All Entries in the "Picks From The Past" Category
harue shimomoto: a strong quiet
I need a quiet day today. A deep breath. A few moments of reflection. An hour of stillness. Harue Shimomoto’s expertly ‘woven’ sculptural tapestries are the perfect way to start today’s journey. [Click on the images for the larger version.]
Shimomoto fused glass rods to ‘weave’ the massive installations. Describing the work, art scholar Judy Clowes explains, “This precisely arranged glass environment captures her experience of a particular aspect of each season: a summer storm, a quiet autumn rain, the crisp, cold winter night sky, and the reflective surface of a spring pond.” Clowes goes on to say that the artist is striving for what she calls “a strong quiet: the quiet of a mountain.” Mmmmmm….
The gossamer glass wisps are hard to capture in still photographs – watch the video clip below, of Shimomoto’s MFA exhibit, to get a sense of the size and scale of these tapestries (about halfway into the three minute video).
Walking through glass rain from Shelby Falk on Vimeo.
winters’ new work and polymer clay history
Elise Winters’ website boasts new pieces bursting with color, playful shapes that sway, swoop, curve and curl and a boundless energy that is matched by the artist. She’s having fun and it shows!
Red Ruffle Ruche, 2009
Frosted Boa Bangles, 2009
Cool Jewel Ruffle Brooch, 2009
Elise was my first teacher when I started working with polymer clay seven years ago. At the time I knew very little about the medium so when I signed up to take her class I had no idea that I was about to study under one of the leading artists in the field. Lucky me! I continued my studies with her for three years and can still remember the first time I held one of her brooches. The Asian inspired color palette was captivating and the brooch was luminous – so breathtakingly luminous. I’ve never seen a picture that effectively captures that quality of her work.
In addition to being one of the leading innovators and artists in the field, Winters works tirelessly to promote polymer clay as a recognized medium for fine craft. In October 2007 she launched Polymer Art Archive, documenting the evolution of the medium. From the website:
This is a site where professional artists working in the medium of polymer will find inspiration. Museum and gallery curators will be able to access documentation about the evolution of this vibrant medium for artistic expression. And serious collectors will discover windows to new works and the medium’s most collectable artists.
Bookmark it.
jane adam’s jewelry as a source of inspiration
Jewelry artist Jane Adam creates simple shapes, rich textures and muted colors that appeal to my aesthetic. Her ability to make anodised aluminum behave like paper is a constant source of delight.
When I look at an artist’s work as a source of inspiration, I don’t study it in an effort to replicate what I see. There are aspects of the work that draw me in and my curious nature takes over, exploring how I can hold on to the quality that captured my attention. In the case of Adam’s jewelry, I found the subtle wavy edge and the paper-thin metal of the fluted bangle compelling. I was also struck by the way the components of the earrings pictured below appear to be dancing closely and speaking to each other in hushed whispers.
For months I’ve been experimenting with wafer-thin clay. How far can I push it? Which surface treatments lend themselves to clay this thin? Can I imitate the feel and look of textured paper? I’ve got a table overflowing with experiments in various stages of development, but none amount to a fully formed thought. Yet. I’m still in the peculiar place where excitement (oh wow, I can make the clay do THAT?) shares space with uncertainty (ok, now that I’ve figured that out, what do I actually want to make with it?) and I’ve been there for longer than I’d like.
Adam’s work and the paper art that I feature on PCNotes continue to influence me as I lose myself in the process of manipulating polymer clay. Incorporating the qualities that appeal to me regarding her manipulation of metal is an often-revisited starting point for me as I head into the studio.
More on my not-quite-fully-developed experiments next week. Maybe even a glimpse of my process.
strawberry fields forever
today’s flickr find:
strawberry anemones…they look good enough to eat, but please don’t!
my baby just cares for me
he does you know. cares for me. and i am a lucky, lucky woman. but that’s another story. right now, to get you through your wednesday – another claymation video. sit down, relax, turn up the sound, click on the picture..and smile.
hashing it out
what do cast plastic, vacuum cleaner contents, toilet paper, hot glue and pig’s ears have in common? arthur hash. this innovative artist uses all of them in his exciting, contemporary jewelry. conversation starters for sure. i.am.fascinated.
sterling silver and hot glue – wow
cast plastic and toilet paper – who knew?
i had to include this cast plastic bracelet
rolling waves, flowing curves…you know i had to.
guiding lights
several years ago, when i was having a what-to-do-how-to-do-it-should-i-do-it moment, one of my favorite people gave me a copy of the following by w.h. murray. wise man, that murray fella. more than a dozen years later, it remains one of my many guiding lights.
until one is committed
there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back,
always ineffectiveness.
concerning all acts of initiative (and creation),
there is one elementary truth,
the ignorance of which kills countless ideas
and splendid plans:
that the moment one definitely commits oneself,
then providence moves too.
all sorts of things occur to help one
that would never otherwise have occurred.
a whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one’s favour all manner
of unforeseen incidents and meetings
and material assistance,
which no (wo)/man could have dreamt
would have come (her)/his way.
i have learned a deep respect for one of goethe’s couplets:
“whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”
crocheted niobium
joan dulla crochets delicate collars of sterling silver, 18k gold necklaces and wildly colorful jewelry with niobium wire. her unique work has brought accolades from the jewelry arena, fiber arts world and fine art sculpture community.
reuse the roof!
mckenna hallett digs through dumpsters and scours scrap metal yards looking for rusty copper flashing and gutters to cut into squares, rectangles and her signature kimono shaped jewelry. she lives her life by three guiding principles: reduce, recycle, reuse and her website offers insight into this philosophy, her art and her process. take your time and absorb the richly colored, highly textured work on the pages of hallett’s site – you might even come away with a new perspective when you read about her equally colorful way of life. the new year is upon us…what a perfect time to embrace a new idea.
many thanks to judy dunn for the link, and for spreading another important message to the world as we move into 2007.
reclaimed metal marked and ready to be cut down to size
crazy kinetics
i love movement and surprise in art, in life. nemo gould makes astonishing kinetic sculptures from found objects and posts videos on his website of the sculptures in action.
a minute. that’s all i want. a minute as a fly on the wall of this guy’s mind as he comes up with these ideas. there are quite a few pictures and short video clips so be prepared to stay awhile.
it doesn’t get much better than this.
