New Inspiration from the Archives of the POLYinforMER
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It has been suggested that we reintroduce some of the excellent articles that appeared in the NPCG's print newsletter, POLYinforMER, which was published quarterly from 1995 to 2005.
I thought the New Year was the perfect time to reintroduce this inspiring article by California artist and dancer, Lisa Deines, from our Winter 2002 issue. May it help to refuel your creativity and chase away the post-holiday blahs!
Suzanne Ivester President
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Creative Cross-Training
by Lisa Deines
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Cross-training is a common practice by which athletes
can achieve maximum performance levels while avoiding burnout. Similarly, polymer
clay artists who cross-train by working in other crafts and looking to life
experiences for inspiration will improve their work and find their creative experience
more rewarding.
Even though the versatility of polymer clay
provides a lot of variety, practicing another craft or art form will flex
different creative muscles. It will provide a break from the usual thought
processes and challenge you to think in a different way so that you will return
to polymer clay refreshed, inspired, and more productive.
Another benefit of cross-training is that it develop
skills that would not be developed as fast in your usual routine but that will
contribute to your overall performance. For instance, athletes often include
running or weight training in their workout when they feel their usual sport is
not providing the cardiovascular conditioning or toning they need to reach
their peak.
Doing other crafts will make you more
well-rounded by exposing you to techniques that are transferable to polymer
clay. While painting, you may find a color combination to make a beautiful Skinner
blend; while creating cards, you may find the perfect stamp for a clay project.
If you write a story, you may create a character that you can to bring into the
3-D world as an art doll.
Sometimes athletic cross-training includes non-physical
subjects. Athletes with expanded minds perform better because they can
problem-solve while in action. Studying kinesiology helps athletes understand
how the body moves and thereby use their own bodies more wisely. Similarly,
polymer clay artists can go outside the realm of arts and crafts to learn
beneficial skills. If you want to make realistic art dolls, a knowledge of
anatomy is a must. If you want to sell your work, studying marketing and
business practices will help you achieve that goal.
Stress is a common factor in today's society, especially
in situations that demand stellar results. In sports, stress results from the
need to produce the best results for a moment in time; in polymer clay, it is
the need to produce a permanent piece of work that will be viewed favorably by
others. To cope with stress, athletes and artists alike may explore relaxation
techniques such as meditation or visualization. Or you might want to get
physical: studies show that exercise can reduce stress levels and help you
think more clearly. Taking a yoga or Tai Chi class may stretch your mind as
well as your body; a brisk walk may clear the cobwebs.
Many artists keep a journal to help them move
their emotions from inside to outside their consciousness. Giving your heart
and soul to your craft can drain your reserves, so if you know something will
bring balance to your psyche, do it. And if you haven't found something that
does this, start looking! Your art doesn't come from your hands. They are just
the tools used to pull something out of your soul, so be sure to take care of
your spirit first, and the body and craft will follow.
Through cross-training you can improve your
work while keeping it interesting by practicing other crafts or exploring what
life has to offer. Any experience that can further your skills as an artist can
be considered cross-training, and often these experiences are the byproducts of
being curious and active. After all, art is a reflection of life. If you live a
full life, that vibrancy will shine through your work.
Lisa Deines is an artist, dancer, and choreographer in Sacramento, CA. Visit her website, Laughing Dragon & Twisted Wombat Studios for more inspiration. |
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Calls for Entry and On-Line Resources
Wide Open," Brooklyn, NY, deadline Jan. 11, or Jan. 25 for late entries. Space 237's Annual Spring Art Exhibition, Toledo, OH, deadline Jan. 15 North to South, Charlotte, NC, deadline Jan. 15 Virginia Woolfe and the Natural World, Georgetown, KY, deadline Jan. 15 "For the Love of Art," Austin, TX, deadline Jan. 18 Women's Works 2010, Woodstock, IL, deadline MyArtworkSpace.com Winter Art Competition, on-line, deadline Jan. 31 Texas National 2010, Nacogdoches, TX, deadline Feb. 1 "The Imagine H'Arts Show," Ingram, TX, deadline Feb. 3 Arts on Fire Juried Exhibition, Pacifica, CA, deadline Feb. 9, 2010 Liberadores/Liberators, Denver, CO, deadline Feb. 12 |
Classes/Workshops
- Jana Roberts Benzon in Israel, Jan. 15
- Sue Heaser Workshops
Suffork, Eng., Jan. 16-17
- Sandra McCaw Workshop,
Nottingham, Eng., Jan. 23-24
- Lisa Pavelka Classes
Tucson, AZ, Feb.2-8
- The First Exhibition of the Israeli Guild, Rishon Le Zion, Feb 10-17
For a current list of classes and workshops, visit the IPCA website often. And be sure to enter information about your events on our calendar. We rely on you to keep us up-to-date!
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Volume 3, Issue 1 January 2010
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Preview the Synergy2 Exhibition Today
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If you haven't yet checked out the Synergy2 exhibition on-line, why not?! Forty-two of the sixty total pieces are available to view and purchase, with more being added regularly. And now is the time to pre-order your copy of the print catalog, designed by Cynthia Tinapple, which will be available for pick-up at Synergy2.
The
Synergy2 exhibition represents the creative collaboration of some of the top artists in polymer clay with those in other media to produce exquisite and provocative interpretations of this
year's theme - exploring connections. The resulting works of art combine polymer with fabric, fibers, metals, wood, and glass, illustrating vividly the synergistic ideal that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
There aren't enough superlative adjectives to describe the artistic products of this shared inspiration in. The results truly must be seen.
Shown above: Frayed Denim, by Carol Blackburn
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Departing Board Members Say Goodbye
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January marks a time of transition for the IPCA officers. While we welcome enthusiastically our new board members, Christy Minnis, Vice President for Membership, and Pete Rumbaugh, Member-at-Large from Virginia, we regretfully say goodbye to friends who have served the Association so well for the last two years.
Our Web-Content Editor Extraordinaire, Julie Picarello, will be greatly missed, but we trust she'll remain active as an artist, a teacher, and an enthusiastic member of IPCA. We owe a debt of gratitude to Julie not only for providing lively and timely information to the website, but for her service on the Synergy2 Committee. Julie expresses her feelings on leaving:
"The past two years have flown by so quickly, and it's hard to believe my term is coming to a close. It's been such a pleasure to serve with the other members of the IPCA Board, and to have experienced firsthand the level of dedication within the group. We all have such busy lives these days, and it's often difficult to carve out time for a leisurely bubble bath, let alone taking on a new responsibility. Yet the enthusiasm and efforts of these volunteers have made the polymer community so much the richer with the conferences, retreats and programs they support. To the board members continuing on as well the incoming members: may you continue the wonderful traditions with my gratitude and best wishes. See you at Synergy2!"
Our veteran Vice-President for Membership, Gayle Thompson, has had the difficult job of keeping our membership lists and information updated, even during a very stressful time in her own life. We're so grateful to her for sharing her energy and knowledge. Gayle is now helping Christy to "learn the ropes" and assume her duties. She writes:
"It's with very mixed emotions that I'm ending my four years of
service as VP Membership.
I've seen so many changes in that time: We've become
an international organization, moved into the 21st century with our website, and are about to host our second Synergy conference. We've had our first IPCA Retreat and have helped artists to enter the wholesale market through ACRE. But most important for me, I had a chance to meet so many of our members! Sometimes it was just an email
communication; at other times it was a face-to-face meeting at an event.I'm honored to have been a part of the
IPCA board during this time of growth!
You haven't heard the last of me yet, though. I plan to remain an active member. And who knows? maybe I'll be back on the board in the
future. Right now, I'm in a new
phase of my life. I've become my mother's caregiver, and I'm so thankful that I can be here for her
during this difficult time. Her
health is not good, but I'm enjoying every hour we spend together. She's always been there for me, in
good times and bad. Now I have the
opportunity to return the favor."
Our Member-at-Large from Virginia will also be greatly missed. She's been responsible for communications with the Commonwealth of Virginia, where we are incorporated as a nonprofit organization, for handling our "snail mail," and for being an all-around good sport and team player. Cindy offers her regards to all:
"Thank you for the opportunity to serve on the IPCA board and under the awesome leadership of both presidents--Judy Belcher and Suzanne Ivester!! As Member-at-Large for 2-1/2 years, I was able to be a part of so many important projects and changes, such as growing into an international association and contributing to Elise Winter's historical Polymer Archive Project at RAM. I enjoyed helping organize Synergy I, participating in last summer's IPCA retreat, and am very much looking forward to both Cabin Fever and Synergy2010 next month. I would like to welcome and embrace our new Member-at-Large, Mary Sue (Pete) Rumbaugh, and thank in advance all of the current, new, and future IPCA board members for their contributions to everything polymer! "
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IPCA Bylaws Amended
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The executive board of the IPCA amended the Association's Bylaws in December 2009. The new bylaws will appear in full on the IPCA website, but the changes are summarized here - The official name of the organization is the International Polymer Clay Association, and all references to "the Guild" have been changed to " the Association."
- Attendance on monthly conference-call meetings is required of all board members. New limits have been set on the number of times a member may be absent.
- The title Newsletter Editor has been changed to Web-Content Editor, and references to POLYinforMER have been deleted.
- The policy prohibiting conflicts of interest has been clarified.
- A newsletter will be published monthly.
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Keeping Up with the Times: Library and Slide Bank Discontinued
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The
Association's library of books, videos, and periodicals had become outdated
and was rarely used by the membership. Obsolescence of videotape,
increases in postage, the international scope of the Association, and
the availability of inexpensive used materials on-line had
made the lending-library concept much less attractive. Therefore, the board
voted to discontinue library services and offer the Association's
library materials for sale at the Synergy2 Conference. We all owe
sincere thanks to Debi Orndorff, Association Librarian, for her
preservation and management of the collection over the years and for
her help in making this transition.
Since slide projectors are
n0 longer in common use, it was decided to digitize the Association's
slide bank. Elise Winters graciously undertook this task, and thereby made these important resources accessible to current and future members.
Denise Graham, Manager of the
Slide Bank, did a masterful job in creating a DVD presentation from the
digitized images and related text. The DVD, "Five of the Best," which
can be viewed on your computer or television, showcases the work of
Steven Ford, David Forlano, Gwen Gibson, Cynthia Toops, and Celie Fago.
"Five of the Best" will be offered for sale on-line and at Association
events beginning with Synergy2. This DVD is sure to be popular with
individual artists and clubs or guilds.
Thanks again to Debi, Elise, and Denise for bringing our resources into the twenty-first century.
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Bead and Button Show 2010 Features Clay Artists
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The Bead & Button Show, sponsored by the editors of Bead & Button, Bead Style, and Art Jewelry magazines, is the largest consumer bead show on earth, and it gets bigger every year! This year's bead extravaganza will take place June 6-13 at the Midwest Airline Center in Milwaukee, WI.
The remarkable list of teachers at this year's show features several artists well known to the polymer clay community, including Robert Dancik, Marla Frankenberg, Christi Friesen, Tamara Honaman, Patricia Kimle, Karen Lewis, Barbara McGuire, Lisa Pavelka, Julie Picarello, Lynne Ann Schwarzenberg, Howard Siegel, Diane Villano, and Wilma Yost.
You can view an on-line video of the highlights of last year's show that captures the contagious enthusiasm of the participants.
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Clay Corbi�res Cr�atives Attracts International Participants
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Following the immense success of Euro Clay Carnival France, IPCA International Liaison Kylee Milner
is now counting down the weeks to the launch of Clay Corbi�res Cr�atives I,
which will take place March 18-21, 2010, in Luc-sur-Orbieu, Aude, France.
Six tutors--Bettina Welker, Carol Blackburn, Judy Belcher, Julie Picarello,
Kim Cavender, and Natalia Garcia de L�aniz--will entertain a full-to-capacity crowd of more than 60 participants, who will come from the UK (4),
France (34), Spain (3), Portugal (1), Austria (3), Germany (5), Netherlands (1), Belgium
(2), Switzerland (3), Czech Republic (1), Slovenia (3), and Mongolia
(1).
Once again the event promises to be a fantastic experience. To satisfy the ever-growing desire of clayers to
learn more and more, Kylee is almost ready to launch registrations for
Clay Corbi�res Cr�atives II (30 September - 3 October, 2010).
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Polymer in Print: What's New?
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New Books Books Coming Soon
- Haab, Sherri. Jewelry Inspirations: Techniques and Designs from the Artist's Studio, March 9, 2010
- Kimle, Patricia. Perfectly Paired: Designing Jewelry with Polymer and Metal Clays, April 1, 2010.
- Landrum, Sherrye. Basic Mosaics: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started, Mar. 9, 2010
- Pavelka, Lisa. The Complete Book of Polymer Clay, Feb. 2, 2010
E-Books
Barton, Diane Dobson. Artist: How-to.com. Polymer People: An Artist's Method of Sculpting the Adult Head in Polymer Clay. ------. Polymer People: An Artist's Method of Sculpting the Adult Torso in Polymer Clay. -----. Polymer People: An Artist's Method of Sculpting Hands and Feet in Polymer Clay.
Magazines
Polymer Cafe, Feb. 2010
Easy Snowflake Cane Earrings - Beth Curran Wrapped Hearts - Jeannie K. Dukic Elegant Necklace - Anke Friedland Alaskan Canned Red Salmon - Karen Ottenbreit Faux Jasper Cabochon Bezel Necklace - Marilyn Ray Knopic The Flower Power Challenge Winners Snow Lady - Elizabeth Frum Alcohol Ink Mokume Gane - Michelle Herren A Lovely Heart Coaster - Laurie Lecomte Art Jewelry, Jan. 2010, "Go Big with Lightweight Polymer Clay," Seth L. Savarick Bead & Button, Feb. 2010, "Put It in Reverse: Make a Reversible Polymer Clay Pendant," Sheryl Yanagi GreenCraft, Feb. 2010, "A Handle on Elegance ," Suzanne Ivester (mixed media, no polymer clay)
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Forget Something? Check Our Archives
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If you can't remember something interesting you saw in a previous issue of The
International Polymer Clay Association News,
don't despair! Just go to our website,
log in, and click on the IPCA Newsletter Archive button in the
left-hand column. All issues of the News since April 2009 are available
for your convenience.
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