As I mentioned in an earlier post, at Clayathon 2019 I had the opportunity to take a vessel making class from Helen Wyland-Malchow. It was a really great class, and I learned to do something I've never tried before. In that class, Helen wanted everyone to experience slab construction of shapes using polymer clay, and that's what I did. However, she had some vessels she had made in a trapezoid shape with triangular bases. The shape just captivated me, and I really wanted to try it sometime.
When I found out that Helen was going to be offering the same workshop in Connecticut, I asked her if I could take the class again and do the trapezoid shape instead. She agreed to let me do just that, and said she'd be glad to help me.
I had a wonderful time.
The photos here are shots of the 2 sides of the vessel I made. I'm really pleased with the decorated sheets I made, and with the way the shape turned out. Even the top is fun!
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Friday, September 20, 2019
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Playing with More Stripes
I've been having fun making striped canes and stacks, and using them in various shapes. I particularly like the round, hollow pin/pendants I've been working on. Here are some of my latest pieces using stripes.
The piece on the left has a gold-plated flower with zircon center adding some sparkle and interest. Since the edge on this one is ruffled, I did not bring the backing up to the edge. Some of the striping shows around the edges on the back.
This next pin has very subtle stripes which I think contrast nicely with the textured parts of the piece. Some of the inspiration for this pin comes from my workshop with Fabiola Perez.
Here is another hollow round pin/pendant. I really love the way the colors blended and how the black and white edging gives the piece an unusual look.
For these last 2 pieces, I used the same striped stack as the round at the beginning of this post. The necklace is strung with 4mm carnelian rounds and has gold-filled disks between each bead. The earrings are a "just for fun" pair. I was playing with some slices and this is what evolved.
The piece on the left has a gold-plated flower with zircon center adding some sparkle and interest. Since the edge on this one is ruffled, I did not bring the backing up to the edge. Some of the striping shows around the edges on the back.
This next pin has very subtle stripes which I think contrast nicely with the textured parts of the piece. Some of the inspiration for this pin comes from my workshop with Fabiola Perez.
Here is another hollow round pin/pendant. I really love the way the colors blended and how the black and white edging gives the piece an unusual look.
For these last 2 pieces, I used the same striped stack as the round at the beginning of this post. The necklace is strung with 4mm carnelian rounds and has gold-filled disks between each bead. The earrings are a "just for fun" pair. I was playing with some slices and this is what evolved.