POLL: Pohutukawa mosaic - different styles

I have finally completed and photographed the exercise that I started last month. Before designing a larger polymer clay mosaic artwork, I have been experimenting with different styles. Based on a representation of the New Zealand Potohutukawa flower, I have created six small mosaics, on 4" (10cm) square block canvases. Please take part in the poll (to the right) and let me know which style you like best. The results of the Poll have been added at the end of this post.

1 - Simple squares

2 - Micro mosaic

3 - Micro and larger shapes

4 - Design cut into squares

5 - Cut out design and squares

6 - Various shaped pieces

This will be my last post for a while, as I am going back to the UK on Friday (for a couple of weeks) to attend a family wedding and to catch up with family and friends. On my return, I will consider the results from this poll, when I start my first larger scale polymer clay mosaic artwork.

Postscript: Results of the Poll - which mosaic style do you like best?

1. 0%
2. 35%
3. 17%
4. 3%
5. 37%
6. 8%

Thank you to everyone who voted.


A Review of July 2010

The main focus of this month has been to get stock ready for my first time at Coatesville Market, which means I have not created many new Art-Brooch designs on canvases. I have tried to finish off pieces that had previously been started, especially making some of my experimental pieces into brooches and also trying out the idea of making sample brooches – both of these will be lower cost items for my stand.

Trial set-up of table display

I have also been working on a new set-up for my table. Unfortunately, I ran out of time, so I only have three screens (instead of five) as shown in the photograph above. It looks over-crowded to me but when I get the other two screens, I can space things out more. I have designed the screens to join together with Velcro strips but I am not sure how secure this will be in practice. At least I can try it out tomorrow and then reconsider the fixing method, if necessary, before adding the other two screens.

Completing pieces for Coatesville Market

The last two weeks have been spent completing pieces for Coatesville Market. Here are my latest Art-Brooches on canvases.

Silver Flowers

Golden Mask

Un-titled

I am not sure about the one which is un-titled. I like the idea of the golden rods cutting across the square but I think they would be better made from metal (maybe metal clay, which I have not tried - yet?). I have had to make them quite thick, so that the polymer clay is strong enough, but this has lost the delicacy.

The eight designs from one shape have now become nine, as I discovered another one. I am pleased with how they have turned out although I think I will need to use two different sizes of the curved triangular shape, as some have ended up quite small, if I make some more. These sample brooches (see post dated Thursday 15 July 2010) will be sold with a small organza gift pouch.

Sample brooches - nine designs from one shape

More sample brooches

Here are a few more experimental brooches that were not photographed before.

I seem to have accumulated quite a stock of polymer clay brooches and I still have some of my earlier ones, made from Friendly Plastic, as a back-up if I run low.

Photo of finished 'Circles' brooch

This morning I finished painting the canvas for this 'Circles in Turquoise' brooch. I am now going to make a conscious effort not to pick up my circle cutters, for a while, and start making some brooches in other shapes.

Photos of new brooches on canvases

Luckily today, in between the rain showers, there have been some bright spells, so I have managed to photograph my new brooches on their canvases.

Swirl 1

Swirl 2

Ocean Blue

Orange-Gold

Concentric Circles (Purple)

Pink Circle

Whispering Heart

 

I have also re-mounted four of my earlier Art-Brooches, made from Friendly Plastic, on these new style canvases. The left hand picture shows the original mounting on the chunky block canvas and the right hand picture is the new mounting on the slimmer, square canvas.

CF032 Midnight Landscape

CF033 Desert Landscape

CF034 Seascape with Yacht

CF035 Seascape with Yachts

Bad weather prevents photographing

This morning I have finished mounting all my new polymer clay brooches on their individually painted canvases. I am pleased with the way they look and, after much experimenting, have found a simple but effective way to keep them in place on the canvas. This method should prevent another theft of the brooch occurring, when they are being exhibited, unless some takes the whole canvas off the wall.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast for this Queen’s Birthday weekend (the Monday is a public holiday here in New Zealand) is not good – it is grey, wet and windy! So, I do not know if I am going to get the opportunity to photograph my finished canvases, which I really need to do outside, to get some good light.

As it is currently raining, I have started on another circular brooch. This is currently in progress – it still needs sanding and some satin glaze and doming resin applied to selected circles, to give a variety of different surface finishes.

Once I have finished this one, I will make a conscious effort to make some different shaped brooches. Next weekend, I intend to focus on the ‘mica shift’ technique, creating some asymmetrical triangular shaped brooches. I am also really keen to try some layering techniques, for the focal part of the brooch, but I am waiting for some supplies for this to come from Shades of Clay. This is a Canadian company, which I am trying for the first time – they seem to have very reasonable prices, especially for international shipping.

A Review of May 2010

This month I have tried to concentrate on making my first Art-Brooches from polymer clay. Apart from the last, heart-shaped one, they are all circular. I am so pleased to have finally found some good circle cutters that keep their shape, I seem to be going circle crazy. The cutters are made from plastic and have been well-designed, so they do not distort, which is the problem I have found with all the circular metal cutters I have tried. They came from a kitchen clearance shop, so unfortunately are no longer made – I will have to treasure them with my life!

I really need to work on the finishing the canvases for the brooches I have made so far. Once I have done these, I will re-photograph the brooches, on the canvases, and add the complete Art-Brooch photos to the GALLERY.

After much research and deliberation, I have decided to use the 3/4" deep canvases, which look much more in proportion with my brooches - I always felt the deeper 1.5" block canvases, that I originally used, looked too 'chunky'. Here in New Zealand, I cannot get these slimmer canvases (in the brand I want to use, which has the canvas neatly finished on the back) in the small rectangular dimensions I would like. So, to overcome this, I will just use 6"x6" canvases and paint coloured bands down each side where I need the central piece to be more rectangular, for elongated brooch shapes. As all the canvases will be a consistent size, it will make displaying much easier. I intend to re-mount Art-Brooches CF032 - CF035, on the slimmer canvases and think they will look much better (will post some photos when they are finished).

Rather than jumping from one technique to another (which what I seem to be doing at the moment, as I want to try everything now), I think I should work my way gradually through each technique, perfecting my ability to a reasonable standard before moving on. I will make several brooches, using a specific technique, and keep the best one as an example for my proposed future exhibition (see post Wednesday May 26, 2010).