Martha on Jun 20 2008 | Filed under: 1997, Arrowmont NPCG 1997 Conference, Ford, NPCG, Recent History, 1997 NPCG
Elise asked me to lead a small team of volunteers to research and write about gatherings that influenced the development of polymer as an art medium. This is the second of these posts and we hope to follow up with more. Special thanks to Steven Ford who provided this information about the Arrowmont Conference.
Name […]
Elise on Apr 08 2008 | Filed under: 1995, 1997, Julie: Artisans Gallery, MIPCES, NPCG, OCCC School of Art, Voulkos, Winters
Twice in my lifetime I’ve held golden treasure in my hands, two unrecognized artistic creations that were being offered up for sale — at the price of lead or tin. Buying both of those objects altered my life and led me to where I am today.
The second purchase, a pair of polymer clay earrings in […]
Kathleen on Mar 11 2008 | Filed under: 1980's, Allen, Breen, Grove, Synergy NPCG 2008 Conference, Voulkos
This is Part Three of the speech delivered at Synergy: the 2008 National Polymer Clay Guild Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland in February 2008. The entire speech will be publish in serial form in five parts on Polymer Art Archive .
In 1984, Pier Voulkos conceived of simple millefiore designs based on some limited experience with glass-working in […]
Kathleen on Mar 04 2008 | Filed under: 1970's, Caning, Hughes, Imitative, Julie: Artisans Gallery, Millefiore, Synergy NPCG 2008 Conference, Voulkos
This is Part Two of the speech delivered at Synergy: the 2008 National Polymer Clay Guild Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland in February 2008. The entire speech will be publish in serial form in five parts on Polymer Art Archive .
The Earliest Polymer Bead-makers
Many of these American artists first became aware of the polymer brand Fimo in […]
Kathleen on Feb 29 2008 | Filed under: 1930-70, 1970's, 1980's, Allen, City Zen Cane, Dustin, Ford, Forlano, Grove, Hughes, Product Development, Synergy NPCG 2008 Conference, Toops, Voulkos
This is Part One of the speech delivered at Synergy: the 2008 National Polymer Clay Guild Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland last week. The entire speech will be publish on Polymer Art Archive in serial form.
Polymer clay developed initially for making dolls and puppets but it wasn’t until it was embraced as a bead and […]
Elise on Feb 22 2008 | Filed under: 1995, Backfill, Micromosaic, Ravensdale 1996, Toops
Here’s another treat for your viewing pleasure to tide you over until I return from the ACC Baltimore Craft Show.
When I began to think seriously about building a substantial collection of polymer art, I wanted my first purchase to be literally the cornerstone: the most significant piece I could afford by the finest artist I […]
Elise on Jan 25 2008 | Filed under: 1995, 1998, Feiss, Illuminating a Medium: Polymer Retrospective, Muse NPCG 2001 Conference, Nonpareils, Toops, Zinman
Having given birth to this website exactly a month ago, and having nursed it through its formative days, I’ve gained some unexpected rewards.
To get the site up and running, I’ve had to review thousands of slides that had been sitting in boxes as well as taking new photos of my own polymer art collection and […]
Elise on Jan 11 2008 | Filed under: 1995, Haunani, Liska, Shrinemont, Tube Beads, Winters
It seems to me that innovation in the medium of polymer often resembles our own adult version of “telephone.” One artist comes up with a great concept, something she just has to tell a colleague about. In a rush of excitement, that second person passes along the original idea, inevitably adding a personal twist or […]
Lindly on Jan 08 2008 | Filed under: 1995, Liska, Shrinemont
Over the span of three National Polymer Clay Guild Retreats at Shrinemont, I was able to witness the evolution of Laura Liska’s bargello beads. One year she spent hours mixing color samples that nestled back into a neat hexagram, another year she experimented with different shapes for her beads, earrings and necklaces. Every aspect of […]
Kathleen on Jan 01 2008 | Filed under: 1989, 1995, Color transfer, Dustin, Feiss, Forlano, International Bead Conference, Translucent Layering, Voulkos
I first became intrigued by the particular characteristics of translucent polymer in 1989 when I made two goblet forms entitled “Angel’s Goblets.” I layered it very thinly with some opaque millefiore intending to let light pass through it in order to see patterns layered over other patterns. I did not continue exploring this whole idea, […]