Archive for the 'Artist Spotlight' Category

Seeing stars: Kathleen Amt

Kathleen Amt, Zodiac Game, detail, 1992 polymer, cloth, paper, elastic, metal overall opened:  11 1/4″ W x 28″ L x 1 3/4″ D game board:  10 5/8″ W x 12 1/4″ L   While unfamiliar to many today, Kathleen Amt was a notable figure in the early years of polymer art.  During the late 1980’s [...]

Shifting Scale

Laura Tabakman, Woven Brooch, 2012 polymer, steel wire, 1/2 ” x 1 1/2″ x 1″ Using comparable materials and a repetition of form, Laura Tabakman has explored a similar idea in two very different ways with decidedly unique results.   One piece is about mass and containment, while the other is all about lightness and movement. [...]

Doodling

Rachel Gourley, Doodle Series: Bamboo.  2012 polymer,  approx. 25″h x 1″w overall Here is some new work from Rachel Gourley. What is intriguing in this series is Gourley’s juxtaposition of polymer components and nature.  Her concept, which is realized through a photograph, explores the idea of what is real and what is not.  Has nature [...]

New Growth: Jasmyne Graybill

Jasmyne Graybill, Crested Buttercream Polyps-detail 2008, polymer, muffin pan, 12″ x 8″ x 2″ It is always good to discover artists doing exciting things with polymer. Jasmyne Graybill’s work is part of a recent article by Monica Moses, “Fungus Among Us” in the August/September 2012 issue of American Craft.  While not the most appealing topic, [...]

Elissa Farrow-Savos: Sharing Tales

Elissa Farrow-Savos, How does she get herself into these messes? 2011, 13h  x 7w  x 11d polymer, magic-sculpt epoxy, oil paint, vintage surplus army zipper Telling a story is the heart of Elissa Farrow-Savos’ work.  Combining polymer with found objects, Farrow-Savos’ sculptures speak to the eye and the soul.   Most of her work is feminine [...]

Measure twice, cut once: Sandra McCaw

Sandra McCaw, Falling Leaves Necklace, 2007, 4″h x 2 1/4″w Polymer, 23 K gold leaf, gold filled wire, glass beads Some of the earliest polymer work done in the United States was related to the technique of caning, or constructing a pattern that remains intact through the length of a cylinder.  Many polymer artists began [...]

Mirror Image: Sarah Shriver

Sarah Shriver, Aqua, Gold and Purple Bracelet, 2009 Some of the earliest polymer work done in the United States was related to the technique of caning, or constructing a pattern that continued intact throughout the length of a cylinder.   In honor of the opening of the “Terra Nova: Polymer Art at the Crossroads” show at [...]

Making Old New

Nan Roche, Animal Auguries, c.1998 polymer & elastic, 6.5″h x 3″h x 2″d and 7.2″h x 2″h x 2″d Racine Art Museum        Photo: Penina Meisels An irrepressible experimenter with a scientific background, Nan Roche has explored and initiated many polymer techniques.  Using some of these same techniques, Roche has created distinctive pieces that integrate her [...]

In Situ

Rachel Gourley, Rocks on Beach, 2010-2011 10″ x 5″ and 3″ x 2″ Rachel Gourley takes the concept of art and nature literally.   The source of much creative, large scale, sculptural work in polymer, Gourley has an affinity for translating natural form into something abstracted and a bit unexpected. 

A Design Pro Turns to Polymer

Ronnie Kirsch, Details 2, 2000 5 1/4″  x 3 1/8″ x 3 1/8″ Give Ronnie Kirsch three stones……and she’ll turn them into a meal. That’s the artistry she exhibits in her kitchen. Give her three blocks of polymer clay…..and she’ll whip them into a sumptuous feast for the eye. So, you may be asking, how [...]