Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Mosaics can be addictive!

I've always warned new comers to polymer clay that it can be addictive!  And my newest obsession is no exception.  This past weekend our local polymer clay guild (Central Mississippi Polymer Clay Guild) met and the focus of the meeting was making and using mosaic tiles. One of our members, Jennifer, had researched various techniques and shared with us three different “looks” using just black and white clay, rubber stamps, mica powders and acrylic paint.

Once we had a nice pile of tiles to choose from, we arranged the “focus” tiles in a pleasing manner and glued them down. Then we filled in with strips and tiles until our piece was finished. These mosaic pieces can be put into a frame or set up on a small easel for display or a hanger could be added for a different look.


I can definitely tell you that this is an addictive art form. My next project is going to be a wall hanging that will include my house number. I have a place on my front porch already picked out to hang it! Now if I can remember where I put all my butterfly stamps!!!

Some of the techniques we used were from the book "Mixed Media Mosaics: Projects Using Polymer Clay Tiles, Beads & Other Embellishments" by Laurie Mika which is available from Amazon.com. 

Thursday, March 10, 2011

It’s not polymer clay… but

Other than revamping the studio, here’s what I’ve been working on lately. Back before I became addicted to polymer clay, I spent 30+ years honing my skills as a decorative painter. One of the categories in my portfolio was “Indoor/Outdoor Art”. This art is painted on a wooden “canvas” built by me in my workshop then sealed to withstand the rigors of being displayed outside. This art is designed to add a burst of color to an outside wall or fence and a special coating is added to keep the colors from fading.

A thick “medium” was piped on using cake decorating supplies then different sized paint brushes were used to create the raised detailing. Then the real fun began! The technique I used for this painting involved using multiple sheer layers of paint and glaze which gave it a rich “deep” look. The red flowers alone had a minimum of 5 colors and/or color mixes applied and I wish you could see it in person! Even I was impressed and I painted it!

I don’t do a lot of painting these days. This one was a custom order and I had a lot of fun doing it but I’m ready to get back to my polymer clay!