A Dose of Inspiration

Polymer Leaves

2012-01-06T10:14:00.000-08:00

I made these polymer clay leaf earrings as a Christmas gift for my sister. I'm currently working on some in different colors/shapes. They're made out of Premo clays, copper leaf, acrylic paint, and copper findings.

Meet Goldie & Sharkskin

2011-07-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

Last week, I felt an intense urge to sculpt something out of clay, but didn't know what. I made myself open up to a random page in one of my motif books (4,000 Animal, Bird & Fish Motifs by Graham Leslie McCallum) and use something from that page as inspiration for a sculpture. I ended up flipping to a page of fish and chose the image I liked best (bottom pic shown). The result are 2 small sculptures I just adore. Sharksin, the blue fish, was sculpted first, and then Goldie. Sharkskin is about 1 & 1/4" long and 1/2" tall at the head, while Goldie is the same height but a little longer at 1 & 1/2". These fish were sculpted using Premo polymer clay. Some texture tools were used to accent the tails, scales, and eyes, but the general shaping was done by hand. I really think they have character, don't you?

Flipping to the next page...

My Pics from Portugal

2011-06-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

My Trip to Portugal - picture slideshow

Here's a slideshow of some of my photos from the trip I just took to Portugal. I went to the Algarve and Lisbon. It was the perfect time of year to visit. The weather was gorgeous every day, the food was great, and the plants were like nothing I've ever seen before. My friend Rob met me when I was in Lisbon and we rented a convertible and explored. The Pena Palace (no joke) was pretty amazing as far as architecture goes. Also noteable was the Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon and Casa Pastels de Belem, which has been making their famous Pastels de Natas (custard pastries) since 1837.

Craft Becomes Art in a Matter of Clicks…Part 2

2011-05-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

I took my exercise a little further. See Craft Becomes Art in a Matter of Clicks (below) if you haven’t already. I took one of the Mandaloscopes and further refined it with some more graphics effects. The image on top is the original mandaloscope. The middle image has been edited using the an edge effect in my graphics program. It has given the picture a tiled mosaic feel. If the colors were a little more tame, it might be something you’d see on the floor of a chapel. The bottom image was edited using the hot wax effect. In this case, it almost looks like it was constructed from fine layers of colored paper. The middle is practically lace. Don’t forget, these images originally came from a handful of beads! It’s definitely been enlightening to make these Mandaloscopes from things I make from hand. Going from corporal to digital always yields surprising results and for an artist is one of the big boons of technology. It’s interesting to see the texture and especially the color of my projects presented in a whole different structure. Although it is not something I can pick up in my hand, it is a treat for the eye.

Craft Becomes Art...In a Matter of Clicks!

2011-05-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

The artistic process has been wondered upon for centuries, but one thing that always annoyed me was that big thick permanent line centered squarely between art and craft. Well, I think every once in awhile it’s a good idea to blur that line, and in this post, that’s just what I’ve done! Remember those bulls-eye beads I made (post below this one)? The moment I saw the colors and lines in the photographs I took of the beads, I knew they would make perfect Mandaloscopes! I made up the word Mandaloscope – it is a combination of “mandala” and “kaleidoscope.” See this post for info.

I played with my graphics program for about 30minutes to get the following images. The original image I used of the beads here. If these images are not art, I don’t know what is! But it is art that evolved from a handicraft – bead making. Yes, it took some tinkering and more than a few mouse clicks, but really, the transition wasn’t that drastic.

There’s something very royal (royale perhaps?) about these images. The sides of the beads were brushed with mica powder, and I love how that shine turns into a pulsing glow in some of the mandaloscopes (especially the 2nd and 3rd images down). I also love how these images consistently reveal familiar shapes; almost like Rorschach blots. In some you see faces, animals, body parts, and symbols. In the bottom image, the hearts are hard to ignore. There are certain shapes in the 3rd and 4th images that are, um… provoking – to say the least. Which one is your favorite?

Anyway, I've had my rant and now I'm done. If you ever want to do something like this with your work, but don't feel like shelling out hundreds for Photoshop, don't worry! Corel's PaintShop Pro X3 Ultimate is $50 and has the same tools. It has many other tools that PS has as well, like a cloning stamp, makeover tools, scratch remover, etc.

New Bull's-Eye Beads

2011-05-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some new beads I made using my extruder. These a little bit different from most other bull's eye beads. First, I used the hexagonal shaped disc, not the round or square one. Second, I cut my beads really thick and pierced the holes throgh the sides not the middle of the pattern. Finally, I coated the sides of the beads with antique gold mica powder to give them a little edge. Clay colors for these beads include lime green, cobalt blue, black, and hot pink.

Favorite Pattern Yet!

2011-04-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

I love the site Colour Lovers, where you can go and play with color. One of my favorite things to do there is color patterns, and this one is my favorite so far. I just made it this morning. I want to wallpaper my house in it! OK - maybe just one room. I'm thinking this might make a nice pallette for a new piece of jewelry...

Art Bead Scene April Challenge

2011-04-17T14:59:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile, but I've entered a piece into Art Bead Scene's April Challenge. This month's inspiration painting was Finches and Bamboo by Emperor Huizong's (top image). Every month ABS picks a painting and challenges its readers to create an art bead design using the art as inspiration. The art bead(s) can be made by you or made by someone else and used by you.

In my case this is all me! The bird, branch, and leaves are all hand-made by moi using polymer clay. The clay on the branch and bird has been textured and accentuated with mica powders. The leaves are made from translucent and green clays that have been mixed with green and gold metallic leaf. Each leaf is actually a stack of 3 leaves - one big, one medium, and one small (see 3rd pic down) - stacked on top of each other and "glued" together with Translucent Liquid Sculpey. I textured the leaves with the back of my clay blade to make the lines. After they were baked, I rubbed black paint into the recesses and then rubbed the excess away so the texture really stood out. Accompanying the clay art beads are faceted glass beads and seed beads. Copper and brass findings were used throughout. Please click on any image for more detail, and wish me luck in the challenge!

More Pics of my ABS April Challenge Entry

2011-04-17T14:53:00.001-07:00

Here are some alternate views of my ABS challenge piece for this month. Click for details.

Little Polymer Clay Bird's Nest

2011-02-24T10:39:00.001-08:00

Here's a little nest with eggs that I made out of polymer clay. I'm going to make a few more and put them in the little bird cages we have hanging at work. In a few weeks they'll be replaced with birds. I haven't had the easiest winter and to me this nest symbolizes new beginnings, re-birth, and (of course) Spring! The nest is about 2" in diameter and 1" high at its tallest. It is made entirely of polymer clay.

Interestingly, when I baked the nest I used the toaster oven we have at work which is old and not gauged correctly. Because of this, the eggs browned a little on top. I actually really like that they did, because it looks more authentic now like the nest has actually been outside and had a bird sitting on it.

A Little Polymer Clay Book

2011-01-18T09:55:00.000-08:00

Being that I'm a librarian and all, you know this was inevitable. I made a little polymer clay book. It's 1 & 1/2" x 1". I've been wanting to do this for awhile, and I think that for a first try it came out pretty good. I wanted to make it look like a really old book (those are the best kinds after all). For the cover I used brown clay which I textured. For the bands I applied some gold mica powder to give it a little color. The pages are a block of clay in layers of white and translucent clay. I was considering putting in actual paper but I wanted it to last for awhile.

I put a little hole in the top so I can eventually make it into a pendant if I want. It would be fun to hang it from a brass chain and wear it to work.

CraftEdu - Great New Craft Ed. Resource!

2011-01-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

I was looking around on Flickr at pieces of polymer clay work and found a link to a site I'd never heard of called CraftEdu.com. It's an awesome resource where you can take online classes in a variety of subjects, inlcuding color theory, glass, photography, metal clay, polymer clay, etc. The site has lots of polymer clay tutorials presented by instructors such as Judy Belcher and Donna Kato. Most of the classes cost between $20-$60 but some are free, including one I just took called Textures Everywhere (top pic). Even though I'm a veteran polymer clayer, I learned a few things from this tutorial. Including using shoe soles to make patterns! (bottom pic)

If you are new to polymer clay or just need some inspiration, go check this site out. You'll be pretty impressed. Click on the above pictures for more detailed images.

Art Bead Scene January Challenge Pt. 1

2011-01-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

It’s a new month and there’s a new challenge on the Art Bead Scene Blog. The inspiration for this month is the painting Brown River by Wayne Thiebaud (top image). Every month ABS picks a painting and challenges its readers to create an art bead piece using it as inspiration. The art bead can be made by you or someone else.

My challenge entry is the funky Maize Pod Necklace pictured above. My inspiration came from the bright colors and the patterned organic forms found on a farm. I tried to make my pod beads look like something that might be born of a plant. I used chartreuse seed beads to compliment the big beads and long green glass beads as spacers. I finished it off with dark brown beading wire to blend in with the pods and a copper toggle clasp. See part 2 (below) for additional info on how this necklace was made! Thanks for stopping by!

Art Bead Scene January Challenge Pt. 2

2011-01-15T12:18:00.000-08:00

Here are some images showing how I made my challenge entry in steps. Sorry for the quality on some of these photos. I've been working on the piece at night and man made light is never quite right (that could be a poem!). And here's the accompanying info:

1. I started off by making and baking the pod shells. Sorry - no show & tell for this part - it's something I worked hard at to perfect and would rather keep to myself! ; )

2. Next, after mixing 15 parts translucent clay to 1 part colored, I mix in some copper leaf pieces and roll my clay into 2 elongated eggs, small enough to fit into the pods. I insert seed beads to form a textured pattern into the clay using a small ball stylus to really embed them in the clay.

3. After this I apply some Translucent Liquid Sculpey to the back of the beaded clay pieces.

4. I then insert the pieces into the pre-baked pod shells and bake them together.

5. After baking I "drill" in little holes into the tops of the pod shells for my beading wire to go through. This can be done before baking the pods too, but I like my holes tiny and I've found this works best.

I originally had 2 blue pods (as you can see from the above pictures). In the end however, I ended up taking them out. I just liked the yellow, pink and green pods on their own. Also, 2 extra pods added too much bulk to the necklace (in my opinion).

Art Bead Scene December Challenge

2010-12-31T12:26:00.000-08:00

Art Bead Scene is just finishing up its December Art Bead Challenge. Here's the deal: They give you 2 paintings to choose from and you use one as the inspiration for a new art bead creation. The art bead(s) can be made by you, or made by someone else and used by you. You can then enter pictures of your finished piece(s) to their Flickr group to win prizes and recognition.

I had a lot of fun with this! The painting I chose for the challenge was The Storm by John Anster Fitzgerald. I really love the combination of icy cool and firy hot colors used in the painting - it just sends a tingle down your spine. I tried to play on that with my earrings, using warm reds and oranges for the filigree backing and hand-sculpted polymer twist and cool violets and blues with the lucite flowers and Swarovski centers.

I can just imagine the fairy in the painting (the one with the red cap) wearing these, can't you?

Thank you Art Bead Scene! Can't wait for the next challenge...

More New Stuff Pics...

2010-12-12T13:18:00.001-08:00

Some more pics of new stuff... I've been experimenting with coating my pieces in resin. They look great, but it's much harder to get a good picture afterward - the resin reflects the light so dramatically you get a glare. Another issue is lack of decent light -the rainy weather and short days are making my camera wish it was summer again! From top: Green MG Stick Earrings, Lizard Spot MG Earrings, Maize Pendant

New Creations!

2010-12-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm finished writing my thesis, I've finally had time to create some new pieces. The top 3 images are of the same item - a pair of super-skinny, super-long mokume gane "stick" earrings.

Beneath these are another set of mg earrings, this pair made aided by a new texture sheet. The sides and backs are painted in gold. Finally, at the bottom is a pendant. It is made to mirror the shape of the clavicle, and when strung, will hang right below this feature.

These pics aren't the best - I was quickly running out of light. Winter days are too short! I really want to get some shots of the earrings actually being worn. More to come!

I've Been Treasured!

2010-11-26T14:10:00.001-08:00

I always enjoy seeing the Treasuries that are curated by Etsy members (sellers and buyers alike!). I especially like seeing them when they feature items I've made! Can you find them? Click for larger images. If you're interested in any of these items, they can be found here and here.

Thank you to CloudNineCreative and JenniferJonesJewelry for featuring me and creating these lovely Treasuries!

COLOUR Inspiration

2010-08-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

I just found my new favorite site - and I have to be careful because I could easily while away whole days of my life there. It's called COLOURLovers.com. From the site's About page: COLOURLovers is an international community of designers and artists of all kinds who visit the site to get color inspiration, ideas and feedback for both their professional and personal projects. COLOURLovers' loyal members create colors, palettes, and patterns to nurture their ongoing love affair with color.

You can create color combinations in palettes or apply them to pre-made patterns. The 2 examples above are ones I made doing the latter. The one on top I named "Attentive" and the bottom one is called "Tupperware Party 1976."

Happy Birthday Charley Harper!

2010-08-04T07:33:00.001-07:00

Today is the birthday of one of my other favorite artists, Mr. Charley Harper. Although he died in 2007, his iconic work is still very alive. From Wikipedia: Charley Harper was a Cincinatti- based American Modernist artist. He was best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters, and book illustrations.

Mucha Mucha Mucha!

2010-07-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

Today is the birthday of one of my favorite artists - Alphonse Mucha. Mucha was a Czech artist who painted in the Art Nouveau style. He is famous for his paintings of women with flowing hair, but also worked on other projects, such as stained glass murals for churches. The actress Sarah Bernhardt was enamored by Mucha's decorative style, and commissioned him to create many posters for her various stage appearances. He was big on series, and the above painting is from a sequence of 4 women painted to represent different seasons. This one is Summer.

Happy Birthday Alfie!

Dotty Pod Inspiration

2010-06-26T09:56:00.001-07:00

A new earring design has arrived - my Dotty Pods! These are similar to my Peanut Pod Earrings in that the "shell" is the same form, but the inside is different. The shells are made of purple polymer clay that has been molded and baked around long wooden beads to give them their shape. Before baking the outsides have been textured. The middles are turquoise clay that has been textured and added after the shell has baked. They are attached with liquid polymer clay and the piece is baked again as a whole to ensure a strong hold.

What's amazing about polymer clay is that it's so light that even these large earrings don't weigh down my earlobes. Look at that middle picture to see what I'm talking about.

Zoo Inspiration

2010-06-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos I took on my trip to the Bronx Zoo this past Tuesday. Images are from the Butterfly House and the Gorilla Exhibit. It was great to see those gorillas in such a well-kept large environment. They genuinely seemed happy in their enclosure and seemed to be having a great adventure play-fighting over a particular stick.

More Image Transfer Inspiration

2010-06-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

Blue bird image from toile textile was transferred onto tablet-sized pieces of white polymer clay. Holes were pierced prior to baking and a varnish was applied to protect the pieces. The tablets were hung on kidney-shaped earring wires which were adorned with blue Swarovski crystals. I do not know who designed this textile, so I'm sorry, I cannot credit the bird's artist.

Summer Bloom Inspiration

2010-05-29T10:14:00.001-07:00

Here is a new pair of earrings I made just this morning. They're composed of lucite and plastic flower components, Swarovski crystals and a silver-plated beadcap/earring wires. The creamy orange, bright fuschia, and juicy citrus yellow are perfect colors for summer - which is right around the corner. No polymer clay in this piece, but they're still quite unique.

Regretsy!

2010-05-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

OK - maybe I'm out of the loop. A few of my friends already knew about this site and I can't believe I've missed it for this long! It's a blog called Regretsy and it highlights some of the wacky, crappy, tacky, and just plain horrible things for sale on Etsy. We've all seen them. Recyclable fabric toilet "paper". Pendants in the shape of vaginas. Dessert foods that look like poop. Well, now they're all in one place and accompanied by some of the wittiest, most hysterical commentary by the woman who runs the blog, "Helen Killer." Her repartee has made me laugh out loud more than a few times. She also posts bizarre Alchemy requests, like one for "cornhole bags." WHAT?! Please - go check it out!

Image Transfer Inspiration

2010-05-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

Recently I found these really pretty floral file folders (tongue twister alert) from the dollar bin in Michael's. I loved the pattern so I made a color copy and did an image transfer onto thin white drop-shaped cutouts of polymer clay. I poked holes in them, baked them, varnished the cured pieces, and finally, attached earring wires. The result is these floral drop earrings. They're super light-weight and have nice movement.

For those of you interested, here is my image transfer process:

Start by printing your desired image onto plain white printer paper using a color laser printer. Lay a sheet of clay onto a tile before cutting it into the shape you want. You will bake the clay on this tile. Now cut your paper to size. (For these earrings I used my drop-shaped cutter to not only cut out the clay pieces, but also to trace the outline on the paper. The clay pieces and paper turned out the same size so I could line them up easier).
Next, lay your paper carefully onto the clay (image side down) and burnish lightly with a bone folder or your finger. Don't burnish hard enought to indent the clay; you just want to bind the clay and paper.
Put the tile in the toaster oven at the recommended temperature for 5 minutes.
Remove the tile and peel off your paper. I use a craft knife to gently lift the edges of the paper in order to peel without touching the clay.
Your image should now be adhered to the clay. Continue to bake your pieces for the remainder of the recommended time.

* If you're making earrings, don't forget to poke your holes before you apply the paper. * To make sure your edges are clean, sand them if needed. * You'll also want to protect your piece with some kind of sealer or varnish. I prefer Delta Ceramcoat varnish in gloss.

The Bead Goes On...

2010-05-15T14:45:00.001-07:00

I'll be donating 5 of my Funky Chunky Flower beads to the Toledo Museum of Art for their "The Bead Goes On" project. They are working on a bead curtain to be installed in the museum itself. It will be composed of 10,000 handmade beads from craftspeople all over the world! Can't wait to see it. If you're interested, click here for more information and the submission form. The beads must be handmade, non-perishable and no bigger than 4" long by 1&1/2" wide. You can submit a maximum of 5 beads. The museum is accepting submissions until October 2010.

Quartz Inspiration

2010-04-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to try making faceted polymer clay beads ever since I saw this woman's work on Polymer Clay Daily. Of course I wanted to give it my own twist, so instead of using regular opaque clay, I used a mix of translucent with a teeny bit of color added. What I ended up with was beads that looked like stones - perhaps rose and citrine quartz with a little jade thrown in? I mixed them with some pink shell chips and completed the piece with a duo of matching green Swarovskis and a copper toggle closure. I gave it as a gift to my mother who helped me with my taxes this year (again!). I think it came out really nice and I can't wait to make more...

New Flyer! (click on image)

2010-03-28T17:45:00.001-07:00

Mandaloscope Inspiration

2010-03-10T16:45:00.000-08:00

I'm home sick today and just can't seem to concentrate. I feel horrible but still needed some kind of entertainment that didn't just involve sitting like a zombie in front of the TV. I decided to take random images from the Web and manipulate them with my graphics program's Kaleidescope effect. The results are these interesting and inspiring Mandala-like images - or, as I'll refer to them, "Mandaloscopes." I've decided to post a couple of these images (with the originals). From the top: a magazine ad of a female clown from 1970 and corresponding mandala. Then, a vintage male contortionist and corresponding mandala.

What's interesting about the Kaleidoscope effect in PaintShop Pro, is that you can actually shift the image to an endless combination of positions based on the vertical/horizontal offsets and rotation angles - kind of like a real Kaleidoscope. So you can come up with an infinite array of images. It's an exercise in composition - and quite entertaining. Now I'm going to bed.

A Twist of Inspiration

2010-02-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

Well, it's a snow day here on Long Island and I have off from work today! Yay! It's great because I'm really in a creative mood today, and if I were at work I'd just be thinking about all the things I could be making at home. For now, I'm posting some earrings I've made this past week.

Let me preface this post by explaining that one of the things I've always loved about polymer clay (and clay in general) is its malleability. It puts up with a lot of pulling, kneading, squishing, rolling, and twisting. It is impressionable, flexible, pliable, and very forgiving. It is the contortionist in the circus of craft (and a chameleon to boot).

With that in mind, I created these delicate little twist earrings. They're made out of translucent polymer clay with a bit of color mixed in and some copper inclusions. These photos portray their form quite well, but unfortunately they cannnot fully capture the depth of colors. The gold/copper earrings are especially pretty when they hit the light. There is gold Pardo clay mixed in to this pair and it literally makes the earrings glow.

I varnished both earrings with Delta Ceramcoat gloss varnish (my favorite by the way, if you're looking for a decent varnish for polymer clay). It makes the earrings look a little bit like glass - in fact when my mom saw me wearing the gold pair, she thought they were glass. I'm planning on making some more today - perhaps some longer ones with a taper. I'll post them when I'm done!

Rosenoir Inspiration

2010-02-07T10:05:00.001-08:00

Here is a new poppy necklace I've made. The term "rosenoir" is a combination of the French terms for "pink" and "black." The outer petal of the flower is made of a combination of translucent and pink clay, with some pink glitter thrown in. The middle piece is a dark purple clay with inclusions of silver leaf and the center is black clay which has been textured and highlighted with silver mica powder.

Crater Inspiration

2010-01-18T12:40:00.001-08:00

These 2 and 3-part crater earrings were a lot of fun to make. They look great with my new short haircut too! I actually used one of the discarded centers from my poppy pendants as a stamp to create texture. This is what created the speckled effect.

Harvest Poppy Inspiration

2010-01-09T10:27:00.001-08:00

Here's my new Harvest Poppy necklace. It's made from polymer clay, liquid clay, mica powder, copper flakes, seed beads, and gloss varnish. The inspiration for the colors came from a sweater I recently purchased. When I first went to wear the sweater, I was disappointed to find that I had no jewelry to match. So I grabbed the sweater, took it to my craft desk and got some clay out. I ended up mixing a purple color with white and gold to make the outer petal. If you click on one of the photos to get a close-up look, you can see the gold shining in it.

I took a risk with this one and gave it a white center instead of black or dark brown. I like how it kind of looks like a mushroom top - to me it adds to the organic feel of the pendant. Finding the right color seed beads was a challenge. I almost took the brown strand out, then decided against it at the last minute. Without it, the piece just looked too matchy-matchy.

I'm definitely going to making another one of these. Right now I'm deciding what colors I'm going to use. Any suggestions?

Rock You Slideshow

2010-01-05T15:34:00.000-08:00

Awesome New Resource for Clayers!

2009-12-28T15:48:00.001-08:00

I just came across (and joined) a site called ClayLessons.com which is pretty new. It's geared towards clayers using polymer and metal clays. Right now there aren't that many users, but I could see that it is already developing into something wonderful. It's sister site is the more well-known JewelryLessons.com .

Here are some things you can do at ClayLessons.com:

Buy and sell tutorials (some tutorials are free)
Write articles and tips about claywork to earn "points" which you can use to buy tutorials
Show your clay work and see others' work in the Gallery
Participate in the forums and interact with other like-minded clay artists
Take part in challenges and other events
Read interviews with well-known clay artists

Please check this site out and join! It's free and the more users that join, the better it will be.

Montreaux Poppy Inspiration

2009-12-13T10:58:00.000-08:00

I adore this necklace. It is inspired by the orange poppies that bloom on Lake Geneva in Montreaux, Switzerland. I've taken some liberties with color - the Montreax poppies don't have any blue in them. I used a technique from Weltman's Ancient Modern book, using an old light bulb to mold the outer petal.

Shabby Chic Inspiration

2009-12-13T10:42:00.000-08:00

I wanted these earrings to look like they came out of a jewelry box from 1960 - something one of the women on Mad Men would wear. Another exercise in color restraint, the petals are a combination of bronze (base petal) and silver (top petal) Pardo polymer clay. Both petals have been accented slightly with gold mica powder and are varnished to make them sparkle. A silver-plated beadcap sits in the middle filled with black seed beads. The earrings hang from silver-plated lever-back hooks which allow them to hang straight down for maximum effect.

Peanut Pod Inspiration

2009-10-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some new designs that I'm really psyched about - one set of earrings and a pendant/necklace. I think they're new and unique and I couldn't be more proud. These are semi-inspired by Ronna Weltman's organic styling of polymer clay (see post below) but I feel that they definitely have my own signature style. I love mixing seed beads in with my polymer clay pieces. I think they add a nice delicate touch. These designs are definitely the start of something new for me.

The pods themselves are made of gray scrap clay which has been molded and baked around long wooden beads to give them their shape. Before baking, the outsides of the pods had been textured and highlighted with silver mica powder (this texture gives them that peanuty effect). The insides of the pods have been decorated with small discs that were molded with a ball stylus. These discs are made out of my new metallic Pardo clays. Seed beads sit in the center of the discs which have been filled with gloss varnish to set the beads in place. I will be adding these designs to my Etsy shop very soon.

Ancient Modern Inspiration

2009-10-03T15:53:00.001-07:00

I am totally in love with Ronna Sarvas Weltman's new book Ancient Modern: Polymer Clay & Wire Jewelry (above) - so much that I actually broke down and purchased it instead of just loaning it through the library system. I made this pendant based on one of the projects from her book. I love how it came out! My boyfriend said it looks like the eye of a sea-monster, so I'm calling it the Fisheye Necklace. I obviously can't sell it, because it's really not my design, but I am going to wear it! I'm dying to find Ronna and show her what she inspired!

Right now I'm working on some of my own designs I've made with the new polymer clay Pardo and I can't wait to show you them! Perhaps tomorrow I'll get a chance to take some pics outside.

Mokume Gane Inspiration New

2009-09-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

New designs by moi. From top: Blue & White Swirled Mokume Gane Necklace, Blue & White Swirled Mokume Gane Earrings, Red Hectic Mokume Gane Necklace, Black & White Hectic Mokume Gane Necklace. These are not available in my shop because they are going to be auctioned for a library association benefit. BUT, if you love any one of these and want it for your own, I can do my best to replicate it for you. Let me know by commenting on this post, or covo me through my Etsy shop.

Plum-Lovely Inspiration

2009-09-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

Check out my new necklace. It's similar to the Roy-Gee-Biv necklace but monochromatic. I also added glitter and copper flakes to the clay to give it a little shimmer. Haven't posted it in my Etsy shop becase I'm not sure if I want to sell it yet...

Fire Inspiration

2009-08-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

So for the last ATC (Artist Trading Card) swap I did through Swap-Bot, the theme was fire. It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do, but then it hit me: I would make myself into a wild fire woman! Using a photo I took of myself, I added ink and acrylics to bring this idea to fruition. Here she (I) is (am)! I wish I could capture this piece in its full glory but it seems impossible. The metallic paint I've used for my eyes and some hair highlights just doesn't show up in a photo or scan.

Roy-Gee-Biv Inspiration

2009-08-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

New necklace made by moi! This one was a lot of fun to make. From my Etsy listing:

All the colors of the rainbow flow smoothly through this super-unique necklace. Hand-made polymer clay beads pop when surrounded by organically styled brown spacer beads. The 9 textured focal beads are a mix of translucent and opaque polymer clays. Some of the beads were mixed thoroughly and some only partially to give them a marbled effect.The necklace measures 16.5" in length - the focal beads start just at the collar bone. Each focal bead is varnished for shine and durability. Toggle clasp is silver plated.

The BEST thing about this necklace? It matches everything!

Funky Chunky Polymer Clay Beads

2009-08-09T11:07:00.001-07:00

These beads are totally retro and each is made by me from my own hand-made mold. Colors include grasshopper green, light coral, pearl, white, hot pink, lavender, turquoise, yellow, orange, and light pink. Each bead is about 3/4" in diameter and about 1/2" thick. They've all been varnished to a nice shine. I'm getting into making beads now, where before I tended to stick to pendants. These are available at my Etsy shop right now.

Black Luna Bean Necklace

2009-07-27T06:28:00.000-07:00

Allow me to introduce my black Luna Bean Necklace. Each of the 24 black polymer clay beads has been painstakingly rolled, textured, and accented with mica powder (12 different colors in all). Dark iridescent seed beads flank both strands which end in a silver-plated lobster clasp. A lot of time and love went into this piece. You can buy it on my Etsy shop, here.

P.S. I named these beads "luna beans" because they are shaped like beans and have craters like the moon!

Tuxedo Bloom Earrings

2009-07-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

New earrings! These are available in my Etsy Shop right now.

Summer Bouquet Necklace

2009-07-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

I am extremely proud to show off this necklace that I finally finished today. This thing has been living in my head for a very long time, and I'm so happy that it is now a tangible, wearable object. The three flowers are made out of (what else?) polymer clay. Each layer or "petal" is a separate hand-sculpted piece. The flowers' centers are adorned with corresponding color seed beads. Flanking the blooms are two leaf-shaped glass beads. The necklace is finished with green seed beads and a toggle clasp. I also went ahead and made matching earrings which you can see in the bottom picture. The biggest challenge of this necklace was the actual construction of the finished baked pieces. Attaching the petals of the flowers themselves was the first issue. Mounting the flowers to the wire in an aesthetically pleasing way and getting them to hang "just so" was the biggest challenge of all. I'm entering this necklace into Polymer Cafe Magazine's summer "Flower Power" challenge. The only thing that's driving me nuts is that you can only submit ONE photo! Of course, being an indecisive Libra, I've been agonizing over this for hours. I'm also agonizing over the name of the piece. Right now I'm calling it "Summer Bouquet Necklace," but if anyone has a better idea, please comment!

Favorite PolyClay Creations from the Web...

2009-07-09T16:22:00.000-07:00

From top, 1.) Laughing Bird’s Silver Blue Dot Pendant. Like Gris Bleu (bottom), she is another one who can mix metal and clay in a way that is seamless and unique. 2.) Bunny X’s Tentacle Necklace in Heather. I love the loopy twisted smoothness of her pendants. They make you want to reach out and touch them just to find out if they feel as smooth as they look. 3.) Joo Joo’s gorgeous painted “porcelain” snails. Joo Joo has a way of using polymer clay in a way that is cute yet elegant at the same time. I love how the glossy (real!) shells compliment the matte texture of the clay. 4.) Gris Bleu’s amazing Small Buddhist Clouds necklace. I really admire how this artist incorporates wire into her polymer clay work. Combining the two can prove to be a little awkward, but she does it flawlessly.

New Pieces

2009-07-06T06:28:00.001-07:00

Some of my newer items - these are all available on my Etsy store. From the top: Hot Pink Phoenix Earrings, Lucy in the Sky Pendant, Pink Poetry Tablet Earrings, Electric Sunset Pendant.

New Polyclay Pieces (and a Little Philosophy)...

2009-05-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

New polymer clay pieces (some newer than others). From the top: Ochre Pod Earrings, Golden Grove Earrings, Black Forest Earrings, Kelly Green/Copper Spoon Earrings, Magdalena Pendant. Right now, my mission is to use polymer clay in a way that denotes elegance. As I become more accustomed to the medium, it gets easier. It's interesting to see my progression by looking at some of my older posts in this blog. Some of the items I've made in the past are a little embarrassing for me to look upon at this point, but I keep them posted because they're part of this progression. I think every artist/craftsperson goes through a similar process. But how do we know when we've reached the end? Is there ever an end? Or is it a bell curve - we reach a high point and then decline again? This has been something I've been thinking about a lot. This goes for any creative person - musicians and writers included. What do you think?

If your interested in any of the above items, please check out my Etsy store.

Glass Fancy, etc.

2009-04-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

So, I hosted a program at the library the other night - a workshop on selling on Etsy. About 20 people came - all kinds of artists and crafters from my local community. It was really a lot of fun and I can't wait for the next one! One of the people I met there was Kim, a glass fuser who has an Etsy store, Glass Fancy. She really knows what she's doing! Here are 2 items from her "Emerald City" line.

Mumbreeze

2009-04-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

Mumbreeze from Etsy makes the most amazing paper mache creatures. Mumbreeze is actually two married folks - Kinya and Kao Hanada. "We make artwork on both sides of the Pacific ocean" they explain (they have homes in both Oregon and Japan). They also sell blank white PIY (paint it yourself) paper mache for as low as 10 dollars! I am constantly amazed at the artistic ingenuity of Etsy sellers.

Update: So I asked Mumbreeze a question about how they actually make their paper mache. I know they're probably really busy and wasn't really expecting a response, but I got one - and a really great one at that.

Me: Hi,I'm just curious - what kind of armature do you use for your paper mache? Wire, cardboard, etc... In other words, what's under there? I'm just getting into paper mache and I'm trying to learn the ropes.I absolutely adore the things you make!!- Jackie

Mumbreeze: Hi, Thanks for writing us. The way we do paper mache is something we came up mostly on our own and isn't really the traditional way of doing it, but I think they have qualities different from traditional paper mache. We try and use material that we just end up having, but can't be recycled like plastic containers, bags, styrofoam, etc. We clean it thoroughly so there's no residue of other material. We then cut them up and piece them together with masking tape to make the basic shape. plastic bags can be rolled up and taped makes a fairly solid base. Then we paper mache, let it dry and apply paper clay to make it smoother. you can repeat the process after painting it with gesso of sand papering and paper clay to get it really smooth almost like plaster if you want. The thing about our process is that the end product will contain things that would otherwise might be considered trash, but if you look at them just as material and consider that having them inside these works instead of in the landfill might be a better use, then maybe it won't seem so strange. If you want to keep the material more pure, I think using any kind of solid material that could be cut and put together easily should work. cardboard and other paper is really easy to make shape with, but it does tend to deform a bit after getting wet with paper mache. Using paper clay to smooth out imperfection works really well if the shape doesn't look like what you had in mind after first layer of paper mache. Does that answer your question? It's kind of an involved process, so it takes a bit to explain, but I hope that made sense. If you have any other questions, feel free to write us anytime. Thanks!Kinya (&Kao) / Mumbreeze

New Polymer Clay "Spoon" Earrings by Moi

2009-04-06T08:15:00.000-07:00

It is hard for me to restrain myself when it comes to color and form, so these slightly minimalist earrings were a bit of a challenge. They did come out quite lovely though.

More Spoons...

2009-04-06T08:09:00.001-07:00

Etsy Shop is Now Open!

2009-03-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

My Etsy shop is now open! Finally! It can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6978758 I've only posted a few items so far but there's more to come...

Adela Pendant

2009-03-01T10:45:00.000-08:00

One of my latest polymer clay pendants. Everything is clay except the 3 round metal bead spacers and the face itself which was cut out from a color copy of a painting from the Middle Ages. I used black clay and accented it with silver and gold mica powders. You can get the most dramatic results with black clay when using mettalic and pearlescent powders.

Luna-Beans, etc.

2009-03-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

Voila! Behold the mighty Luna-Bean necklace. That is the title I've named this piece whose polymer clay beads were painstakingly made by hand by me. I've included a fun pic of the loose beads themselves before they were strung up and the finished necklace. I call the beads "luna-beans" because they remind me of colorful beans that have small craters in them like the moon. Right now I'm preparing to post items to my Etsy store and I'm being totally anal-retentive about the pictures I should include. I'm not a trained photographer so I'm kind of at a loss over how to present my items. Anyway, some items should be up within a week or so. My Etsy shop is here but it is currently un-stocked.

Art Nouveau Jewelry

2009-02-24T15:41:00.000-08:00

I've been looking for some inspiration for some new designs. I love the Art Nouveau movement, so of course I'm quite fond of the jewelry/accessories that came from that movement. Aren't these lovely? I love the asymmetry, the soft lines, the flora/fauna themes, etc.

Magazine Pendant

2009-01-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

I made this pendant out of magazines. Yep, magazines. I love the idea of recycling through arts and crafts and this was my first stab at it. Each round is made out of magazine pages (the large ones from 2 pages, the small from 1) that have been folded and coiled. I then glued them together to make an interesting composition. It took a lot of patience and even more glue. Now comes the hard part - attaching eye pins to it so that I can make it into a necklace.

January Polymer Clay Jewelry

2009-01-25T15:22:00.001-08:00

With the exception of the earrings on top, these pieces have all been made within the past month or so. From the top, #1 Wood Grain earrings, #2, Summer Sunset Mokume Gane pendant, #3 Pear pendant, and #4 Lotus pendants. The pear and lotus pendants were made with my own hand-carved stamps which were based off of original drawings. The "wood grain" effect in the earrings was also achieved by hand-carving a texture stamp. Mica powders were used to enhance the wood grain earrings and the lotus pendants. Acrylic paint and gloss varnish were used to enhance the pear pendant. The Summer Sunset pendant was made by me while I was teaching a friend how to do Mokume Gane. Diana, if you're reading this, send me a pic of your pendant and I'll post it!

January Polymer Clay Jewelry Part 2

2009-01-25T15:11:00.000-08:00

Some more polymer clay creations (polyclations?). From the top: #1&2 Hot Lava Mokume Gane pendant (shown from front and side), #3 Helter Skelter pendant, #4 Green/Gold pendant (haven't thought of a snazzy name for this one yet) and #5 Earth & Sky earrings.

Etsy Favorites

2009-01-24T12:15:00.000-08:00

I love to cruise through Etsy to admire the work of others and charge up my inspiration battery. Here are a few recent artists that I'd like to highlight:Fringilla made this awesome romantic polymer clay heart pendant. You can tell that a lot of work went into this. I love the color palette on this piece - it has a very old-world style.

Image transfers on polymer clay can get real tacky, real fast. Restraint is necessary to avoid an eyesore. Miss Fickle Media has perfected the technique. This Bakelite-ish ring in particular is among my favorites. Visit her shop here.

Etsy Favorites Part 2....

2009-01-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

There's this beauty from Stranded Treasure's "wearable hand-sculpted blossoms." Like many artist's, Sharlene takes inspiration from nature - specifically, flowers. Her creations are pure vintage; delicate and impeccable

This lovely bracelet is made by Amy whose Etsy store is named "The B-Line." Amy is a chemistry teacher by day and she makes these beautiful polymer clay creations in her free time. I love her signature "chunky" flowers which are so unique and elegant.

New Pendants

2008-12-31T10:32:00.000-08:00

Here are some new polymer clay pendant designs I've made. The one on top was made out of leftover Mokume Gane clay which I ran through the pasta machine several times to get a striped effect. The next one down is also made from Mokume Gane leftovers - this time I used a base turquoise colored clay and covered it with the MG shavings to give it some dimension and depth. This pendant now belongs to my Mom - it was one of her Christmas presents. For the last one, I did something I've been wanting to do for awhile, which is to combine polymer clay with mixed media. I made a teeny-tiny little collage and glued it down onto a small rectangular block of polymer clay which I then varnished to give it a glossy finish.

Mokume Gane Process Part 1

2008-11-23T13:13:00.000-08:00

Mokume Gane Process Part 2

2008-11-23T13:11:00.001-08:00

Mokume Gane Process Part 3

2008-11-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

Mokume Gane Pendants

2008-11-23T13:01:00.000-08:00

I am attempting to gain college credit by evaluation for some of my art/craftwork skills. I was challenged to create a new polymer clay technique by one of the school's evaluators - and I'm glad I was, because this is the result. This is my take on the mokume gane technique (pronounced moh-koo-meh-gah-neh), which was originally a Japanese metalwork technique. For me, the process involved a lot of layering and manipulating different colors of polymer clay, then imprinting and shaving off the very top layer to reveal the wonderful marbling effect within. This was no easy feat - it was tricky, especially the shaving part. Each pendant has copper flake inclusions which I placed in between some of the layers when I was making them - it's the most obvious in the middle pendant above. I will be posting some pictures of the process as well (see above).

Modish Giveaway

2008-11-14T14:54:00.000-08:00

If you love handmade goodies, then you ought to check out The November November Giveaway at Modish (yes that's 2 Novembers and for good reason). You can win more than $750 worth of all kinds of original creations - like jewelry, bags, notecards, and much much more! What you see in this picture is only some of what's up for grabs. What a nice holiday surprise that would be, no? Check the giveaway at Modish and find out how to win them.

New Polyclay Pendants/Earrings

2008-11-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

Some new polyclay pendants and earrings. These were stamped with the acorn image, framed with a beveled edge cutter, coated in mica powder and then varnished in gloss.

WE DID IT!!!!

2008-11-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

More Polyclay

2008-10-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Here's another pendant and two sets of "earrings-to-be."

2008-10-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

And More....

More Pendants!

2008-10-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some new polymer clay pendants waiting to be made into necklaces - or keychains, magnets, or anything else I can come up with. I am so in love with my new mica powders (this is what gives them that colorful metallic sheen). You'll notice some small oval ones in this image - these will be earrings most likely. I will post some individual pictures of my favorite ones and I am working on a tutorial right now. Enjoy!

More Polymer Clay Creations

2008-10-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

Here are 2 "pendants to-be." One is painted with rich oranges, reds and purples. The other is colored for the upcoming holiday season. I think it would look nice with a red or green v-neck sweater. Both are sculpted similarly to the earrings posted earlier, except the imprint in the middle is done with a smaller floral bead. The small round imprints are done with the head of a pin, and the lines on the tips of the star are from my exact-o blade.

Poly-Clay Pendant and Brooch

2008-10-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

Some more polymer clay creations. This pendant and brooch I sculpted on my own. Both were painted and the green/brown one was sealed with a gloss gel medium. I'm really getting to like working with polymer clay. It is so versatile and easy to manipulate. More than that, it's fun and reminds me of being a kid again - it's an adult version of Play-Doh.

Polymer Clay Earrings

2008-10-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Here are two sets of earrings that I made out of polymer clay. The wine/orange colored ones don't have earring findings attached yet. I'm thinking about giving them a nice coating of gloss varnish. The polymer clay used for both pairs was originally a pearlescent white which I painted with acrylics after baking. I sculpted/molded the clay by hand using a star-shaped cookie-cutter, a large flower shaped bead (this is what made the floral imprint), and a pencil eraser to squash the points of the star down. These were a lot of fun to make and I recently bought some metallic mica powders which I'm going to try out on the next set.

Paper Landscape

2008-10-02T09:20:00.001-07:00

Here is a lovely little mixed media landscape I whipped up over the past few days. The background is matte and metallic acrylics, and the foreground hills and clouds are a variety of papers. I may add an image transfer of a tree to one of the hills, but I haven't decided yet. I have to say, it's just so hard to see the textures in this design from this picture - I'm not sure if it's our scanner or what...but it looks quite different from what I see when I hold it in front of me here. When you click on the image it's much more easy to see these details.

Skull Stamp

2008-10-02T09:13:00.000-07:00

So, I recently got a copy of Paper Source's October catalogue, and I saw a skull stamp that I really loved (shown on top). The price wasn't bad at $7.50, but then I remembered - wait! I have my own rubber and tools to make stamps. So I drew up a similar skull and, well, made a stamp out of it (shown on middle and bottom). He came out pretty good if I do say so myself. I know there is copyright issues with things like this, so I purposely did not trace the skull - I just drew my own version.

Brown/Black Bracelet

2008-07-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

Another bracelet. I wear a lot of browns but rarely design anything with browns and blacks - so I stepped outside of my comfort zone with this one. I think it came out nicely.

New Bracelets

2008-07-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hello all - it's been awhile... I've gotten over that stressful period of time where I was taking 4 classes and working full-time (I'm back down to 2 and full-time), so I've had some time to make some jewelry. Here are 2 different multi-strand bracelets I've made recently shown from different angles. I love doing these multi-strands - there lots of fun and great for exercising those color theory muscles.

Charley Harper

2008-05-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

I am frequently asked who my favorite artist is. I've often stumbled to find an answer, never wanting to commit; always supposing that one day it would hit me like a pile of bricks. Well, that day has arrived. His name is Charley Harper. I've seen his work here and there and I'm almost certain I read a book illustrated by him as a child, but it all came crashing down yesterday when I came across a huge oversized tome of his works written by the interior design icon, Todd Oldham. I just cannot even express how stunning these prints were. It is hard to capture in the pictures that I have posted here. His works at first seem decpetively simple; it is not until you look at them for a few seconds that you realize that you have come across a master of modernism. His paintings are whimsical and bold - sometimes joyous, sometimes bizarre. I highly recommend getting ahold of Oldham's book. It will brighten your day immeasurably.

Blue and Green Chunky Charm

2008-05-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

I finally took some pictures of the second chunky charm I made. This one has a blue and green theme - perfect for spring. There's even some frogs and a fish in it. Can you see them? This one took a little longer than the first one. I struggled a bit with the composition, but I think it came out pretty nice. One of my favorite parts of it is the light blue plastic flowers that you can see in the first and second pictures (there are light green ones on the other side, but these pictures don't show them). They were part of a vintage necklace that I found at a thrift store. It was falling apart so I un-strung it and used the beads for various projects. This charm is about 4" long by 2" wide.

Good News

2008-04-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

It's been difficult working full time while going to school and I rarely have the time to sit down and create anything, much less be rewarded for what I create. So it was a pleasant surprise yesterday to receive an e-mail from the Design Laboratory of the University of the Arts London (Central St. Martin branch) requesting to use my decoupaged shoe tutorial in their next issue of the school's Mix Interiors Magazine! I know, I know... that was a really long sentence with way too many embedded links, but I am totally excited. I'll be honest, I would love to go to London myself and teach it to them in person!

While this is a great thing, it is also frustrating to me. I want to be getting more opportunities like this - and I should. But in order to do that, I have to have more time to dedicate to my art. I am second guessing myself now. Should I be working on my art instead of college? Should a passion come first, and a favored career second? Or should it be the other way around?

Chunky-Charm

2008-04-24T09:15:00.001-07:00

I've started making these little chunky charms. I took an earring loop and attached a bunch of beaded wires to it with one charm or bead in the eye. This is the first one I made and it now hangs from the rearview mirror in my car. I made another one recently out of blues and greeens but when I went to take pictures of it my camera ran out of juice. So I'll post it soon, just not today. This one is about 3" long by 2" wide when laying flat.

Yes, It's More Jewelry

2008-03-29T17:46:00.001-07:00

Here's two more necklaces I made. The one on top was my first multi-strand attempt. It originally had three strands, but it was a bit too much so I detached one. The pendant necklace on the bottom is based off of the colors of a sunset with the pendant itself representing the (duh) sun.

Yes, It's Jewelry

2008-03-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

Long time, no see people!! Yes, I have finally succumbed to my deep dark desire to make jewelry. I knew that once I started, I wouldn't be able to stop. And I can't. I can only pray that I don't ever learn how to knit (wipes brow). Here are my first couple of stabs at jewelry making. The one on top is based off of the cherry blossoms that can be seen blooming around this time of year - the pink is obviously the blossoms and I used blue to represent the sky. The bottom necklace was my second stab at multi-stranding. I'm really happy about how the colors work together on this one.

Yo-Yo Flower

2008-02-03T17:03:00.000-08:00

Just something I whipped up last night for a friend. I love making these yo-yo flowers, as I call them. They're great quick little exercises in color theory. Origami and other papers were used for the flower itself, paper and acrylics on canvas board for the background.

Home-made Gift Boxes

2008-02-03T16:53:00.000-08:00

For my mom's birthday this year, I got her a necklace and earrings. It was only later when I got home that I realized I had no wrapping paper. So, I transformed those boring little white gift boxes I got at the store into something FABULOUS (as they say here in the Hamptons)! With a little paint, paper, glue, ribbon, and a couple silk rosettes, I turned the gift boxes into gifts themselves. This is a quick and easy way to make any gift way more special. Maybe when I have some extra time, I'll run a tutorial on this project...

Polka-Dot Lily

2008-01-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, despite all my schoolwork, I've actually been able to do a little creating. Here is something I finished over the X-mas "break." This is a mixed-media piece using paper, paint, feathers, and tinted acrylic gel medium. In the end I gave it a hot-wax coating effect using my graphics program. Lots of bright colors to warm up these winter months. The bottom picture is a kaleidescope effect done on the original.

essimar

2007-12-30T16:26:00.000-08:00

Hi there. Thought I'd post since I have a tiny little break from school. I really miss this blog, and I really miss my artwork, but I suppose this is what happens when you work full time and go to school. I just wish I had one extra day each week...I'd call it Jackurday... Anyway, I was browsing around on Etsy, and totally drooling when I came across this...Meet Essimar. Her delicately cut paper creations are completely sophisticated, yet fun, and her color theory skills are pretty sick. Love the igloo.

Orlando Halloween 2007

2007-11-20T09:26:00.000-08:00

Ah, I finally have a few minutes to post some pictures from vacation. How was it, you might ask? Awesome...everything I expected and more. Definitely the best Halloween I've ever had(so far at least). I'll post some more details when I have the time.

Golden Tarot of Klimt

2007-10-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

Here' s the Golden Tarot of Klimt which is "inspired by the artistic style of early twentieth-century Austrian painter, Gustav Klimt. The art is vivid and sensual, interspersed with mosaic patterns and accented with gold metallic accents.

This will be my last post for awhile as I'm going on vacation, and then immediately after coming back, starting school again full time (whilst working full time no less). *Gulp.* It's definitely time for me to commit to finishing college. I finally know now 100% what I want to do as far as a career, where before I wasn't that sure... so it's time for me to light the fire under my ass and go!

See you soon.

2007-10-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

Another Dia de la Muerta skull. Don't you love his gossamer eyes? Shown is the original, and one that was hot-wax coated with my graphics program.

Indian Lily

2007-10-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a small, post-card size mixed media piece inspired by the art of India. The background is painted with acrylics and the flower itself is made from origami paper (if you haven't realized yet, I am an origami fanatic). I experimented a little bit with this one. I wanted to give it that aged, color-saturated look that you see with a lot of Indian art. I mixed a little pink paint in with some gloss acrylic gel medium and brushed a layer on top of the piece. It dried clear but with a pinkish hue, giving it a nice monochromatic effect; my only regret is that I probably added a little too much paint to the the gel medium...it looks a bit washed out, especially in this picture.

The Stick Figure Tarot

2007-10-14T12:35:00.000-07:00

The Stick-Figure Tarot. I had to throw this one in. It's just too cute.

The Illuminated Tarot

2007-10-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

Another tarot deck. This one is called the "Illuminated Tarot." "The Illuminated Tarot deck is another recoloured version of the Rider-Waite... but these are no ordinary colours. Every part of the scene glows with luminous brilliance. The cards live up to their name."

The Rider-Waite is my old standby, and I hate to see cheesy recreations of that deck, but this one is simply beautiful. The Six of Cups (bottom left) is especially enchanting.

2007-10-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a set of mini-collages set into some simple balsa frames that I painted, "aged", and embellished with beads and buttons. I'm not sure if this would fit into the "montage" category or not. These were done last October, for Halloween of course. The center images were cut out from an old dictionary (since those images are copyrighted, I could not sell these; they are for my use only). A quick and easy project; I thought I'd feature it since Boo-Day is steadily approaching.