Outside Inspiration: Ceramic Windows
March 20, 2015
Inspirational Art
The domed disk is, of course, not only a polymer thing but makes regular appearances in materials where a flat surface can be manipulated or molded such as with sheets of metal, glass or ceramics. Vicki Grant created this gorgeous disk from porcelain complete with a peek-a-boo window not unlike the popular forms of this type we see in polymer.
Vicki’s disc has some very enchanting movement in that swirl of the ferns on the outside that is echoed by the tight swirl of the nautilus tucked inside the window, both have cross patterns created from the fern leaves and the shell chambers respectively. Although she titled it Windows to the Earth, the juxtaposition seems to conjure up earth surrounding a window to the ocean; a contrast of lush soil against the clean whites of a small spot of underwater landscape. The contrasts add a bit of intrigue to the design.
Vicki’s work is regularly intriguing and inspiring. See more of her work for that inspirational “shot in the arm” on Vicki’s website, Claytree Fine Art
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A Journey in Organic Domes
March 19, 2015
Inspirational Art
Picking items to feature this week was quite diverting. There is so much out there in this form but no easy way to search for it, so I just meandered the polymer highway; very grateful to find such cool things as this highly-organic ring by Tanja of Flickr’s Fantastisch-Plastisch. I actually found it after spotting the domed beads you see below it. They were created six years apart. If you meander through Tanja’s Flickr photostream you can see the journey and exploration she goes through as she returns to variations of this form over and over.
The interesting thing here is, she created these based on the teachings of other artists. The influence is pretty obvious in the ring–she shares that this and the other recent rings in this series were inspired by projects in Ronna Sarvas Weltman‘s book Ancient Modern: Polymer Clay and Wire Jewelry. The beads below were inspired by Grant Diffendaffer. She has other work in domed disks that are wholly her own, as well, but they all look quite different. The one thing that most all of them encompass is an organic quality. Even the Diffendaffer inspired beads with their high shine have distinctly organic textures. Because of the easy way we can form domes and disks on lightbulbs with cookie cutters, it is nice to see them rough and freeform, as well.
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Outside Inspiration: The Mode of Metal Clay
March 13, 2015
Inspirational Art
Since the spring issue’s theme was Diversity, there is plenty of ‘Outside Inspiration’ in this issue, but it’s focused more on how other materials can be combined with or can inspire polymer works. So, the obvious choice for this Friday was to choose one of the mixed media artists and share work that didn’t make it into the dense articles that make up that section of this issue. That was a hard decision to make since all five artists were my first pick choices for each type of mixed media work (and they all said yes to contributing! How lucky we all were in that!), but the one collection that really struck me as pushing beyond polymer more than any other was probably Celie Fago’s. Her work leans heavily on metal clay as a material but to the point that when combined, it is hard to tell what is polymer and what is metal. Which then leads to a very simple question … does it really matter what is what?
The take away I most hoped people would get from reading that section of this issue is to see that the material is not as important as the outcome. Choosing to work with another material in addition to, or even instead of, polymer is showing great respect for your creativity and self-expression. Some materials will simply deliver your ideas better than others, and if we look only to polymer to do that, we can miss out on wonderful new modes and forms of expression. I think this is where Celie’s work really draws strength; in its focus on the form and texture regardless of the material. Her work has such an ancient feel as if every piece has been through years of existence; that it was precious and valued by its creator and its wearer. The colors, bright or subtle, have some inner light that adds to the spiritual quality of them. The type of material is not a contributing consideration in the admiration of the work. Unless you come to wonder just how she creates the textures she does. Well, I won’t spoil it if you haven’t read the article yet. It’s a beautiful piece with an interesting story of her journey and philosophy behind what drives her work.
The piece here is, I believe, all precious metal clay. I just love how every single surface, edge, form and point of construction was considered and very obviously and consciously designed. There is so much going on here, so take a moment to get a closer look by zooming in or going to her website to look at the original photos. And while there, take some time to wander and check out the many other beauties on the site. Also, take a look at her upcoming classes both at the Bead and Button show in May and at her home studio. What an opportunity that would be!
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The Source of Her Quilling
March 12, 2015
Inspirational Art
The big, information laden and in depth technique tutorial in the spring issue is on polymer quilling. Quilling with paper has gotten quite popular and has gone beyond the realm of basic decoration into some truly museum-quality wall pieces. The art intrigued Beth Petricoin, and she wrote me last year to query about whether our readers would like to see this done in polymer. She had started working on the technique in the summer of 2013 and was needing that push to perfect it. So, with an enthusiastic “Yes!” from me, she worked on it until she streamlined the process and had developed several different approaches in order to provide a great variety of possibilities. The article in the spring 2015 issue includes these with everything from choices of substrate or none at all, closed and open quill work methods, and plenty of tips and tricks to get our readers started on this fun and beautiful technique.
In this article, we were able to show both simple and very complex pieces using this technique. What we didn’t have room for was the piece that rather started this whole journey for Beth. But, you see it here now. I believe this was her first full-scale attempt with this technique back in 2013, and it’s really quite well done. I love how the sky versus the ocean, both in shades of blue, are delineated by types of forms—round and rolling, accented with bubbles in the ocean while the sky is simple waves and white clouds. Zoom in on the turtle as well to see the whorls in the shell. There’s a lot of detail in this.
You can read about this first piece along with the Native American Indian story that inspired it on Beth’s blog. Take a look through some of her other entries and catch the broad range of her work with a little perusal around her Etsy store.
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Extended Diversity
March 9, 2015
Inspirational Art
The newest issue of The Polymer Arts has been out for about a week and has been selling like mad. It is really a full issue. And, we had to cut down or save a lot of the material for later because the contributors for this issue sent us so much good stuff! So this week, I’ll share some of what we couldn’t get in.
Julie Cleveland’s article, “Rules of Resin” could have been a book for all the information there is out there on the subject. However, we choose to go into the basics, but in depth, so any of you could confidently and successfully work with resin and combine it with your polymer. A number of artists with extensive resin experience shared their work with us to include in the article, but we hardly had room for everything we wanted to share with our readers. Sherri Kellberg was one such contributor. She creates beautiful, shimmering pieces often finished with a resin coating. Recently, she played with a dichroic glass look in polymer and got some stunning results. Some of that work is in the resin article, but here is another piece that looks almost unreal in its shimmer and color. The resin acts like a magnifying glass that amplifies the colors and makes the surface texture look more three dimensional. It’s just one of many small advantages to using resin as a polymer finishing material.
You can see more of Sherri’s work in her recent collection of dichoric look polymer on her blog and more of her shimmering resin and polymer work on her Etsy pages.
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A Mix of Fabulous Influence
February 20, 2015
Inspirational Art
Okay … I love this piece, but I hesitated posting it at first. And I bet you can guess why. The beads are beautifully crafted and the combination of contrasts lets each bead stand apart while still feeling like a part of the grand party that this necklace is by using regular jumps to red and and the limited palette. However, there are a couple very obvious bits of ‘borrowing’. I figured that word hits the middle ground on what some people might think about what Olga Ledneva does with work created in the styles and techniques of Dan Cormier and Helen Breil. Through books and classes, these two masterful artists make these techniques available to learn and create from. You can’t just learn these techniques and then not use them, right? However, you do still need to make them your own.
Upon seeing this, I knew neither Dan nor Helen created this piece. The beads echo theirs, but are not theirs for one or two reasons in each case. I think Olga really has applied her own style to the creation of the beads and, more specifically, to the combination and design of the necklace. The question, however, is whether or not you agree. I am definitely for taking something you learn and putting your own spin on it to the point that its original influence is not readily recognized rather than just add your own flair. But at what point does that happen? How far afield do you go before you can feel it really is your own work?
These are the first of this kind of work from Olga. We featured her own very unique constructed elements style about six months ago, and I can’t say I would have thought this was by the same person. Except for the meticulous finishes. That is really what is so fabulous about this. It is just so beautifully crafted. I am very interested in seeing where she goes with this kind of work. She obviously has her own particular voice and is trying to applying what’s she’s learned to her style of work. The outcome down the road could be tremendously exciting!
So what do you think? Do you think she should have taken the look and forms a touch further, or do you like how well she has learned what was taught and how she changed it?
You can see see more of Olga’s insanely meticulous work on her Flickr page.
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Fabulously Elegant
February 18, 2015
Inspirational Art
Elegance is pretty, but not loud. It may shimmer, shine and glitter, but in a calm and quiet way. That is what I found so attractive about this piece by Susan Whitehouse-Evenson of Tres Jolie Designs by Sue. There are a lot of mica powders, glass beads and ribbons in her collections. And translucent clay that allows all that shimmer to bounce about without opaque materials or dense color.
The familiar pinched petal form shows off additional texture on its surface and an edging of gold to match the complexity of beads and ribbon; none of it is overdone. The soft colors also work with the restrained elegance of the design.
If you like this piece, you’ll find many more beautiful pieces of jewelry, as well as scarves and purses on Sue’s website and in her Etsy shop.
If you like this blog, support The Polymer Arts projects with a subscription or an issue of The Polymer Arts magazine as well as supporting our advertising partners.
Fabulously Lit
February 17, 2015
Inspirational Art
Let there be light. And there was light, and we saw that it was…oh, pretty! It’s like that isn’t it? Light and glow are such visual draws and with the colors in polymer, especially with all the improved clarity of translucents, I’m surprised there are not more actual lights, lamp shades, wall sconces, night light covers and candle holders created with polymer these days. I guess we do kind of get into our jewelry, but now that you’ve seen this fabulous lamp by Wanda Shum, are you considering some interior lit item of your own?
Wanda created this beauty back in 2011, but I thought it might inspire some lighting projects today. This particular shot made me wonder if it was actually polymer, but her blog post with multiple shots confirmed it. I love the concentric circle ripple in the background clay connecting everything in such a subtle manner. Even when it’s not lit up, this is a beautiful piece. It was something Wanda created for her own pleasure and to feed her artistic soul, she said. This waterlily themed lamp with dragonflies emanates not only light, but that personal creative joy that comes from those pieces that just come together for us. Do you know what I mean?
Wanda has not updated her blog in quite a while, and her Etsy site has been on vacation since at least last summer, so I’m not sure what she is up to, but I do hope all is right in her world and that she will be back to amaze us again someday soon. Her blog and gallery pages are there to peruse on her Blogspot site. At least take a look at the many images of this lamp. They are just, well, fabulous!
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Fabulousness on the Wrist
February 16, 2015
Inspirational Art
So, I didn’t do well at thinking up a succinct theme for this week. I just grabbed a handful of great pieces that all make me think ‘fabulous’! So, we are just going to have a week of fabulousness. Is that okay? My tired brain, worn down by working on the last bits for the next issue, which is also fabulous, would love that.
So, how about this piece first. Honestly, there is little that Barbara Fajardo does that doesn’t make me think ‘fabulous’ when I see it. She freely experiments with all kinds of techniques and forms, but they all come together under great color palettes, nice balance and fine finishing. I was originally going to share a necklace of hers with you, but when searching out the source for it I landed on her Flickr page and saw these Barnacle Bracelets, and I had to change it up!
A bowl she created using the same forms was on Polymer Clay Daily last, but I hadn’t seen these. Fabulous right? Fantastic colors, did I not say? The textures are tantalizing, and the complex organic treatment of the barnacles is inspired. I think I would be playing with this all day if I had it on my wrist! And staring. Definitely, staring at them a lot.
See the rest of her barnacled collection and tons and tons of other eye candy on her Flickr page or her website.
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Are you familiar with something known as the flow state? This is that space you get in where you are lost in your own little world because you are so wrapped up in what you are doing. It happens quite commonly when people are working on creative projects and it’s a really good thing for you, both because it dissipates stress and because it increases your level of “feel-good” chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. It’s also defined as an “optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best.” Now, who wouldn’t want that?
I bring this up because I want to talk about mosaics. I think a lot of people look at all those tiny pieces and think, “That looks like a ton of work!” And, yeah, there might be a lot of steps to putting a mosaic together, but the technique is also one that really gets you deep into a flow state. It can be kind of like doodling but with little pieces.
It would not be a hard thing to start on. Most of us have access to tons of tiny pieces, either through leftover canes, unused polymer sheets, or failed projects we haven’t had the heart to toss out. Just slice up those canes, cut up those sheets, and/or start chopping up those cured elements and you have all you need to start creating mosaics. Of course, you can make pieces specifically for mosaics from fresh clay, too!
Mosaics have been on my mind these last couple weeks because, while working on the latest book, Polymer Journeys 2019, it became quite apparent that one of the bigger trends making a splash right now is polymer mosaics and so I thought we ought to take a closer look at this not so new but definitely interesting and flexible technique. (By the way, today is the last day to get the Pre-order Sale pricing on Polymer Journeys 2019! Go to the website to get it at 30% off the cover!)
Mind you, being the insanely creative and exploratory artisans and crafters that they are, polymer enthusiasts aren’t just slapping together any old standard expectation of a mosaic. They are mixing mediums, trying out every shape in the book, using three-dimensional forms, and generally just pushing the boundaries of what the mosaic technique is. Gotta love polymer crafters!
So, let’s take a look at what some people are doing as of late and we’ll end with suggestions for getting into the mosaic flow yourself.
Different Kinds of Bits & Pieces
One of the folks who, at least initially, takes a classic approach to the art form of mosaics but certainly adds her own flavor to it, is Christi Friesen. She cuts out squares of polymer, lays a base to adhere them to and then arranges the pieces in pleasing and energetic patterns. But of course, Christi can’t leave well enough alone — she has to add bling and embellishments of all kinds! She’s been mixing in glass, wire, charms, beads, and probably a bunch of other things I will never be able to identify, to create her whimsical tiles, vessels and jewelry. Can’t you just sense the depth of the flow state she must have been in creating this beautiful maelstrom?
You could say that Claire Fairweather is classically inspired too, but her work has a twist to it. That twist is a commitment to circles used to create these wonderful images of graduated color and varied texture. Using round elements instead of squares and straight-sided shapes that join neatly together, leaves more open space but it’s one that has a fairly regular rhythm that flows in and out of the carefully placed circles. This gives the imagery more orderliness and a softer look as you can see in the many sides of her mosaic globe below. (Be sure to jump over to her blog to get the rundown on what each side is showing.)
Keep in mind that a mosaic piece does not have to be all mosaic. Large swaths can be made up of other types of polymer elements such as textured, silkscreen, impressed, or hand tooled layers or forms. A lot of Susan Crocenzi’s work, especially earlier in this decade, consist of entire halves of her pieces being a kind of polymer landscape, surrounded by glass mosaics or a mix of mosaic mediums. Here is just one example below but you can find more on her website too.
For all of you mad caners out there, here is an example of how beautifully energetic a piece can be just by arranging thick cane slices on a simple form. This bib necklace is a yet-to-be-hung creation by Ivy Niles, who makes some of the most impressive canes. You can see how much more impressive they are when working together in this off-center mandala type pattern.
If you really like the idea of doing mosaics don’t relegate your sources of inspiration to the work of polymer artist’s, as unique as they may be. Take a look at what glass and tile mosaic artists are doing these days as well (just type “mosaic art” into your favorite browser or an image-centric site, like Pinterest or Instagram) if for no other reason than there is some amazing and gorgeous work out there to enjoy. Here is a gorgeous piece by Francis Green in what seems to be a rare piece of wall art. This woman will mosaic anything she can get her hands on! She kinda reminds me of some unbridled polymer artist with their canes. Just take a look at her website.
The How-Tos of Mosaics
So, are you itching to try some mosaics now? Here are a few places you could start:
- If you want to start with something classic, even, and orderly, check out this straight-forward mosaic tile tutorial by Korrina Robinson on her blog.
- Prefer a more open and visually textural approach that is flexible enough to use any type of clay sheets or even canes? Take a look at this mosaic vase by Kathy Koontz on the Sculpey website.
- If you’re ready to really dive in, might I suggest you invest in this great tutorial on micromosaics and faux glass by Pavla Čepelíková. The opening image of this post shows examples of some of the things she’ll teach you to make in this downloadable PDF.
- If you want to use mosaic as a way to diminish your pile of scrap clay and cured bits, take a look at Christi Friesen’s mosaic video tutorial here. You can also have fun creating mosaics Antoni Gaudi style on an unusually formed box with Christi in the Polymer Art Projects – Organic book (go to our website to get your copy!)
- And if that’s not enough, Christi sells mosaic kits on her website where you can also find tons of other embellishments and bobbles to assist in your mosaic flow. Just click here!
- I even have some exciting mosaics for you to look forward to too … We just found out that Staedtler/Fimo is going to sponsor Ann and Karen Mitchell, the Masters of liquid polymer clay, to create a mini mosaic tutorial for the next issue of The Polymer Studio magazine. This is a changeup to Karen’s tiny micromosaic technique published in The Polymer Arts back in the Fall of 2015.
Whew! I got into a flow a bit there myself writing excitedly about all this fun stuff. I hope you’ll give mosaics a try if you have not already, or at least give yourself some time to just get lost in your craft today. It’s good for the brain and the soul and you never know what will come of it later in your creative journey!
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I know I just featured Katie Way in February, but this is such a great example of taking a technique and making it your own that I didn’t want to pass by this opportunity. This seemed particularly apropos after an incident came up a week or so ago that I was consulted about involving a student submitting something to a contest that they created either in a class or based on a class. The problem was not in taking something that was learned in a class and creating from that knowledge but using the design choices that the teaching artist used. So, let’s just review what that means. In a way, it’s very simple – you can replicate technique, but you cannot use the design decisions of another artist.
I think part of the issue is that there is some confusion as to what’s is technique and what is design, so let me try to define that.
Technique is how you manipulate the material including how you apply texture, the process of forming/sculpting, the mixing or application of color treatments, the creation of mechanisms or use of materials for constructing the piece, etc. In other words, it’s about the process of creating.
Design is about the specific choices you make about how something is going to look. So, your choices about the type of texture (not how you apply it), the shapes you create (but not how you create them), the colors you choose (but not the source of the color), and the arrangement of your construction (but not the mechanisms used to put pieces together), are all design choices. If the majority of your choices are based on someone else’s examples, then you’re in danger of copying their design. Changing the color or shape is simply not enough, nor is it fair to the artist that inspired you and, equally so, it’s not fair to you and your creative growth to skip the exploration of what a piece could be by not making the design decisions yourself.
In the piece we see here, Katie Way took a class with Alice Stroppel and made a piece that is uniquely her own. You can see the influence of both artists in this work. The big, bold cane work shows Alice’s influence, but the color choices and all those bulls-eye circles are absolutely Katie. I would’ve known this was Katie’s right away, but it would’ve taken me a few moments to realize where her change in technique came from if she hadn’t made note of her influencer. And that’s really how it should be.
You can absolutely copy the work of the teaching artist in class as a way to learn. Most of them do prefer that. But when you go home, don’t make that same basic piece ever again. Have enough confidence and belief in your artistic self to work out your own designs. It is far more fulfilling to create from your own sense of aesthetic and ideas than to simply be successful with someone else’s design.
Okay, getting off my soapbox now. If you’re intrigued by Alice’s cane mapping class, go to her website to check out where she will be teaching next. And if you’ve somehow missed Katie’s work, check out her Etsy shop and her Instagram page.
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I spent a lot of time looking for differently constructed clocks in polymer and couldn’t find much that really illustrated the point I was hoping to make. What I wanted was to show that a clock does not have to be on a flat surface. It can be made of many parts, attached or not, and fully dimensional. As long as you have something that can house or hide the clock mechanism while holding out the hands, the rest is wide open. You can have the hour markers designated by any form and attach them with sticks or wire or be free floating–whatever suits the piece and your inclination.
These two examples are commercial designs rather than polymer art but I think they give you the basics of this idea of moving beyond the flat clock face. Not only do these kinds of clocks make for really interesting wall pieces, they give you the freedom to use pieces you may already have such as large hollow beads, faux stones, unhung pendants, small figurines, flowers, etc.
As a gift, giving a clock that has separate pieces might be best attached to something that can be hung as one piece, like a backing of Plexiglas or painted plywood. Or include instructions for a template to mark on the wall where each piece goes. There is little to no construction to deal with but you will have to make concessions in the design for how the individual pieces will be hung. Alternately, go for a design where the elements are attached like the flowers you see here.
The sky is the limit with these kinds of designs. For more ideas, try searching “DIY clocks,” which was the keyword set that brought me to these two pieces. I hope these sparks some ideas and I look forward to seeing inventive clock designs this month!
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In my search for clock inspiration, I veered a bit off the polymer path, but then again, I kept running into pieces that I thought were polymer but were not. Of course, pieces like this splendid celestial clock by Natalya Polekh could be created in a very similar fashion with polymer. Large textured sheets and fun with alcohol inks and mica powders could produce similarly stunning results so I took a closer look.
Natalya looks to be a well-known mixed media artist in Eastern Europe and Russia and when I say mixed, I mean all kinds of things. Her primary materials look to be various types of acrylic paint, dimensional and pearling paints, 3D gel, embossing paste, and glass and metal accents of different types. She works in texture, mosaics and layered media that is applied in such a way that knowing the materials is rather superfluous. She creates a beautiful complexity of texture and motif with shine and shimmer applied in abundance but always in a tasteful and often intriguing manner.
She does much more than clocks although she has done quite few of them. Take a look at her shop for more clock and textural ideas as well as very well priced tutorials on how she creates this work. Her VK.com page has more images.
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A lot of the peek-a-boo designs you see peer in at just one contrasting surface although there are a few out there who add in a little charm or an additional focal point. But I really like what Czech Republic’s Jitka Petrů did with this opening in her pendant’s surface.
The many overlapping layers look like they are moving back, one depth at a time and seem like we will soon see the inner surface although it stops at just giving us the tiniest of peeks. But that effect really draws your eye in. When you pull back, it even has a bit of an optical motion effect, in part because of the angling of the layers but also because of the very slight change in color value and hue which makes for a gradual transition to the center.
Jitka plays around with this peek into layers in a number of ways as you can see in her shop here.
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Since we started out this week with a spooky something or other peeking out at us, I thought I’d try to make a theme of it and the idea of peeking into things is always intriguing. Spaces that allow us to look into things beyond is like the revealing of a tiny mystery, a look into a place that we might otherwise be shut off from. When this is part of a design, I think it automatically will draw the eye. Whether you can keep a viewer looking is up to the rest of your design.
The idea of a partly revealed letter that Samantha Burroughs chose for this beautifully textured pendant is certainly alluring. Who doesn’t get a little bit of thrill from the possibility of seeing the inner thoughts of another person? We are also very drawn to text in general as our brain wants to immediately read and decipher it so it was a good choice for the interior content of the holes here. It also creates a contrasting texture to the organic surface of the piece.
Samantha has honed her skills in a variety of established techniques and looks to be fully exploring quite a few of them. You can find her work on Etsy.
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Being that tomorrow is Halloween, I could not help but get in one last spooky bit of polymer creativity. The thing that makes something truly scary is the stuff you can’t see, or so I have always felt. The bogeyman under the bed, the creature in the closet, the shape of some beast in the bushes … just the hint that something is there allows our imagination to run wild. And in the dark and the shadows, our imagination comes up with some pretty scary stuff!
So, seeing the pair of eyes staring out from the forest in this polymer illustration by Korrina Robinson, what are you thinking is in there? You know I was thinking those eyes need to be glow in the dark and then I would so want this to be a light switch plate because how freaky would that be in a shadowy room to have to reach into that to get the light on and banish the very fears it invokes? Can you hear your inner voice saying, “Don’t do it! You’ve seen this seen in the movies and someone always loses a hand!”
Okay … enough with trying to spook you all. Especially since I think I am very much spooking myself in the process. But isn’t it neat how our imaginations can add so much to what we look at? And isn’t it great that polymer clay allows us to create any such thing our imagination comes up with?
For those of you who celebrate this holiday in which we face and often embrace our fears, have a very safe and happy Halloween.
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I was going to start off a week of spooky ghoulishness but I have to delay that for one more post as I wanted to take the opportunity to share a beautiful piece recently created by the ever-surprising Beth Petricoin. The glass vessel you see here, accompanied by a similarly styled neckpiece was part of an entry for a decorated table contest in a local town. I choose this image so you could see the work but it is best displayed in a darker setting when the side-sitting vessel and the necklace both are lit up by hidden LED lights.
Beth did not win the contest which was a disappointment for her but if originality and hard work had been what they were primarily grading on, it would have been an easy winner I think. But as she says in her post, it is easier to have your work appreciated by fellow artisans and this, unfortunately, was not really an art contest. But I thought we all could sure show our appreciation for the beautifully applied and finished work as well as the ingenuity of the design, especially in regards to its function as an eye-catching table centerpiece.
I won’t go on too long about this as Beth has written at length about the event and the piece. I do hope it gets a few creative wheels turning with some pondering on larger polymer pieces and maybe a few of you will now want to keep an eye out for more unique shapes for polymer-covered decor. Do jump over to her blog to see the lit up images and to read about how she created these beauties.
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Last week I had the very fortunate opportunity to spend a couple days chatting and exploring Los Angeles with Christi Friesen and one of my oldest polymer pals, Debbie Crothers. We definitely did more talking than anything else and one of the subjects that kept coming up was exploration. Exploration of a technique or of a design element in your work can reveal much about what you personally prefer to do in your work not just what the technique or element offers.
One great way to explore is to make a lot of elements using the same technique or the same design element. In this bold neckpiece by Hélène JeanClaude there are several variations on the dot. The dot as a colored accent, as repetition defining the structure of a visual pattern, and as negative space are joined together, linked by that same color of blue and the coppery brown. The curve of the shapes, as well as the colors and the dots themselves, create a cohesive whole of these three very different explorations of the way a dot can be used.
Hélène’s work often appears to be an exploration of a particular design element or perhaps she is simply not satisfied with an element being presented in just one way. Regardless, it presents a high level of sophistication and energy to her tribal-leaning aesthetic. You can explore the fruits of her explorations on her Flickr photostream and here on her blog.
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