Tag Archives: original art

Why I love polymer clay

Why I love polymer clay? There are so many reasons, and I will try to mention some here.

Back in the day I read a book by Laurie Mika titled, Mixed Media Mosaics, and I was hooked! I made tray-loads of clay tiles and painted them. I adhered them to any flat surface that would hold them.

That’s how it all started, and then I began making 3D items, and even ventured into some clay jewelry (not many, but fun.)

Now I have branched out from polymer clay to epoxy clay for some items, and I like the challenge of “mastering” a new material.

Polymer clay is such a forgiving and easy-to-work-with material.

All you need is some elbow grease to soften the clay, a few simple tools, and an oven to bake it.

It became a fun challenge to look for things I could imprint on the clay, from vintage buttons to jewelry charms, rubber stamps, and things like bubble wrap and other trash items.

Here are a couple of examples of my recent clay work:

Polymer clay wall art where I used one of my painted faces.
Epoxy clay work, cosplay forest crown
Polymer clay hand sculpted spirit doll faces
Polymer clay faces for sale

I have branched out with my clay faces to include “elementals.” I have a fire elemental at the top of the picture, and also a Frost Queen, which is new to me.

Yesterday I got a wild hair and decided to make a video for my YouTube channel. Octopus eye on a key… hmm, sounds weird right? You can view it here:

Polymer clay octopus with eye on an old key

So I’ve moved from flat surfaces to explore more 3D styles, but mosaics will never get boring to make. Right now, people are into clay faces and making spirit dolls. Everything seems to go in cycles.

If you’re interested in spirit dolls, you can watch my video on how to make one. The link is in my PREVIOUS blog post.

I wish you lots of happy creativity, and if you’re in the market for a quirky gift, please check out my etsy shop, Earth and Faery.

Love, Maria

Let go of the safety net!

Let go, I say, and everyone will have a reason why it is important to hold on to the past. The safety of the past has a strong hold on most people, myself included.

I was watching some old videos on You Tube on how to embellish a box with lots of metal and paper accents. It turned out pretty, and it could inspire me to make a similar one, but no.

Here’s why: You can buy the art supply and create at your heart’s desire, but the components are made by other people. To get the desired look, you have to buy those components. The elements are mix and match. You are destined to succeed as all the tools are geared for the already successful design of the designer.

It’s not the easiest technique to master, but it is a “ready-made” artwork; you just assemble the pieces and follow the instructions.

There’s nothing wrong with that. I got inspired by fabulous mosaic artist, Laurie Mika, through her book Mixed Media Mosaics, to make my polymer clay boxes, but I ended up making my own designs, mostly because I did not have access to her supplies. My style keeps developing, but I don’t get any big ah-has as I do with painting.

It struck me anew how revolutionary it is to create something from scratch. Let go of the safety net! You use the elements and ephemera you already have. You can also gain fodder from the recycle bin. Creativity lies in the moment.

I have said it before; the artist has to be willing to explore what challenges her the most, discover the genius, like a diamond inside a lump of coal.

When inspiration pulls, and you respond, dare to go beyond the tried and true and explore the unknown grounds of self-expression.

There is a lot of uncertainty in that, but also great freedom.

It’s safe to make art from materials that someone else designed, but how challenging is it?

Let go of the safety net.

It’s like a blind man exploring the skin of an elephant. He will get the immediate texture of the skin, but can’t see the whole animal. Practicing art that comes from the deeper levels of the soul is the elephant not yet “seen.”

By keeping your focus on the moment, more is revealed as the art evolves.

Trust the subtle inspirations, choose the color that speaks to you right now, and after that, another color, and another.

let go of the safety net
let go of the safety net

When I let go, magic happens. It always feels new and amazing, even if the art itself doesn’t look like much. It is original, and no one can take that away. 🙂

There is a lot of resistance involved, but that doesn’t have to stop anyone from moving forward.

For some inspiration on how to deal with resistance, here’s a post on that subject: Resistance, we all feel it.

Another one: Practice never makes perfect.

I would love to hear how you deal with painting and making from scratch. Any ah-has or other insights?

Love,

Maria

Old art feels new again

Old art feels new again if enough time goes by. Some art doesn’t, and those canvases can be painted over with newer impressions, but sometimes I pull out an old painting and pause. If it touches my heart, it’s still good. It was created in 2007.

That’s how universal art is created.  It has a timeless quality.

Mind you, everything is in the eye of the beholder and I’m of course partial to my own art.

I’m amazed how many styles I have tested over the years, from Americana folk art, to abstracts, to all sorts of mixed media, and now mostly intuitive art, which is really abstract if you want to be picky. Though sometimes weird figures abound.

Here are some pictures of my 2007 painting, Magic Happens:

old art, magic happens
Old art

 

old art
old art

I used all kinds of texture, from polymer compound to collage to crumpled tissue paper. The paint enhance the texture in major ways. The hand was cut out of a magazine page, my own hand pattern. Then I applied layers on paint on top.

old art
So much fun! The bird spreads some words of wisdom through her song!

old art
Check out that texture! I think I used large bubble wrap to create those texture circles. I was in an experimental mode for sure. 

This painting is available for sale in my etsy shop. You can head there if you want to see more pictures. I uploaded ten pictures there.

Earth and Faery etsy shop.

Have a creative week. I started in my studio this morning and ended up looking at old art. The mind wanders its own path….

xo

Maria