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I love this fish, the colors are so vibrant and full of contrast. Our judge, watercolor artist Janet King, said that it was hard to choose a winner, but she really like the red color choice in Adrienne’s fish. I want to thank my friend Janet for taking the time to be our judge. Janet is a fabulous watercolor artist and instructor. Please take the time to visit her site and spend some time with her paintings. This bird painting is one of my favorites of Janet’s and represents her humor. See why I asked her to be our judge and why she is my friend?
Adrienne will be receiving the perfume pen in the mail very soon. Thank you Adrienne for the time you spent with your fish. Adrienne was the first to enter a fish and she enjoyed it so much she made another and entered it too. As you can see it paid off, she won!! We do improve with age. (At least with polymer clay)
Thank you to the rest of you who entered this summer contest. I wish I could post all your photos. It was such fun to receive the fish photos in my in-box. But I think what I enjoyed most was talking with so many wonderful people out there that share this crazy passion for polymer clay. Or maybe it’s just the shared love of making things with our hands. The creative process is such a healing, exciting, self affirming activity that it is a necessity for our very being.
Several people told me that this project has rekindled the creativity spark in them. What a compliment for me and an affirmation for just starting something creative. Thanks again.
I did want to show another fish that came very close to winning that I felt I needed to share it. Laura Lang’s fish is beautifully done and I enjoy her color choices. Thanks, Laura for entering.
Laura Lang's Entry
If you want join in the on going adventure, simply sign up for my newsletter at the top right hand side of this page and watch the video.
I wanted to do something with my profile face canes and really wanted to do something different. I used the piece of glass from my mosaic work and lots of canes both old and new and have begun a picture. I’ve placed a piece of white paper behind the glass so that the work would show up better. So right now there is no background.
This is stage one. I’m going to bake it now and add more to it later. I think, after it comes out of the oven, I’ll add a skinner blend background and see where that takes me. Stay tuned.
Adrienne’s fish is the first entry and it is always so much fun when the first one arrives. Aren’t her colors rich? I love this fish!!! Thank you Adrienne for being the first. I can’t wait for the rest of the entries to start flowing in.
If you want to enter and win the perfume pen shown in the column on the right hand side of this page, simply join my newsletter list and watch the 20 minute video showing you how to create your own mosaic fish. Then look for the July Newsletter in you email box and follow the link to find out more.
Someone asked me the other day how I came up with the fish mosaic technique. I thought about the progression that led me to create that first fish.
The Color Vase in this post was covered with polymer clay canes by me in 2001 and even listed on Glass Attic. It was my first polymer clay work to be shown on the internet and let me tell you, I was thrilled.
It was when I still had my old business website, Talented Friends. The link is no longer active to say the least, but the listing is still there on Glass Attic under covering glass.
Color Vase 3
From this vase, I covered many other things and experimented with all sorts of techniques that I saw online or in books or classes.
Several years ago, while I was director of Highlands Art League, we were having a members exhibit and I wanted to do something in PC. I decided I didn’t want to cover an entire vase, I just didn’t have the time. Plus I thought there had to be an easier way to create the designs with clay than trying to do it on the actual vase.
I wanted the design to be recognizable, and something that would lend itself to cane work. I drew out a fish shape on paper and taped it under a flat piece of glass. From there I created the fish vase below and displayed it in our members show along with the Color Vase and two other vases I had done over the years.
Fish Vase Art League
I stepped away from the art league late last year because of my husband’s health. I was home now and had time to actually grow my clay work and expand my horizons. I opened an Etsy shop and decided to try and make small things that I could sell in my Etsy shop and went to clip art for my general pattern for the fish and even a crab. One thing always leads to another as you can see by the cuff bracelet I did this week with the same technique.
This fish led me to share this technique with you. By signing up for my newsletter on the right hand side of the page, you can view the 20 minute film showing the technique I used to achieved this design. I hope you decide to enter my contest too.
What I have discovered is that nothing replaces just getting your hands in the clay and letting the work evolve. One idea will lead to another. Be bold, experiment, enjoy the process. I know I do.
Well, I couldn’t wait until tomorrow. I finished the cuff bracelet tonight and I kind of like it. Just one more experiment added to the already long list. Hmm…I think I’m thinking of something else to try.
I was inspired by a face I saw in a magazine. It was made of several pieces of glass in different colors. I decided to make a mosaic like the fish I make and apply it to a cuff bracelet.
I don’t know if you can see the face, it’s in the middle, yellow nose, green face and red lips.
I drew out a pattern and began. As you can see, it’s colorful. Actually more colorful than I originally planned. The inspiration piece was pretty simple in design and mostly solid colors. It looked nothing like my finished piece.
I still have to straighten up the edges and put it on the bracelet form, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. I can’t decide if it is just too busy or if I really like it. I guess it can be both. Busy and likable!
Come back tomorrow if you have a minute. I should have it finished by then.
I was going to show you some more flamingo things I’ve done, but my camera’s battery was low. I had already taken pictures of these girls so I thought I would share.
I have sold quite a few Salt and Pepper shakers over the years and given away more. I have several sets myself and laugh when I look at first ones I made.
I love to wear bracelets. But I don’t wear other jewelry because I’m allergic to most metals. I love to surround myself with things that are beautiful, that make me laugh or are nostalgic. My work certainly falls into at least one of those categories.
I wanted to make things that I could either look at or use in my every day life. Sculpture, art dolls, salt and pepper shakers, vases, bowls, containers of all kinds. I’m lucky to have a kitchen in my studio and an oven that is only for polymer clay. I am limited to the size of my items only by the size of my oven.
My question is, do you use your favorite canes and cover something that you use everyday? Or are you a jewelry person only? If you have only done jewelry, what would make you consider covering something else with your favorite canes?
And if you’re new here, I have a couple of videos you might like to watch. Check out the Video link on the left hand side of the page or at the very top next to the links page.
I have been making flamingo salt and pepper shakers, business card cases, wine stoppers and I don’t know what else for a couple of years now. I love flamingos, they make me laugh. And maybe I relate to Alice in wonderland and her flamingo croquet stick. Poor Flamingo.
Flamingos continue to be a popular item with all kinds of people, tourist, natives (of FL.) collectors, artists… artists love to paint, sculpt and even cane them. Plus I don’t think there is an age range for people who like the pink wonder.
Flamingos really are a beautiful bird, but they still make me laugh. They’re Florida’s Christmas equivalent of the northern snowman. We put a santa hat on him and there you go! I think I’ve even seen them trying to take over for the reindeer that pull Santa’s sleigh.
Are you like Arlene Harrison? Do you have business card cases that you purchased and they’re still in the box they came in. Okay, maybe you opened the box.
(Of course you did, what was I thinking, we are internet ordering specialist aren’t we? When the boxes come, we open before the mailman can get out of the driveway.)
But maybe you just didn’t exactly know how to apply the polymer clay to the case. So you thought about them for awhile. Then you thought about them some more. Then you forgot about them.
Then one day you came across them in the bottom of the drawer or the back of the closet. How did they get there? You promise yourself you are going to do something with them soon. Hey, if they were going to make great Christmas presents last year, well, they still will this year right? You have plenty of time, it’s only July.
You put them on top of everything else in the drawer. If they’re on top, you’ll be sure to see them now and you’ll get around to figuring them out soon.
The fish mosaic tutorial is my newest video and available through my newsletter sign up on the upper right hand corner of the page.
Simply add you name and email address and you’ll have access to 20 minutes of instruction on how to create your own mosaic. Let me know how you liked it. Was it helpful to you? What else would you like to learn to do?
Leave your comment here on this post and we can talk.
