Tribal Color

By adding fluorescent colors to tribal inspired designs, Debbie Jackson brings this ancient art form into the 21st century. Tribal jewelry was traditionally constructed from natural materials, like animal claws and teeth, bone, elephant hair, horns, horse hair, ivory, metal, resin, seeds, shells, stone, and wood. Polymer clay allows us the freedom to create faux natural materials, or use mixed media, to simulate these techniques that date back more than 75,000 years.

African tribal jewelry frequently tells a story. Different colors have different meanings. Blue represents the sky and belief in the gods; green represents the sacred element of grass that nourishes cattle; red represents the blood of the cattle and white represents the milk. Jewelry was also thought to protect the wearer by providing balance between the earth and nature, allowing the wearer to be in harmony with the cycles and rhythms of the natural world.

Challenge yourself to view your work and your designs from a tribal perspective. Pay close attention to the colors you have chosen and ask yourself if they tell the story you are trying to express.  Play with color and design elements to energize your work and bring out the tribal influences within you. Add beads or mixed media to enhance your designs and take them to the next level. If you want some in depth help, check out Debbie’s book, “Polymer Clay Jewelry,” for step-by-step instructions.

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.