Archive for the 'Publications' Category

Midnight in the Limelight

Judy Kuskin, “Round Midnight” Necklace, polymer, silver
While I am on a short leave, feast your eyes on more polymer art jewelry featured in Art Jewelry Today 2.
Judy Kuskin’s Necklace is prominently positioned opposite the title page as a full page image.
Judy writes about the inspiration for her work, saying:

Election Day News Break

Sandra McCaw, Persian Cuff, 2007, polymer, gold leaf
Today Sandra McCaw announced that she is also a candidate for the 2009 Niche Award.
Here’s what Sandra just wrote about her work:

One for the Home Team

We interrupt our regular programming for this commercial announcement…
I just received news that my polymer work is featured top and center on the cover of a new book about contemporary art jewelry. Of course I’m pleased for personal reasons, but more importantly, polymer garners added status within the field of contemporary art jewelry. [...]

The Early Development of Polymer Clay Bead-Making: Part Five

In 1987, at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in the Washington, D.C. area, I taught my first workshop on polymer bead-making based on the simple techniques I had developed.  On the advice of an artist colleague, I submitted a short article to Ornament magazine.  Published in 1988, my article was entitled “The Use of Polyform [...]

More Early Images: Tory Hughes and Pier Voulkos

Are you hooked on Kathleen Dustin’s presentation about the work done by the early polymer bead makers? Then, you’ll want to see even more images by those pioneers. After each of Kathleen’s next few installments, I will provide you with an expanded view of those artists’ early work. 
In the gallery that follows you can put [...]

More Nonpareils

Coining new words is not my specialty, but the last three posts on this site seemed to demand a descriptive term for the tiny, hand formed polymer balls used by Lori, Amy, Cynthia, Pier and others. For the purpose of uniform terminology, let’s call them “nonpareils.”                         
When I asked Amy Zinman about the technical inspiration [...]

Polymer blossoms, seeded by Flower Valley Press

Many acknowledge Nan Roche and her book, The New Clay, as the source and the early inspiration for the explosion of information about polymer and its growth as a medium for artistry. 
 
But how many realize that this could never have happened without the support and vision of Seymour Bress, founder of Flower Valley Press.  In [...]

A Name You May Not Know

On this blog I suspect there will be some kind words said about me as the person who — by hook or by crook or by waving a magic wand – cajoled some naïve publisher into printing The New Clay at a time when almost nobody in America could identify the meaning of the phrase, “polymer [...]

We’ve come a long way, baby!

In St. Louis in 1981, the National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts held a national convention. It was there that Esther Olson introduced her process for making miniature candies from FIMO®.  Today we would recognize these techniques as millefiore caning.  From that inconspicuous beginning, caning has evolved into extraordinary art, as seen in the work of [...]

Beadazzled Show in Washington, DC

I was certainly bedazzled to see the this show at Beadazzled in Washington, DC in 1990. It was the first time I had ever seen the work of Pier Voulkos, Sarah Shriver, Grove & Grove and City Zen Cane in person.
The show was displayed in the back room of the store’s original location on Dupont [...]