you haven’t visited lately, you really need to stop by her online shop.
Alright … now I need to finish the last of my packing and grab the first of my three flights that will get me to Malta in, oh … 26 more hours.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
Maria Petkova’s Polymer Clay Diaries
April 26, 2014
Inspirational Art
Some of the most active blogs in the polymer world are in English and here in the US but there some amazing blogs that are getting huge overseas as well and just because they aren’t in your primary language doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them too. We live in an amazing age–just view these foreign language blogs using Google Chrome (it will automatically try to translate pages that are not in your default language) or copy the text into the box on http://translate.google.com/ or search for a translation plugin for your browser.
My first recommended stop for non-English blog sites is Polymer Clay Diaries written by Bulgarian artist Maria Petkova. On her blog she shares polymer artwork, featured artists, galleries and tutorials about polymer clay. Maria herself is quite the talented polymer artist as well. Her work uses many different techniques to bring her art to life with a richness and, often, simple elegance.
These copper and patina earrings are examples of how straightforward contrast can work beautifully in simple designs. The blue of the faux patina against the orange copper clay uses opposing color contrast while the dense texture plays against the smooth half of the earrings’ elements.
Besides reading Maria’s Polymer Clay Diaries blog, you can find more inspiration in her own work on the Polymer Clay Diaries’ Flickr pages and her own personal Flickr pages. And here is a short list of other blogs you may not know about but are well worth a regular visit.
http://polymerionline.blogspot.com/
http://paroledepate.canalblog.com/
http://polymerclayfimo.livejournal.com/
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
Outside Inspiration: Muses from Other Art Forms
April 25, 2014
Inspirational Art
Another blog you really should be following is the wonderful Daily Art Muse (DAM) which also has a monthly version sent as a newsletter (MAM). Susan Lomuto doesn’t actually post daily but her intermittent posts are always intriguing. I have found many of our Outside Inspiration artists thanks to her discoveries shared on this blog.
For instance, I would not likely have found the wonderful work of Phiona Richards who creates jewelry and sculpture from old books, beads and textiles. Just look at this wonderful pin. I love the play on the idea that books are filled with “pearls of wisdom” making this both a visual and metaphorical delight.
With the folded polymer trend these days, Phiona’s work is a great source of polymer inspiration and ideas for complex folds. See more of her work on her website and then be sure to get signed up for DAM and MAM. Susan does feature a lot of polymer art on her blog but more importantly she features very different craft art in general, because we cannot grow on the inspiration of polymer artists alone.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
