chris bivins: polymer clay and mixed media

Chris Bivins has been making art of one kind or another since his brother taught him to draw with ’smelly magic markers’ in their basement in Alaska.  The artist believes his short attention span lends itself to mixed media work that combines the old with the new and his figurative sculptures are a brooding bunch that appeal to my darker side.  Bivins begins many of his figures by carving a 2 x 4 into a rough torso shape.  He has a natural flair for combining just the right mix of twigs, vintage finds and newer materials like polymer clay that become heads, arms and legs.  It all works in a modern-day-folk-art kind of way.

Rouge, polymer clay, mixed media

Want, polymer clay, mixed media

In Verde, Bivins uses pieces of polymer clay that were intended for jewelry…but somehow they never made it that far.  A good reminder for all of us that sometimes ‘found objects’ are right on our workbench.  Failed experiments, old work or bits and pieces of tired art that never quite made the grade can find a new purpose if we remain open to the possibilities.

Go Ask Alice

Verde, polymer clay, mixed media

Balance, polymer clay, mixed media

Some of his figures look like the shadowy wants, desires and demons lurking in my imagination on a difficult day – maybe today’s the day to make friends with them.

In the Washington state area?  Bivins has a show starting on June 18th at the Two Vaults gallery in Tacoma. And Lunar Boy Gallery is home to a whole different collection of Bivins’ pieces.

More quirky figures on his blog. Come back tonight when I will have another treat for you – it won’t wait until next week and I’m out and about all day today, but I will get the post up tonight!