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:
Mystery Week
June 9, 2014
Inspirational Art
I was going to do a themed week on embedded bits (not the best theme title but that is as far as I got with the idea!). But most of the pieces I wanted to use were unattributed finds on Pinterest. So I thought I’d take a moment to post some thoughts on pinning images with Pinterest as well as getting your help this week with these pieces.
I am actually in Los Angeles–a very sudden, last minute trip due to my father having some health issues. (All is looking very positive here so no real worries; he just needs some help getting into a new routine and keeping an eye on his condition.) On top of getting the latest issue out and things wrapped up for it, I’m a bit frazzled and distracted to say the least. So … would you all like to help me identify some artists and talk about these beautiful pieces this week? I would be so grateful!
This first image is a collection of rock like beads with these meandering textures and embedded bits of shaped clay that remind me somewhat of Amy Eisenfeld Genser‘s paper wall pieces I wrote about in a post last year. There is a sense of serenity and peace in these understated, organic looking beads. I wonder why I’m so drawn to them right now. Hmmm …
So, do you know who created these beads?
Ideas for better Pinning…
When you pin to Pinterest there are a few basic things you will want to pay attention to in order to ensure an artist is properly credited and that you, and any of us that find that pin through you, can find more information about that talented person:
- Put the artist’s name in the caption–it’s not likely to be removed when repinned so at the very least, people will know who created the piece they are admiring.
- Pin from the original blog post or article, not a blog’s or website’s changing home page. If you go to a person’s blog or blog based sites, you are usually on a homepage that will show you all the latest blogs or news but if you pin an image from this homepage, the link associated with that image will be the current home page which will not have that piece on it at a future date. Instead, click on the entry of the blog post or article title so you go to the post’s actual page then pin from there. That way, if someone clicks on the pinned image, it will go to the original post with all the information about the piece and artist as posted by the writer of the post/article.
- Avoid pinning “media-cache-…” images. These can be found when clicking on an image on a site and getting it to open in a browser on it’s own. It may also occur when using sites like Reddit where people are posting without links back to the source. If you have a media-cache image, put as much info in the Pinterest caption as you can from the source you found it at.
Those are my pointers. Do any of you have any further thoughts about how to best use Pinterest and ensure people are getting credit? Please post any information about the mystery artist here or ideas for using Pinterest and similar image networks in the comments at the end of this original post. (If you get this by email, click on the blog’s title and it will take you to the page.)
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 Many Mistakes to Perfection
June 8, 2014
Ponderings
We’ve spent over a week looking at very finely executed and finished work and I thought we ought to stop and remember how those artists got to the point where they could complete work like we’ve seen. Their work wasn’t always perfect. It’s not likely that their work is always perfect now. Getting to that point takes time to be able to do that level of work at all and then we all still have our good days and bad days. Plus there are those wonderful times we try something new. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But we try, and eventually, we get it right. Eventually we get it perfect.
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.
Colorful, Perfect Summer
June 7, 2014
Uncategorized
This bracelet is by an artist named Diana from Russia, who goes by the handle Dizainersha. She is a bit of a mystery to us in that there are only a few posts on her live journal and Pinterest. She made these immaculate beads with the intention of turning them into a necklace, earrings, and bracelet set. She completed this bracelet, and as you can see, the craftsmanship and attention to detail add to the beauty of this jewelry. Even though she has only been doing polymer a few years, as you can tell from her work, she takes a lot of pride in doing it impeccably.
You can see more of her work on her live journal, called the World of Creativity.
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: Careful Wire
June 6, 2014
Inspirational Art
If you’ve ever worked with wire, you know how easy it is to over bend a piece or put a crick in it. It takes a lot of practice and patience to keep wire work smooth and straight Now imagine weaving entire vessels with it. This is what Marilyn Moore does with impeccable skill.
Although weaving techniques are traditionally created using fibrous materials, wire has had its time in this area but I don’t know that I’ve seen quite the detail and variation you’ll find in Marilyn’s work. Metal weaving lends itself to jewelry, sculpture, and wall pieces as well as decorative arts. The structure and durability give it a great advantage to traditional weaving materials. Although it is difficult to closely duplicate weaving techniques in polymer, our material also offers additional structural qualities along with the ability to take on all types of textures. The woven, linear textures that you see here in Marilyn’s vessels entitled “Torch” would look lovely in polymer as would the fiery colors.
More photos of Marilyn’s work, with many more ideas for luscious texture and color, can be found in her gallery.
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.
Burnished Bowls
June 5, 2014
Inspirational Art
These burnished bowls by Kate Tracton take millefiori caning to a whole new level. Her patterning and mix of colorful canes along with the highly polished finish creates a stunningly attractive surface. With a fine arts degree and a background in printmaking and bead weaving, she is comfortable with fine art details and impeccable craftsmanship.
To see more of Kate’s jewelry and fine art, take a look at her Etsy store, read her blog “Shibori Girl” about stumbling through life one bead at a time, or have a cup of coffee or tea and leisurely browse her stunning website for hours of inspiration.
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.
It’s All in the Details
June 4, 2014
Inspirational Art
Russian artist Natalia Lemeshchenko makes these monochromatic color scheme jewelry sets with intricate patterns that look a lot like hand embroidered fabrics. The details are so exact and executed to perfection; I can only imagine how much time and patience it takes to do this quality of work…not to mention keen eyesight and a very steady hand! If you like embroidery or needlework, or if you have ever wanted to try your hand it at, you might try some polymer designs inspired by these fabric techniques.
To see more of Natalia’s work, check out her gallery pages. There are close-ups of some more embroidery inspired designs, as well as blogs and such.
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.
A Delicate Glow
June 3, 2014
Inspirational Art
Even though English Artist Claire Wallis is self taught and is fairly new to polymer, her attention to detail is inspiring and her finishing techniques are immaculate. Take a look at these bracelets pictured here. The designs are fairly simple but strong. Her canes here use an approach that gives the pattern a subtle glow. This kind of technique uses color value and gradation to emulate light in a surface pattern. We actually have an entire article about ways to create the illusion of light in the Summer issue that starts mailing out this coming Friday.
Claire is also a talented illustrator and you can see her graphite drawings and painting as well as her polymer work on her website. You may also want to take a look at more of her work, including some delightful polymer birds, on her Flickr page.
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.
Fine Lines
June 2, 2014
Inspirational Art
Sorry about the problems and delays last week. We are back on track and we’re going to continue looking at various pieces where the craftsmanship really makes the difference.
In this shawl pin by Ukraine’s Asya Kuzahmetova, the lines are perfectly applied and the neatness and finely crafted details make for a simple but lovely piece. She has a whole series of these pins on her Live Journal page and they all are similarly well finished. Some are even monochromatic which makes the details stand out even more.
See more of Asya’s work on her Flickr page and her online shop as well.
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.
(Please Read) Ch-ch-changes … And a Chance to Win a Box of New Clays
May 29, 2014
Inspirational Art, The Polymer Arts magazine news
Some of you may have noticed that there have been some odd things going on with the blog posts lately, especially the email notifications. You may be receiving them much later than usual or they are not showing up at all. Yes, we are having technical issues over here … because the blog has just gotten too big! I actually saw this coming and started working on setting up new services for us a couple months ago but its been slow going. However, we are set now. I could just use your help …
Change Over And Win! … This is pretty simple and pretty fantastic for you … help me out as well as get in on a drawing for one of TWO different sampler boxes of New Clays or one of TWO $15 Gift Certificates for The Polymer Arts. All you need to do is sign up to get blog notifications with our new service.
To sign up for email notices and get in the drawing … just click on this link and sign up for email notifications for this blog. Signing up now will help us make a smooth transition for you and ensure your daily dose of inspiration gets to you!
http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=TheDailyPolymerArtsBlog
Avoid Double Notices … If you are presently getting notifications by email, you can take yourself off the old service right now so you don’t get two notifications each day over the next week while we switch it over. Just click the link you see at the top of an old email notice (this one if you are reading this by email) and select ‘Unsubscribe’.
Deadline for Drawing … Sign up for email notifications by Monday, June 2nd, to be entered to win! We’ll draw names on the 3rd and notify you by email and announce the winner on the blog on the 4th.
*The blog mailing list is not shared nor even used by TPA for any other mailings. You will get nothing but the blog notifications by signing up for email. I promise. 🙂
If you would like to switch to a Reader notification or update your RSS feed. You can do so here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheDailyPolymerArtsBlog
See You Monday … Because of the problems we’ve been having and to allow time to make the changes and updates needed, there may not be another blog post until Monday. I’m sorry for that. But I promise we will be back to our regularly scheduled postings and pretties next week!
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.
Perfection in Canes
May 27, 2014
Inspirational Art
A lot of people cane. A lot of people cane well. But perfectly undistorted canes applied in such a way that you don’t think canes, but rather just “wow!”. These almost photo realistic sunflowers were created by French artist Magali Chauveau. Such skill and patience makes a huge difference in what this cane could have been had it been rushed. That and the meticulous finish on the beads brings this from a nicely designed bracelet up to a stunning piece of art jewelry.
And this isn’t the only thing she did so well with these flowers. She put her skill and eye for design into a whole line of pieces.
I had to share them all. But she has many more beautiful gems to share with you as well as tutorials on her blog and several books in print. To see more of her work, take a look at her Facebook page or view her books on Amazon.
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.
