The Party is in Full Swing. Come join us!

 

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:

BumpyTerrain

October 10, 2018

Take an already enticing, beautiful organic texture like crackle and literally “bump” it up with a wonderfully organic bumpy texture and you’ve got a real powerhouse of a textural combination.

That’s basically what Shelley Atwood did with these otherwise simply designed earrings. You really wouldn’t want to do a lot more with this as you would risk making this overly busy. The simple round shape and the round negative space reflect the roundness in the bumps but then the crackle comes in with an edgy and erratic energy that contrasts nicely with the predominate soft forms and shapes. The choice of color also brings additional energy to this organic terrain, the reds and yellows playing nicely with this contrasting combination of textures.

Shelley has been playing with dots and bumps and other heavily textured surface applications and techniques for quite a while now. Her Flickr photostream looks like a massive sampler of textural surface design possibilities in polymer. Pop over there or peruse her portfolio on her website for all kinds of textural inspiration.

Textural Enticements

October 8, 2018

First of all, don’t forget you have a couple more days to get in your pre-order for the new Polymer Art Projects—Organics book due out at the end of the month. Heavily discounted pre-sale pricing ends this Wednesday, October 10th. Go to our website here to reserve your copy with a pre-order.

I know I have done dot-themed weeks a couple of times before but hopefully you are tired of them because we are going to focus on another type of dot this week although this is really more about texture than dots. There has been so much popping up out there in terms of heavily textural dots and this bracelet and earrings set by Sylvie Peraud led the pack this last week.

Why is this so enticing? I mean, this type of texture is reminiscent of reptilian skin and, for those of us with stupidly sensitive skin, certain types of hives and other reactions that result in a bunch of bumpy dots that are none too pretty. And yet this texture is something most of us find almost irresistible to touch. Rubbing our fingers over a surface like this is a feast for our fingertips. There’s also a certain richness to the density of this type of texture. Sylvie has added to this enticement with a gorgeous gradation of fiery warm colors. But the organic-looking texture and varied coloration contrasts starkly with the sharp geometric angles of these forms. This kind of high contrast adds energy and strength to this design.

She’s created bracelets in black-and-white as well as played with other surface applications on this form for at least a couple of weeks now with stunning results. Take a look at her photos on Facebook and hop over to her website for more on Sylvie and her work.

Jazzy Inspiration

October 5, 2018

There’s nothing like ending the week with a brilliant splash of vibrant color and pattern, don’t you think? Well, that was my thought when I came across these vessels by Carol Blackburn. The color palette and some of the patterning is familiar from other examples of her work as are the contained and immaculately finished surfaces.  However, the denser patterns feel new, creating an undeniable, dancing energy. The solid color of the lids creates a kind of anchoring rest area for the eye, sitting very heavily on the top, making the vibrant energy feel held in place and contained.

Although she actually created forms like this a couple of years ago, I think it’s a combination of these forms with this intensely active pattern that made them jump off the page to me. She calls the pattern “Jazzy Missoni”, a reference to the Missoni fashion house and its heavily patterned and colorful knitwear. The patterning is reminiscent of the textiles from that design house but she has taken it another step,  echoing even the movement of the lighter knitwear and the layers that are often associated with their designs. I found this to be a wonderful interpretation of what is obviously inspiration from a designer in another material.

Carol has a variety of these patterns and the vessels posted on her Flickr photostream and website. Go ahead and take a stroll through them as way to jumpstart a colorful weekend.

Beautifully Strung Along

October 3, 2018

There has been a wonderful variety of wall art popping up lately, using a number of interesting techniques, many involving inventive mosaic applications and a kind of polymer marquetry. Although they all stand out for one reason or another, I don’t think they jump out at you the way the unique look of Joe Barbaccia’s work does.

Joe developed an illustrative technique based on using tapered strings of polymer clay. He wrote a wonderful article in the Winter 2014 issue of The Polymer Arts about his technique including step-by-step details on how he creates his pieces. It takes planning and patience but the result is a gorgeous, vibrant texture that flows and moves throughout the change in value and form of the images.

He has quite a number of really stunning new pieces, many showcasing newer polymer applications for him including the marquetry-like background behind this beautifully composed fox. The large swatches of color really make the texture and movement of the fox stand out. Joe also has a wonderful eye for the juxtaposition of color, creating high contrast as well as subtle gradations in such a way as to make the work come alive with a sense of light and form that his limited palette and choice of application might make difficult but for his well-trained eye.

Joe has been stretching his techniques as well as his market in what looks to be a very successful series of endeavors. Just take a look at his website gallery to to see what he has been up to.

 

The Sunny Side of Polymer

October 1, 2018

Lately I’ve been noticing a lot of new forms and approaches not just for an individual artist but within the community itself. This week I thought I’d pull out and share a few pieces that I found delightfully surprising and innovative.

Lisa Rapp has always been pushing the envelope of how to use and where to apply polymer clay. These colorfully armed sunglasses really showcase the surface design and patterns possible in polymer and in a rather unexpected place, although now that I see it, I wonder that we haven’t seen more before.

As a clever addition to her offering, Lisa makes these fun and handy cases to keep the polymer sunglasses in. It’s not really surprising that she has a fabric component to her offering as she is long been working with fabric as well as polymer.

You can see more of her sunglasses line as well as some of her polymer-embellished handbags and other creations on both her Flickr photostream and in her Etsy shop.

Light As an Art Medium

September 28, 2018

I felt really bad I could not fit the colorful images of this fabulous lantern into Claire Fairweather’s gallery pages, so here you go. The first image in the upper left is the piece lit with white room light, with the following images showing Claire’s intention to combine it with colored light from within the vessel.

Claire uses bullseye cane slices with a center of translucent clay to create a simple yet dramatic pattern through which an electric candle can emit colored light. Her choice of a light-changing LED candle adds a whole other aspect to the look and feel of this polymer-covered sphere and was sure to be integral to Claire’s intention with this piece, which is why I felt so bad about not being able to fit it into the layout. But at least I can share it here.

Although you may not think of light as an art medium, it definitely can be. Anything that adds color and contrast is a medium you can use to increase the impact and look of your work. And with all the ways we can use translucent polymer, light—especially colored lights—should certainly be considered a possible addition to the work if it can functionally be done.

All of Claire’s work deals with the formation of texture and images created through a mosaic-type approach but she explores the outer reaches of what a mosaic can be, using things like this lantern and the mirror you would see in the gallery pages. You can take a look at more of this work of hers on her website and her blog.

Color Islands

September 26, 2018

In the latest issue of The Polymer Arts, we spent some time with Eva Haskova through an interview by Lindly Haunani. It’s a lovely article full of thought-provoking statements on Eva’s use of color. Lindly also shares an approach for tinting translucents with opaque polymer clays in the “Color Expiration” section that always follows this “Color Spotlight” article.

We couldn’t fit this lovely tile by Eva into the layout but I wanted to share with it you for a couple of reasons. First of all, if you read the posts last week about the use of squiggles, then you are certain to already recognize the way her folded polymer creates a vibrant energy and liveliness. The flow of these neutral colored folds around the islands of saturated color really make those spots pop. Those circles of color also give the eye a place to rest amid the rush and flow that makes up the majority of the surface texture. It’s a mass squiggle approach to texture reined in with bright color and simple forms.

I also thought I would take the opportunity to talk about forms that allow us to work on concept and exploration of technique without having to worry about things like construction and wearability. Although tiles are not always an easy sell because the functionality of a single tile is not as apparent as a piece of jewelry—not many people are out looking for a single tile to decorate their home with, although they may be inspired by a title such as this. But as an artist, this little canvas is perfect for letting yourself work on a technique, composition, or juxtaposition of elements without the other concerns that a functional object such as a necklace or vase would require.

This tile could also be a lovely brooch, don’t you think? The work done on a tile can, usually, be scaled down into a brooch or pendant. These jewelry forms can also work as exploratory canvases for your ideas and they result in an easily recognizable piece of functional adornment that should be easy to sell.

So do take a good look at Eva’s article and if you want to look at more of her work, go to her website or her Flickr photostream.

It’s All About the Fall

September 24, 2018

Saturday was a bittersweet day as we released the final issue of The Polymer Arts. It is enjoying a wonderful reception as it is packed full of great ideas, beautiful techniques and lots of food for thought to get those creative wheels spinning.

If you are one of our readers expecting a digital edition but haven’t seen it yet, look in your inbox for a midday email Saturday or check spam/junk mail folders if it’s not there. The print editions headed to the post office on Friday so they should start popping up in mailboxes soon. If you are on the east coast of the United States or overseas, allow up to four weeks for it to arrive.

Here is a collage of some of the first pages of articles if you haven’t seen the issue yet. This issue feels a bit like a transition between what The Polymer Arts has been and what the new magazine, The Polymer Studio, will be. There are a lot of tutorials focused on technique, as always, but with a more accessible range for the novice to the intermediate craftsperson. Rather like The Polymer Studio will be.

I also wrote a couple of short pieces in this issue, talking about the role of publications in our creative lives and how these ideas caused me to make the changes we are making with the magazines. You can read about the development of these magazines in the “Editor’s Worktable.” In this issue’s back page “Muse’s Corner” is my personal story about how circumstances and refocusing on self-care precipitated the decisions to close one magazine and start another.

As always though, we have lots for you to ponder and act on regarding things like your creative vision, the use of color, selling your work, expanding your jewelry forms, and working as an artist in the world of polymer. The fascinating interview with Helen Breil is reason enough to get this issue. She is a very unusual woman who really took a different path. I think you’ll find some surprising details in this and many of the other articles in this issue.

So if you haven’t yet, you can get your own copy of this very special last issue of The Polymer Arts by ordering it online here. 

While you do that, I am going to go visit family in Colorado and drive through the mountains in all their changing colors but I’ll drop in here Wednesday, as usual, with a peek at a few things that we weren’t able to fit in this issue of The Polymer Arts.

Squiggles and Swirls

September 21, 2018

Now that we’ve been talking about squiggles all week, are you seeing them everywhere? They are used in artwork of all kinds, commonly inspired by nature, often stylized or reined in to create a more cohesive composition. But they can also run rampant, gaining cohesiveness from the way they echo each other within the same piece.

Take a look at the various squiggles in this journal cover by Gabrielle Pollacco. Gabrielle is primarily a scrapbook artist but has also discovered the joys of combining polymer with pages. The bonsai tree in the center is a polymer clay wall and the rest is paint-applied wood stencils and various mixed-media elements attached over and under painted layers.

The frame-like squiggle piece around the bonsai tree looks to be derived from the stylized squiggle work seen in Art Nouveau. There is a less orderly but still contained series of lines going from squiggles into cracks amongst the rocks at the bottom. Then the vines with leaves throughout the background at the top gently pull the eye upward. There are also a handful of swirls—the buttoned-up cousin of the squiggle—with their terminal end a focal point as it rounds in on itself. All these lines, especially the squiggles, create a riot of energy. But with a strong focal point of the polymer tree in the center, it still feels grounded.

Scrapbooking is such a great marriage of so many materials. A skilled and creative scrapbooker, like Gabrielle, creates works of art that could so readily be framed and placed on a wall for all to adore. But making it part of something that is functional, that is held and touched and itself holds treasured images, makes the idea of putting it on the wall on almost sacrilegious. Even if, like me, you’re one of those people who doesn’t spend much time organizing or even just printing out their photos, it would be hard not to appreciate the creativity of these unique works.

You can take a look at more of Gabrielle’s wonderfully intricate scrapbook covers and pages on her BlogSpot website.

The Squiggle Master

September 19, 2018

It will be hard to talk about squiggles and not talk about Julie Picarello’s mastery of the squiggle in negative space. Or peekaboo space if you prefer.

Julie’s impeccably controlled polymer mokume is full of squiggles both in the mokume pattern itself and in these wonderful little rivers she creates in her compositions. Perhaps that analogy is part of our attraction to squiggles—some of mother nature’s best squiggles are things we have long held dear, such as life-giving rivers and streams. Julie does such a beautiful job of re-creating this essence of flowing water in her signature approach to the mokume technique. I imagine that is part of the attraction to her work and the popularity of her particular techniques.

You don’t hear a lot from Julie these days. She is not an avid poster to the social media sites although she does have a presence. We were actually wondering what she had been up to lately ourselves which is why we’ve asked her to be the first artist to be profiled in the new The Polymer Studio magazine coming in January—and she’s agreed. So we will have an exclusive peek into her world for you to look forward to in January.

And yes, we are just about ready to get subscription ordering started for the new magazine. We’ve been ironing out some issues in the new website but stay tuned here and be sure to sign up for our newsletter to be one of the first to hear about the reveal of our new website.

You can take a look at some of Julie’s other designs in this technique on her Flickr photostream and don’t forget about her book Patterns in Polymer which you can purchase here.

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