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Sketching as Part of the Design Process
by Suzanne Ivester
| What is it about putting a pencil to paper that makes so many of us so nervous?
When I'm making a two-dimensional piece, I feel perfectly comfortably beginning with a sketch. But when I'm planning a piece of jewelry or a functional object, I always begin with clay in my hands. I understand that my work would benefit by my having a concrete plan in mind before I touch clay, but something seems to get in the way. Is it a desire for spontaneity or just a fear of commitment?
Many of the polymer artists we most admire begin by sketching their projects (as you'll see in this issue). Sometimes new sketches arise as the work evolves, but the original sketch forms the foundation of the design. Artists who begin by sketching are just as absorbed in the creative journey as the rest of us, but their clear idea of a destination keeps them on track. And they have a more objective way of knowing when they've arrived there. Comparing these artists' preliminary sketches with their finished work offers us unique insights into their creative process.
I hope that this issue of Polymergence, which has been planned for a long time, will encourage us (myself included) to bypass the roadblocks that prevent us from committing our vague ideas to paper. If we can do this, we may all be surprised by the improvement in our finished work.
Come on, folks, it's just a little bit of paper and graphite. Nobody's watching--what can it hurt?
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American-Made Souvenirs
US Craft Opportunity
The Smithsonian Institution has agreed to sell only American-made merchandise at the American History Museum's "Price of Freedom" gift shop by early July. This is great news for America craft artists like Merrie Buchsbaum, a polymer clay artist from West Virginia and for all other American craft artists who sell their work wholesale. Merrie and her patriotic canework are featured on a CBS News segment that aired June 8.
Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV) has sponsored legislation tying the sale of American-made souvenirs to future federal funding. Seventy percent of the museum's budget comes from the federal government.
Thanks to artists' advocate Wendy Rosen for bringing this issue, and the related opportunities, to our attention. Wendy cautions that "The Smithsonian's "school trip" museums--American History, Natural History and Air & Space--are skewed to a very low price point: $8-$10 retail. The other museums, however, carry many products in the $100-$200 range.
Wendy urges us to review a list of the Smithsonian's museums, visit their websites, and determine what products you might be able to make for them that specifically tie into their collections.
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Retreat Trivia Contest Winner
| Nancy Buchanan is the lucky winner of a package of blu-tack for being the first to answer all the Retreat trivia questions correctly. Congratulations, Nancy!
If you're curious, here are the correct answers (see the questions here).
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1) 22; 2) Edward "Butch" O'Hare, a World War II aviator; 3) Cheesecake; 4) A world of Inspiration; 5) 21,858; 6) The Tabernacle of Polymer Clay
; 7) Faux batik; 8) Yonat Dascalu; 9) Willis Tower; 10) Pizza; 11) Hands Across the Water; 12) Cave Bar (pictured below).
 | | The Cave Bar |
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Online Resources
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Calls for Entry
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The 2012 NICHE Awards competition is now open and accepting applications in the polymer clay category and more. There are both professional and student levels. Full rules, guidelines and last year's finalists and winners are also available at the NICHE Awards site. The competition closes Sept. 31, 2011. Aussie Polyclayers Juried Prize Competition 2011, "Dare to Dream," online, deadline July 31  |
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What Do You Want to See Here? |
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We welcome your input in helping us to identify themes that will inspire our readers. If you have suggestions, please contact Polymergence editor Suzanne Ivester at sivester@bellsouth.net.
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Volume 4, Issue 6
June 2011
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We'll Have Hot Clay and Cool Friends,
Will We Have You?
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The 2nd Biennial IPCA Retreat is a little over a month away, and polymer clay fans from all over the world are still registering for the event. We're closing in on our cap of 90 full-time attendees, and online registration will close on July 9.
What Will You Miss if You Don't Attend? How about...
- Summer camp for clayers - meet polymer enthusiasts from all over the globe, clay until the wee hours, laugh a lot, eat great food, make new friends.
- Enjoy the current exhibitions at RAM, including a sneak peek at the polymer exhibit, opening in the Fall. Follow it up with lunch at a lakeside
 eatery.
- Swag bags with clay from at least four manufacturers, tools, magazines, catalogs, high-quality molds, foils, and more.
More |
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IPCA Members Share Their Photos and Ideas about Sketching
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 | | Gera Scott Chandler, Sketch for "She Could Only Choose One" |
There are as many ways of approaching art as there are artists. Last year we asked members to share photos of their preliminary sketches and finished work as well as any thoughts they have about how sketching is important to their process. The responses were surprisingly varied! Some artists sketch each step in their process, including cane-making. Some include much more detail than others.
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Christi Friesen:
"Doodle Your Way to Amazing Wonderfulness"
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Now that you have your pencil and paper handy, here's another idea. Drawing--or doodling--can itself be a great source of inspiration for your polymer clay art! Christi Friesen offers a free booklet, in which she observes that inspiration is most likely to strike when your mind is in "screen saver mode." At times like this, you can "design art jewelry without hardly trying" (the booklet's subtitle). There's a wealth of good ideas in these few pages, and some really beautiful doodles and sketches by Christi herself!
For a really in-depth look at Christi's creative process, including her sources of inspiration and her indispensable sketchpad, don't miss the 55-minute podcast interview on "Notes from the Voodoo Cafe," recorded just last month. |
Guild Spotlight:
The Israeli Polymer Clay Guild
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by Mira Pinki Krispil
The Israeli Polymer Clay Guild was founded 5 years ago. All of the members of the guild know each other. We have a website where all can come in and write about or upload their artwork and others can then comment.
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| Make Your Own Sketchbook
| Now that you've started sketching, don't you really need a fabulous sketchbook to carry around with you and capture all that inspiration?
Several years ago, Angela Mabray offered tips in her blog, CraftyGoat's Notes, on covering or "altering" notebooks. More recently, her Polymer Clay 101 coauthor, Kim Otterbein, offered a tutorial for making the beautiful polymer clay journal cover pictured here. The tutorial is included in their book, but it also appears online in its entirety--just a taste of the many great projects in their 2011 publication.
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Kim Otterbein polymer journal cover
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Polymer in Print: What's New?
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New Books
- Carren, Rachel, Polymer Clay: Major Works by Leading Artists, Mar. 2, 2100
- Diffendaffer, Grant, Polymer Clay Beads: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration, Mar. 1, 2011
- Duncan-Aimone, Katherine, The Art of Jewlery: Polymer Clay, paperback ed., March 1, 2011.
- Eakes, Julie. Clay Classics Inspired by Zentangle, Jan. 31, 2011.
- Editors of Art Jewelry and Bead&Button magazines, Polymer Pizzazz 2, April 1, 2011.
- Friesen, Christi, Woodland Creatures (Beyond Projects: The CF sculpture Series, Book 7), Feb. 16, 2011
- Friesen, Christi, Polymer Clay and Mixed Media, Kindle eBook, Jan. 4, 2011
- Helm, Sarajane: A Collection of Polymer Clay Masks, Dec. 30, 2010.
- Hemachandra, Ray, and Rachel Carren. Masters: Polymer Clay, paperback ed., March 1, 2011.
- Kato, Donna, and Vernon Ezell, The Art of Polymer Clay Millefiori Techniques, Kindle eBook, Jan. 16, 2011
- Otterbein, Kim, and Angela Mabray. Polymer Clay 101, Jan. 1, 2011.
- Picarello, Julie. Patterns in Polymer: Imprint and Accent Bead Techniques, June 7, 2011.
- Powley, Tammy. The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making, Jan. 1, 2011.
Books Coming Soon Magazines - Polymer Cafe, August 2011: "Marie Segal: Art From My Heart," Trina William; "Basic African Trade Bead," Marie Segal; "Sugar Sweet Bangles," Hazel Ward; "Soda Can Bracelet," Dottie McMillan;
Wearable Art Challenge Result; "Spirit Doll Coat Pins," Peggy Davis; "Polymer Clay Vintage Button Box," Cassy Muronaka; "Reversible Faux-Enamel Collar," Karen Mitchell and Ann Mitchell -
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Bead Unique, June 2011, Tamara Honaman, "Technically Speaking"
- Belle Armoire Jewelry, Summer 2011, Kathy Davis, "Steampunk Trio"; Robert Dancik, "Designer Collection"; Debra Kanzia, "Colorful Clay Canes" and "Clay Swirls"
Editor's Note
If you've written a book or article about polymer clay that's scheduled for publication in the near future, please let us know. We truly appreciate your help in gathering complete and accurate information and presenting it our members--who are the most enthusiastic buyers and readers of polymer clay-related material in the world!
Please send relevant information to sivester@bellsouth.net and put "Polymer in Print" in the subject line |
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Progress & Possibilities 2011
|  by Natalia Garcia de Leaniz Progress and Possibilities is here again! For the second time since the NPCG became the International Polymer Clay Association, clayers from all over the world are invited to join this celebration of art and beauty in the fastest-evolving artistic medium in history. Whether we are newcomers or already familiar with polymer clay, we are all artists in our very own and irreplaceable way. In every single piece we create, we are expressing ourselves and contributing to the development of our medium. Progress and Possibilities is one way of letting the world know about our own individual artistic expression, as fully as we want to share it. The global community of polymer clay artists is awaiting our news and creativity. So how does it work? Easy! IPCA members can just send pictures (in digital format) of their work, which will then be juried by a group of world-class fine-craft artists and curators. The call for entry will be posted next month on Cafe: Call for Entry. The submission deadline will be in the fall, so you have plenty of time to create! All you have to do is choose up to three pieces you've made during 2011--the ones you love the most. Then prepare the best digital images you can for submission. We are looking for the original and the innovative, however you define those qualities! New ideas, technical solutions, combinations and re-interpretations: this is the place for them to meet and interact! The only limitations are that the pieces submitted must be new--that is, they must not have been entered in previous competitions or published (including in print materials or in on-line media, websites or blogs) and they must be made mostly of polymer clay. We are all eager to be wowed by your creativity, so please stay tuned for further announcements and keep on claying! |
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