Tag: polymer clay

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Colorful Pinched Petals…

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Several years ago- while Maggie Maggio and I were working on our book- a well intentioned friend mentioned to me (while laughing)… once they find out they need to pinch,fold and pierce over 120 petals to make that necklace!?!

Apparently the labor intensive aspect of that project has not dissuaded dozens of artists around the world from making a pinched petal lei , and in many instances adding their own twist. I am always delighted when I run across examples on Facebook, blogs and Flickr.

The joyful looks on the faces of the women Nepal via A Colourful Journey wearing their versions of my necklace was especially poignant to me –  a shared aesthetic and a wonderful example of out “shrinking” world. Here are some other inspirational examples I found…Nora Pero, Bettina Mertz, Oak Georgia, Kralenia and Allessia Stre.

 

 

 

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Updated Color Chart…

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After our book was published in 2009 there have been several significant changes to the colors that are available to the polymer artist- Polyform products discontinued their  Sculpey Studio line and two essential primaries – Zinc Yellow and Cobalt blue in their Premo line are only available on a limited basis (see my last post). Several pre-mixed “designer” colors are now available: including Pomegranate Red, Denim Blue and Wasabi Green. The recipes for mixing Zinc Yellow and Cobalt blue, as promised, have yet to appear on their web site.

In the meantime many artists, myself included, have been experimenting with the new Polyform colors and exploring the currently available primaries offered by FIMO, Pardo, Kato Clay and Cernit- will keep you posted.

Maggie Maggio has updated her color triangle chart to reflect the changes in Polyform’s product line.

“I’ve started testing the new Premo clays and added the possible primary colors to the chart above. I’ve also added a new category – package colors that have white – because I choose to use colors that are at full saturation and add white if I need it.”

This spring I was designing a project where I normally would have used fluorescent pink to pump up the red in the Skinner blend and since I usually would have added white to the mixture Candy pink was an acceptable substitute.

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Color Consciousness…

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For the past several months Carol Simmons has been posting a series of well thought out and detailed articles on her blog in response to the  discontinuation of two essential  primaries -Cobalt Blue and Zinc Yellow –  in Premo by Polyform Products. For those of us that mix our own colors and teach about color using polymer clay….Denim blue and Sunshine yellow are NOT  acceptable substitutes.

Carol has annotated Maggie Maggio’s color triangle color chart on her site to help illustrate the loss of Zinc yellow and Cobalt Blue.

Note: For the time being the remaining stock of those two colors is available from Polymer Clay Express.

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Colorful Article…

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In the most recent issue of Ornament Magazine there is an article by Jill DeDominucis =” Polymer Clay a Modern Medium Comes of Age ” that features a timeline of artists that the magazine has featured in the past twenty four years.

‘Polymer clay has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a doll making  and modeling material. In the decades since it was created, innovative artists have secured this modern medium a rightful place as a respectable form of expression in the art and studio jewelry movement.”

Most interesting to me = a photo of Sophie Rehbinder-Kruse with her children,1954, courtesy of Staedtler Archives. A historical photo I had never seen before.Most grateful for= Ornament Magazine’s continued support of polymer artists. To subscribe to the magazine and read the article visit here.

 

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Exploring the Rainbow…

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If you’ve read our book – Polymer Clay Color Inspirations and were intrigued by the color collage process as a way to determine a set of custom mixed primaries to use in your work, then you might be interested in this two day workshop November 5th and 6th, 2011 = “Exploring the Rainbow” at Woman Creative in Buford, Georgia (near Atlanta). A more complete workshop description may be found here along with the supply list. Registration details are here.

I will be having a trunk show at the gallery Friday evening November 4th. There is a fabulous retrospective exhibit of polymer spanning twenty five years with work from ninety six artists.

Hope to see you there! or here...

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Colorful Walking Sticks…

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. Yes! We will all be taking colorful walks this summer….The workshop “Walking the Enlightened Rainbow” was a combination of guided meditations, collaging, group brain storming, polymer clay color mixing strategies/concepts. laughter and joy- while making colorful walking sticks

Maureen Carlson’s Center for the Creative Arts Center is a very special place for stretching our imaginations, introspection,healing, joy and creative fun!

I will be returning to Maureen’s next summer= July 11th- 15th,2012 to teach a new five day workshop -“Creating a Personal Power Shield” that combines spirituality,intention,meditation,collaging and polymer clay with fibers, beads, inks, markers and joyful collaboration.

“Our Center is grounded in the belief that creativity is a doorway into self discovery, personal and spiritual growth, and joyful living.” Is part of Maureen’s vision for the center.

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Colorful Bargello Tissue…

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Last month while on vacation Hollie Mion gave me a packet of purse tissues (the designs reminded me of polymer clay canes) …several days later she noticed that I still  had the unopened package on display on my work surface? When I told her it was too pretty to open, she generously gave me another package. So now I am paying more attention to printed tissues..

When I  think of Bargello in polymer clay, Laura Liska’s impeccably constructed beads come to mind. And now  I can tuck a packet of pocket “Bargello” Kleenex into my purse. Wishing you a colorful day- remember to invite rainbows into your life.  Continue reading “Colorful Bargello Tissue…” →

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Colorful Earrings…

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If you have ever watched me work in my studio or heard me talk about my preference for “Make more than One” – then you already know that I believe that there is a great opportunity to explore a design by making more than one version… occasionally, I do go overboard. This spring I made twenty four Skinner blend canes and set out to make a series of three earring designs including my curve earrings, glow earrings and glow earrings with leaves and petals.

Gratefully, when I went to put these new earrings together I had lots of help= folding earring cards, making holes in the cards, bending niobium ear wires, and inserting the wire guards. Thank you Jacqueline Cherie, Leslie Blackford, Judy Belcher and Ellen Prophater. In the end, another realization, I am NOT too good about estimating production and ended up with over 250 pairs of earrings.

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Rainbow Ikat Workshop…

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If you are interested in taking a new  color inspired  polymer clay workshop in Damascus, Maryland at The Artway/Polymer Clay Express…it is not too late to register .

March 5 & 6, 2011
Damascus, MD at the Artway
Rainbow Ikat Inspirations
To register call 800-844-0138

$150/two day workshop

Ikat, is the method of weaving that uses a resist dyeing process similar to tie-dye on either the warp or weft fibers. Ikat is also a fabulous pattern that can be made as a cane using polymer clay stripe blends. Learn how to make Lindly’s version of an Ikat blend cane that uses extruded elements to intensify value contrasts that will make your cane really “pop”.

Once you have your blends made you will be slicing, dicing, twisting and recombining them to come up with several different color coordinated patterns.

Strategies for constructing three-dimensional beads, pillow beads and flat laminated pieces will be demonstrated along with some valuable finishing techniques. Continue reading “Rainbow Ikat Workshop…” →