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Fruits of a bead strand

The exhibit at the Mingei Museum in San Diego showcased polymer pioneers and gave me the opportunity to stroll through the galleries with my daughter who videotaped it for you.

The care that the curators took preparing the second-floor exhibit left me quite verklempt (hence my shakey voice). The works brought back a flood of memories of exciting creative experiences with artists who became dear friends.

Lindly Haunani had the foresight to request a bead from each participant at these early retreats. The “Bead Strand” became a long, clear record of how polymer art developed. Pieces from the collections of Elise Winters, Nan Roche and others rounded out this terrific look at our past. I hope you take as much pride in this as I do. There’s a list of artists at the end of the video.

Scratching your itch

My vacation limited research this week but I was intrigued by Janice Abarbanel’s post about scratch foam from Dick Blick. The results of her scratched designs pressed into polymer were lovely and she details her sources and her process clearly.

Giveaway winner

The winner of the Successful Jewelry DVD with Steven Ford is Christine Kelsey! Congratulations! I can’t wait to tempt you with a fun new product next month.

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Facing Change

Many of you may identify with New Mexico polymer artist Barb Fajardo as she talks about facing what’s next with her art. While the prospect of travel and teaching offer exciting possibilities, those changes also include some fear and sadness.

If you’ve watched your nest empty and your studio grow, you’ll understand the sometimes conflicting feelings that change brings with it.

Mixing media

Being a polymer purist I rarely publish work, no matter how exciting, that looks like polymer but turns out to be something else. Here are two great examples that are too luscious to pass up and that I can share with you.

Jillian Palone works in paper clay in an organic way that you’ll immediately recognize. Look at those bracelets!

Jillian Moore mixes lots of media, including polymer and lately she’s gravitated back to it. I love the in-process shots of her lastest series of brooches. She finishes them off by suspending them and coating them with a layer of resin that drips like a runny nose. Don’t you want wear one just to get a reaction?

Advanced Style

In this trailer for an upcoming documentary on older women and fashion, one flamboyant woman says, “I am dressed up for the theater of my life every day.” Another admits she’s, “…hungry for color.”

The exhuberance of these women was a pleasure to watch. They use themselves as canvases for their art.

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The heart of the matter

With all the heady coverage in museums, magazines and exhibits, we’re properly proud. At the same time this warm conversation with Colorado’s Tejae Floyde brings us back to the heart of the matter. Tejae smiles broadly as she talks about using polymer for memory and giving and shared secrets. Her own heart shines through her art.

Status, Power and Adornment

What a marvelous week! The PCD posts bounced from museums to minimalists, from quilting to mosaics – each one more interesting than the last with something for everyone! A couple of very nice exhibits didn’t fit into PCD’s lineup and you might enjoy them.

Mobilia Gallery is celebrating the opening of the jewelry gallery at the Museum of Fine Art Boston with their own “Objects of Status, Power and Adornment” exhibit. Cynthia Toops and Wendy Malinow are two polymer artists whom you might recognize in the show.

View Wendy’s Woodland Crown in a proper nymph-like setting on PolymerArtArchive.

And in Ornament Magazine, check out A Study in Beauty, an article on Rachel Curren’s intricately silkscreened polymer work.

Homemade helper

I found pictures of an earring wire jig made out of polymer among the recent conference pictures. I don’t know who its creator is but it’s ingenious!

The benefit of failing

This article (from 99%) on spotting failure and fixing it early felt right. Take a look.

When our mistakes stare us in the face, we often find it so upsetting that we miss out on the primary benefit of failing (yes, benefit): the chance to get over our egos and come back with a stronger, smarter approach.

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Natalia Garcia de Leaniz

In this 3-minute video with Madrid’s Natalia Garcia de Leaniz she talks about Spain’s young and growing guild which she helped found. She touches briefly on her approach to polymer and how she feels compelled to express her happiness through color. Natalia’s had significant health challenges which have contributed to a remarkable resolve to communicate her joy.

If you look closely during the video and on Natalia’s Flickr site you can see some of the texturing she has developed using rough air filter foam materials and other special techniques.

She has a down-and-dirty way with mokume gane that uses just a few thin layers of color impressed with two tools. Her vibrant colors are the real trick.

Deep cure

Seasoned polymer artists will tsk-tsk about Randee Ketzel’s venture into a technique that she calls a Deep Cure, otherwise known as overbaking.

This “controlled burn” might be considered dangerous by some since the polymer gives off noxious fumes when significantly burned. It’s interesting to suspend judgment and take a look at her results working with translucent clay over various base colors and at a range of temperatures.

This is the kind of information I would not share on the PCD blog for fear of stirring up trouble and possibly causing harm. Still interesting though.

Thinking and not thinking

You may agree with Maggie Maggio’s description of the optimal thought process in one of her posts this week.

Since I am an analyzer by nature, its tempting to try to decide everything about a project ahead of time, to think about what I am trying to communicate and then design the color scheme, the contrasts, the mood. But over the years I’ve learned it’s a combination of thinking and not thinking that works the best. The reality is that my work is always better if I just get started with an inspiration or an intention and then don’t think it too much.

Trend watching

My son forwarded this link about live beetle jewelry thinking that it might be an inkling of a new trend for polymer. Do you suppose so?

Focusing

Craftcast’s Alison Lee talks about focusing in her short weekly video. It resonated with me!

Head shot

Debra DeWolff needed a professional portrait for her new business. “Something I’ve discovered in recent years is that the older you get, the less you care about what you look like or what people think,” says Debra.

At her photographer’s suggestion, Debra put her money where her mouth is…and covered her face with polymer bits. “I think I look only mildly insane,” she adds. He took a normal shot as well. Which one do you think she’ll use?

Sweet corn

If sweet corn is as plentiful in your area as it is in mine, you may like this Angie Scarr tutorial on her polymer version. She offers some new tiny lobster molds too if you want to complete your late summer feast in polymer.

Let’s get together again next weekend.

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Tracking your trajectory

In this week’s chat with Utah’s Jana Roberts Benzon, she looks back in amazement at where her art has taken her. Her trajectory is not what she could have predicted and she’s pleased as she looks ahead.

On PCD this week we watched Laura Timmins turn from 16 years of retail to a wholesale business.

We caught up with Debra DeWolff as she jumps back into retailing after a few years of other work. She says of her new space, “ Since I moved into this apartment I’d been using the space strictly for storage because I hadn’t really thought that I’d be getting back into my business again.” She explains her new path on her blog post called theLearning Curve.

Maggie Maggio’s trajectory changed slightly as she moved her studio out of the basement and into an upstairs bedroom. The cozy nook, the rich red walls, the organization of the space, her attention to recycling – all hint at how Maggie works and where she’s heading.

Maggie shared this video from colorist Kaffe Fassett (pronounced to rhyme with “safe asset”). He traces his history and says he finds work deeply healing and meditative. He talks eloquently about expressing your inner color.

Where are you headed? Have slight adjustments in the way you work or think changed your direction?

The success of StudioMojo (thanks to you), a book contract that’s become a reality, and big travel plans have me excited about my future too!

Do you heart tools?

Check out these Wubber’s specialty pliers which I ran into on the ArtBeadScene blog. Watching someone make perfect loops or earwires can be mesmerizing.

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Maggie Maggio’s explorations

This Maggie Maggio video is the first of several exciting sessions I taped during my Oregon vacation. It was an education to sit next to Maggie as she explored “sculptural color” and the next variations in split rings.

She was undeterred by failures and dead ends. The results have great possibility. The versatility and strength of her pieces is phenomenal. The bracelet I brought home takes daily abuse with no ill effects. Maggie allowed me to show the “slinky” bracelet on PCDaily but the Ndebele-inspired necklace video we saved just for you. Depending on the speed of your network, link to the HD version or the regular video version).

Product watch

Though I don’t often visit the malls, I’m a relentless product watcher and tag-checker. If any of these finds are “so yesterday” to you, just ignore me. I took endless ribbing about my lack of a Costco membership which forced me to sign up. Now I have my own stash of four-bean salad, their wonderful pesto and yummy guacamole.

Here are other recent (non-Costco) finds:

• Peerless watercolors - How cool is it to have your watercolors right in your sketchbook? It reminds me of those magical coloring books I had as a kid. Here they are in Maggie’s journal.
• Prang glitter or metallic watercolors - Sweet!
• Alcohol-infused whipped cream - Potent and tasty stuff. The new Jello shot I guess. Find it at liquor stores.
• Battery-powered OttLiteHD - Sleek, LEDs and battery-powered. No extension cords for me at the next conference!

Frozen delicacies

Ever wonder how Leslie Blackford makes her molds of morel mushrooms and other perishable organics? She freezes them! Then she quickly places the hardened item into molding material and every detail is preserved. That girl is smart!

Up next

A video look at Dayle Doroshow’s new polymer/fabric art series and a tour of Wendy Malinow’s studio in Portland are in the editing process so hang on tight. I’ll let you know when the programmers have the billing software mended.

Hope you enjoy! Comments? Suggestions? I’m listening.
Cynthia

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