September 3, 2016 Inspirational Art

When it comes to simple, I think this necklace is the most breathtaking piece I found this past week, maybe ever. The lines are gentle and subtle, but the way the two elements perfectly curve in on each other like a gentle and caring embrace is just amazing. I don’t even see the unique wire design really, as the slow back and forth winding of the edges are so engrossing. Maybe it’s just me but I find this so masterful, there really isn’t too much else to say but … wow.

This is not polymer, in case you were wondering, but this is the kind of thing polymer could achieve. The piece is bamboo created by Tomomi Matsunaga who was creating jewelry in the 1990s and 2000s in Kyoto, Japan but other than that, I have no information about the artist. This is a bit odd being I can find Tomomi referenced in items on my shelf like Ornament magazine and Lark’s 500 Necklaces. I don’t know what has become of the artist but the work is well appreciated as shown by the many, many Pinterest pins (with links going nowhere unfortunately). To see more, put Tomomi Matsunaga into a Google image search along with ‘bamboo’ or ‘jewelry’ to bring up other simple but intensely graceful pieces, most also created from bamboo.

While you are online looking for more of this masterful work, do take a look at what Christi Friesen is up to. Christi is passionate about art, polymer clay, mixed media, fabulous products, and techniques. She shares her ideas as well as the things she discovers by other artists on her exclusive membership site, “Christi’s Neighborhood” which, for people like you, she is opening up for free for the month of September. You can click here and log in using the following information.  It could be the very thing you need to kick off your Fall!

Login:  VIP,  Password: CLEARLY2016

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: It’s a holiday weekend in the US so the ‘challenge’ is to relax and enjoy friends and family, if you can. Let design ideas marinate while you take in the sunshine and surround yourself with fun and laughter. Then go into the studio next week and see what fresh ideas come out of the time off.

**Also note, you may not be able to comment for a couple days. We were spam attacked the last couple days and shut down comments while we wait for the comment sharks to swim elsewhere. But if you want to chime in now, write me by replying to this if you get it in email or write us at connect(‘at sign’)thepolymerarts.com

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September 1, 2016 Inspirational Art

We have all had those pieces of our own work, or those of others, where there is this one portion you find yourself completely in love with. Many times it is a texture or part of the treated clay, maybe in the background, sometimes the focal point, and usually surrounded by other components or distracting elements.  Doesn’t it seem like a shame that you can’t just point at it and say to the rest of the world, “See how beautiful this is?”

Well, in a way you can and this is another advantage of using simple or subdued designs. You can use simple backgrounds, framing or nothing else but a well-formed shape to present those textures or effects you are in love with, letting them shine on their own, in all their obvious glory.

This is how Jagna Birecka commonly designs her art jewelry, letting the shapes or simple, clean base elements be the platform to showcase her wonderful mokume veneers. This pendant here is a perfect example. The square this little slice of mokume sits on is finished smoothly and cleanly so as to not distract from the mokume pattern. Using  purple to create a strong color contrast makes the slice glow and just a little shaping to give the veneer dimension makes it feel more substantial. With this design, we don’t question that the mokume is being presented like a ‘gem’ rather than just some interesting visual texture.

If you have not seen and enjoyed Jagna’s work before, jump over to the gallery pages on her website and note the many other ways she shows off her technique, making the clay shine like the treasured material it is.

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Dig out a treasured veneer, cane, or already cured element you have tossed in the “I don’t know what to do with this but it’s too cool to throw away” pile, or create a sheet in your favorite technique then design a simple background or base to show it off on. It can also be adhered to a vase, box, or book cover as a simple focal element. Where or how would your bit of treasured clay really shine?

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August 30, 2016 Inspirational Art

We have finally gotten everything through and files approved for the Fall issue and it’s now in the printing presses over in Idaho. Spending so much time reading, writing and editing on a particular subject gets my mind almost obsessed with it. I had already started exploring simple design in my own work this year but now I’m really focused on it. That and mandalas since the Mandala article really got me intrigued. But more of that week after next when the issue comes out. We’ll have all issues in the mail and the digital edition in your inbox on September 7th, so not long now! Get your order or renewal in before that date to be sure you are one of the first kids on your block to get this truly amazing collection of tutorials and thought-provoking articles.

In the meantime, I have collected some nice designs where simple or subdued works particularly well. Simplicity in design is really a matter of relativity. Is it simple compared to what the artist usually does, simple for the kind of technique it is, or is it a very simple form compared to what most artists create? To illustrate this, I thought I’d pull out some of the better subdued designs I’ve found. These are simple on some level but aren’t basic or boring.

Bettina Welker’s pin here is a calm and subdued piece compared to much of what she produces although she is no stranger to simplicity. With a focus on the effect of translucency, she has added only what she needs to keep interest and focus. The white stripes give the translucence a reference for the depth of layers and something to peer in towards while those red dots give us a focal point. And that is all it needs.

Bettina’s designs are always beautifully thought out and are a definite source of reference for anyone who likes work with a graphics inspired edge. Go get inspired by her simple and involved work on her website and get her tutorials and classes on Etsy and Craft Art Edu.

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Take a technique you really enjoy and try to minimize what you do with it. For instance, if you make kaleidoscope canes with six sides, try three or four or reduce the number of paths or colors in your design. If you create colored surfaces with alcohol inks, use just one instead of three. Take a look at the effect and determine a design that will work with the less complex version. Add focus if you need but try to keep it simple and see what you come up with.

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August 27, 2016 Inspirational Art

Here is another pretty and much less creepy insect to admire this week, as well as being one  you can create for yourself with Stephanie Kilgast‘s instructions in this great video tutorial. Part caning, part sculptural, this tutorial actually has a lot of great ideas for all kinds of claying enthusiasts whether you like creepy crawlers or not.

Stephanie actually has quite a thing for happy bugs. In fact she has a whole line of them and other bug making video tutorials as well. Here is what she says about her Happy Bugs project:

“The happy bugs projects comes from a desire to sculpt happiness and not always focus on the desperate state of the world …  I need that fresh breeze of joy and you might too. Happy because laughing makes us kinder too and bugs because insects are a treasure of beauty, colors and textures.”

I completely agree with her sentiment! Find more on bugs, food, and hybrid plant-animals on her colorful and quite happy website.

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Just create something that makes you happy. Let this be a happiness filled weekend.

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August 24, 2016 Inspirational Art

So I finally found out what the crazy, giant, alien looking thing was hopping down the trail after me and my big black German Shepard the other day. It’s called a Tarantula Hawk although it’s a type of wasp and not a bird. I found a few images and one absolutely horrifying video of it trying to take down a tarantula even bigger than itself (and these things are already 2 inches /50mm long or more!) I’ve not seen a horror movie quite so scary since Halloween! These giant wasps are definitely the thing of nightmares, maybe more for tarantulas, but their sting is logged as the most painful sting/bite in the world next only to that of a bullet ant. One person said it felt like they were being struck by lighting for 3 long minutes straight. Yikes!

In any case, I am still freaking out over the things so the goal today was to find a pretty version of such a creature and I totally have it here with Christi Friesen’s Jeweled Insect. The creature I saw was seriously about the same size and had a similar body type but I am much more enamored of this one. I imagine many of us would be!

This insect is part of a journey Christi is on (and not the kind where strange insects start chasing you down the trail!) She and I are in similar places with realizing how little we do art for ourselves, being entrenched in the creative businesses we have. She and I have had some long talks about this as well as with others and have made recent re-commitments to our studio time. She got a jump on this much earlier than I (I’m still working it out) and created a number of things like this blingy bug created last month. You should read her blog post about her thoughts on this studio commitment idea and how it might apply to you on her blog here.

She is also teaching this as a project in Brisbane next week although I heard it was sold out. However, she may very well teach it again so keep an eye on Christi’s class announcements on this page and through her email ‘blathers’.

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Create a piece that is just for you, that you have no intention of selling or maybe even showing to anyone else. Create without worry or inhibition and enjoy the process, giving yourself no limitations.

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August 22, 2016 Inspirational Art

Ok, so you know what is on my mind this week? Bugs! First something nipped on me several nights in a row while I slept then later this past week these brilliant green bugs keep popping up in one of the bathrooms (turned out to be stink bugs … yuck!), then I was chased down a desert trail I regularly run by the biggest and strangest hopping beetle/mosquito looking thing the other day. Now, I am not a squeamish girl and I actually really like bugs–they are amazing creatures–but I’ve nearly had enough. So to resurrect my love of bugs, let’s do beautiful bugs this week. We’ll see what I can find.

Joyce Fritz came to mind first, of course. I have been admiring her bugs since nearly day one of my polymer inspired existence. I remember reading an interview about her use of recycled telephone wire for the legs to make appendages as colorful as the clay canes most of her bugs are built from. I thought that was so clever. The antennae and other parts are made from wire and beads. She sells almost exclusively through wholesaling which means she makes a LOT of bugs, and yet they all look so fun and inspired. I love that this one has an entire landscape scene on its back, perhaps carrying an image of its ‘native’ environment. That would be a very interesting bug to find while out on a trail.

While I go looking for more beautiful bugs, enjoy a little gallery showing of Joyce’s work on her website.

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Create a more appealing version of something you tend to find ugly in nature. Bugs, snakes, fungus, weeds … just come up with something you regular try to avoid and see if you can’t create a beautiful version of it or let it inspire form, color, texture or motifs for a new piece.

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August 20, 2016 Inspirational Art

To encourage further play with metal and polymer, I dug up a very easy tutorial for you that requires no significant metal working skills. Gloria Fort has step by step instructions for creating a fun, modern necklace with nothing more than polymer and metal rings. Easy peasy and quite appealing, you can choose your own color palette and use any kind of metal rings or findings you have on hand. Even large metal aluminum washers will work for this design.

If you don’t have anything on hand or want to create your own interesting shapes, just pull out some thick wire and create open metal forms by wrapping the wire around sturdy items such as tool handles or interesting parts of kitchen utensils. Or form them by hand. I would recommend you give your wire forms a good tap all the way around with a rubber tipped hammer to harden the wire so you can press the clay in and on it without deforming it. Don’t have a rubber tipped hammer? Then just lay the wire forms between layers of leather or heavy felt and use a nail hammer with a moderately gentle touch.

Or just go at it with the nail hammer to flatten the wire. Be aware, however, that the wire will spread and change the form including probably opening the point where you expect the wire to meet. Bending flattened wire is difficult if not impossible. A little overlapping (or a lot if you like!) can guarantee a continuous metal band and a touch of epoxy, if you don’t solder, can be used to hold the ends together. But play around! That’s what this week has been all about!

Gloria has tons of mixed media tutorials on her website so if you want tips and ideas on polymer mixed media or even something completely different, browse her site for all kinds of ideas.

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: You guessed it … try the tutorial or create your own version of the metal layered onto polymer. But mostly, this weekend, just play!

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August 18, 2016 Inspirational Art

If you haven’t yet heard, the range of precious metal clays available has expanded tremendously over the last handful of years, even into the availability of not so precious metals including copper, bronze, and even steel. What this means is that experimenting with these art clays can be done without the huge investment that the cost of silver necessitated back when that and the insanely priced gold clays were the only options. There are just such tremendous possibilities to expand your designs and the value of your pieces.

Art clays do require some specialized materials but nothing terribly expensive and there are versions of all these metal clays that can be fired with a hand torch so you don’t even need a jewelry kiln. Although who would object to acquiring one if, say, a kindly significant other or family member should want to bestow one on you? If you don’t get into it, they can always be re-sold. I try never to miss out on the opportunity to see if another material might light up my creative passion, although I do prefer it not break the bank in the process.

In any case, you can start by making simple components such as these disks sandwiched with a pretty polymer bead created by Anna Fidecka, who primarily works in metal clays as you’ll see on her Flickr photostream. Once you get how the clay works and are confident of your honed firing skills, you can move onto making your own bezels, bails, backings and beads for your polymer components, creating work that allows you a more complete mode of expression versus buying pre-made metal components. Also, $5 in beautifully wrought copper clay could allow you to increase the price of a pendant by $25 or more over making the same components in polymer and that kind of margin is nothing to sneeze at.  There are also durability and detail options you’d have with metal clays not available with polymer.

Ready to give it a try? You can find all sorts of introductory videos online or just pick up your copy of the Spring 2016 issue of The Polymer Arts to find a beautifully detailed tutorial on creating in metal clay by Dawn Stubitsch, with tips and notes you just won’t get in those YouTube videos. It will give you a very clear idea of whether you are ready to dive in as well as showing you just how easy it can be. Then hop on over to our advertising partner Fire Mountain Gems where they will sell you a complete kit for less than $90 with literally everything you need including a torch and the metal clay to get you started. Then you can return to buy and try other metal clay when you find yourself addicted to it!

Inspirational Challenge of the Day: Give metal clays a chance. Or at least read the article or read more about it online. If you’ve already tried metal clays, try a type you have not used before to compare properties and possibilities.

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