Clay happenings

NEW Clay Happenings

2011-01-19T17:56:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. Sorry it's been so long since I popped in. Life is HUGE is my excuse. But as a result of the 'time out' I've had the chance to grow. This also means I am now inspired to share more of what I am learning, not just on techniques and teaching but in all kinds of deeper ways too.

Recently i heard an interview with a guy called Rick Jarrow. He said "“What I want HAS to be in relationship to you. Without some kind of community connection, without some kind of 'we', the ’ I’ wanting what I want is almost satanic.”

So, with all this in mind, welcome to the 'new' Clay Happenings, a more holistic look at life, growth, claying and the claying community...

What's new:

Camp Creative Contemporary Clay Jewellery 2011, students and their work.

I'm just back from teaching a week at Camp Creative in Bellingen and wanted to share a bit of my experience with you.

Tho I've taught many workshops in the last 8 years or more, I am still learning. Some things that I picked up from having just completed the Cert IV in Training and Assessment shined through and improved my teaching methods and intertwined with that was my willingness to be open to discussion with the class and with other collegues...to really learn from it, to make changes to improve everyones experience of the workshop.

Things I learned. That if you ask people for feedback, they give it to you. Be aware where your mind wants to jump to defence and breathe through it, let the knee jerk defence response just slide away and continue to just be open to 'support', know that this person is supporting you in finding improvements. This attitude of openess and genuine willingness to give value to participants leads to the manifestation of something greater than just teaching techniques and doing your job. Over 50% of the group of 16 wrote back to me thanking me. I've never had that kind of response before. One such response was: "You were just fabulous - I think you did a marvellous job with the numbers. Your patience and willingness to teach AND learn from your students makes the difference. Your enthusiasm is just infectious"

Two changes I'm making.

1: Get peoples email address from the organizers and send each participant the tutorials and notes before the workshop date. This means you don't have to print them out yourself (saving a lot of time and some money too) because they print out their own hard copy to take to the class, enabling them to check tutorials themselves if they get stuck and 'teacher' is busy with someone else. It also gives them the benefit of reading through them if they want to get a feel of the big picture of claying.

2: Have a 'ten clay commandments' sign

ie 1)Tho shalt not touch the work of others in it's raw state.

2)Tho shalt look at where the cutting edge of the blades are whenever you pick it up.

(not that I had any injuries thank goodness, but I'm just giving examples here).

I learned through Cert IV TAE that people learn differently to each other and that while speaking it is important, so is getting them to read it and so is demonstrating and getting them to follow...

Anyway, you get my drift. Hope this is helpful to some of the other art/clay teachers out there...

Oh...and as another reminder, here's that quote again...I just love it “What I want HAS to be in relationship to you. Without some kind of community connection, without some kind of we, the ’ I’ wanting what I want is almost satanic.” Rick Jarrow

Inks, landscapes and silver frames

2009-10-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

These pieces, like many new things I make, are created by me but are influenced tremendously by other teachers and artists I admire. Donna Kato has a fabulous tutorial in her surface designs book on how to use gold leaf and inks. Susan Turney explored Donnas technique and took it to new levels with her beautiful work. We chatted in depth about how to get a specific look and her advice helped me tremendously. Unfortunately for her polymer clay fans, she has been lured into fabric art recently and we don't get to see much polymer clay from her anymore. The pmc silver frames idea came from Janice Abarbanel who wrote an absolutely fabulous tutorial on using sterling silver frames (which she also supplies) with polymer clay, available in her etsy shop for those who don't want to make their own from pmc like I did here.
Anyway, I thank all these talented and generous artists...and give you my own take on this technique. I am teaching this technique (top ones, not with silver frames) in Sydney in Novemeber, still one place left. Check my website for details (scroll to bottom of page)

Angels

2009-08-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

Recently someone turned me onto angels, saying that whatever you want to name them/it... go within...there is great support when you ask for it. I've tried it. It's true!
Then the subject of angels came up again...someone else sent me a link to Robbie Williams great song out about angels, a real heart opener...
And sometimes they come when you least expect it...like when I turned up to teach a wonderful group from the Bribie Island Community Arts Society. On my arrival, I was greeted by Dee who announced that she was my Workshop Angel and immediately started to direct people to lift things out of my car, make coffee for me, make sure I had everything I needed and that the workshop ran smoothly. I can't tell you how wonderful that was! So big thank you to Dee, my Workshop Angel. And also a big thanks to Sandi, another angel, who gave me a bed for a couple of nights and served the most delicious Indian food for dinner and made me feel so at home.

Now I'm gonna be spoiled for all my other large groups like Grafton Artfest and Bellingen Camp Creative. Maybe I should put up an ad "angel wanted, apply within" (haha.. apply winin...get it?)
Anyway, here are some examples of the work that the Bribie Island participants made on the weekend.... and a group photo too...

Musings and mountains

2009-06-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

I've always had a facination with mountains. Magestic, immovable, solid...just gazing at one gives me a sense of peace. It's no wonder cartoonists depict gurus sitting on top of them! It's not surprising I ended up living on a property that overlooks the well known landmark of Mt Chincogan in Mullumbimby which often ends up inspiring me to make landscape pendants in polymer and silver clay. This time I've used gold leaf and alcohol inks and covered with translucent clay. I made a batch of them which I still have to sand and polish but here is one finished. I will be teaching this technique in Sydney in November along with some other fun techniques. See my workshop page for more details if you want to learn how to make these too!

Speaking of inspiration, Amy Crawley is a mixed media artist I really admire. Her work often reflects something profound, some inner workings, something spiritually enlightening. She has a great blog I subscribe to and often throws in quotes that strike a cord with me.
Recently she asked for submissions from people for their favorite quote. Being a lover of good quotes, I submitted one too. Read about it here.

Nepalese clayers

2009-05-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

Every now and then, something comes along that touches your heart and compels you to take action. If ever there was a plight worth supporting, it's this one. My friend Wendy Moore, an australian polymer clayer living in Nepal, has been teaching Nepalese women jewellery making skills and polymer claying skills to help them become empowered and self sufficient. They are survivors of violence, domestic and trafficing (selling girls into prostitution) and are looking at ways of generating an income for themselves and their families.
We are working on ways to get them more clay and supplies, the difficulty is that even if we amass an army of people happy to donate clay, the postal service is very unrelaible. If anyone can shed some light on successful ways to get clay through to Nepal, please write to me at madbeader@westnet.com.au
In the meantime, there is more info at the Aussie Polyclayers forum
for those interesting in trying to send small amounts of clay to keep them busy till we come up with more permanent and successful solutions...

Inro (wearable vessel)

2009-05-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

Out of that mess (see messy table previous post) came this delightful little number. Moulded over an EMPTY cigarette lighter, screen printed and stamped with my very own hand made stamp using photopolymer plates.
This inro is a lot easier to make than the previous ones I've made. Like this. In fact, it took me less than three hours where as the other one took me around 8 hours! I've written a tutorial on this latest one for Australian Beading magazine's October issue...and since that's such a long way off, I'll remind you when it's out!

What's on your table?

2009-05-12T23:07:00.000-07:00

Valerie Vaharoni asks in her blog what's on your table? I love her blog, well worth subscibing to. Anyhow, I'm one of the messy ones. I used to feel a bit embarrassed...till I saw that all the artists I like trash their tables as bad as I do. So it is with gratitude I come across pics like Valerie Vaharonis.
Here's a squizz of mine...

New look website

2009-05-07T18:05:00.001-07:00

I have a fabulous excuse for so few blog postings last month...I have built myself a new website.

Check it out here.

Silver Clay Workshop in Mullumbimby

2009-03-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

I'm holding a beginners silver clay workshop in Mullumbimby for the locals here. I'm also testing the value of talk back radio...am doing an interview on Bay FM on their Arts Canvass segment on Thursday 2nd April at around 10.15am. So tune in if you're interested...
Details of the workshop are:

Silver Clay Jewellery Workshop

in Mullumbimby

Perfect for the beginner or those wishing to breathe new life into their jewellery making, come explore the revolutionary new medium of silver metal clay used to create fine silver jewellery without the need for casting molten metal.

Saturday 25^th April, 10 to 4pm

Cost: $80 plus materials (dependant upon the size you’d like to make, approx $40)

66845576

Earrings are an example only. You may choose you own design…or make a pendant!

Slaying! Nope, not the dragon!

2009-03-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

A wonderful clay buddy of mine from Albany WA once termed silver claying as 'slaying' and it stuck. I've been in slaying heaven for the last three days. I wanted to combine gems (which can't be fired) with silver clay so I fired a pre-made bezel cup into a hole (made with 'it' as the cutting tool) learned from Hadar Jacobsons first book 'The Handbook of Metal Clay". Great book and well worth the purchase. Pity I stuffed up the part where the stone falls nicely into place...it didn't, it went in on a slight angle and got stuck, I couldn't pull it out. So Ms Impatience decided 'oh stuff it' and pushed it as far as it could go, still on an ever so slight angle...which ofcourse made fitting the bezel snugly around it nice and neat an impossible task. Lesson learned. Next time I'll be placing dental floss underneath the stone till I know it's sitting right. Live n learn.
I've had success with applying gold to silver...adding paste (or better yet, acs overlay paste!) directly after it's cooled from firing, then two/three layers of gold paste or aura 22, drying before each next coat, torch fire and burnish gold while still hot...a tip I got from Jen at Metal Clay Australia
I also made Curt a kombi pendant...there's been a shift in our relationship and I felt the urge to make something precious for him. It HAD to be a kombi didn't it! He loves it.
All in all, a very satisfying few days. I'm so glad to be settled back in.
Off to another art trail exhibition/promotion at Hammer and Hand this evening...talking art and drinking red wine, both of which are right up there in the top ten of favourite things...

Sydney workshop

2009-03-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the Sydney workshop in early March. We all had a simply marvelous time and I will be back in October for those of you who want more! Perth will have to wait a wee bit longer as I plan to go back in March. Wonderful to have a bloke at the Sydeny workshop, thanks to Carl for being brave enough to hang out with the women.
The group pic, for those who want to know who's who...from left to right...Maria, Kerry, Janet, Carl, Kathy and moi!

Perth Polymer and Silver Clay workshop fun!

2009-03-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I taught a precious metal and polymer clay combo workshop in Perth made available to Aussiepolyclayer members and CCIP artisans. What fabulous fun we had! Made even more so by the bonds that have been formed over many years of chatting online at the Aussiepolyclay Forum. Many of us know each other quite well but have never met in person till now so you can imagine how wonderful it was to finally get together for a weekend of clay fun.
Thanks to my folks for opening up their home for this wonderful event and to all those who participated, a huge thanks to you all for making it a joyful gathering.
Special thanks to Pam Annesley for hijacking me straight after the workshop for an extra two days of claying and experimenting at her home studio in Bindoon.
Stay tuned next week for pics of the Sydney workshop coming up this weekend and also the announcement and pics of the polymer jewellery challenge for both groups.

Debbie and Lex have one of many cheeky moments while I lend a hand.

Zarina finger painting!

Julie merrily painting a polymer clay sheet.

Zarina in an 'ooops, careful' moment! We can all relate to this one!

Lex and Debbie working with silver clay

Julie cutting strips of silver clay.

Group pic...left to right...Silvia, Merryl, Lex, Debbie, Zarina and Pam. Front, Mel and Julie.

Examples of the pieces that were being taught.

Talk about concentration!

Ooey gooey painting fun!

On the cover!

2009-02-17T13:49:00.000-08:00

Wheeeeeeeeee! I made the cover of Australian Beading this issue! It's a real thrill...and makes my heart glad for all kinds of reasons. When I picked up that first pack of clay and had my first play about 8 years ago, I knew instantly that I'd finally found my 'niche'. Hardly a soul even knew about polymer here in Australia, Aussiepolyclayers was only an idea in the founders head (Heather Richmond) , it formed a year or two afterwards. There were no Australian online polymer clay shops, no workshops taught, no books available. I was on my own. But... I'd found other people with the same focus at Polymer Clay Central, a USA based forum. I absorbed everything I could about polymer clay online...the PCC forum members were an amazing source of inspiration and help...I discovered there were books and videos...even a tv program in the USA dedicated solely to polymer clay that a friend taped and sent me...I just devoured it all...and I played. I played and I played. And I fell more and more in love with this stuff. Now I teach all over Australia, exhibit in Byron Bay and..... have a piece of my work on the cover of a mag. Just shows you the power of passion!

Ruffle beads

2009-02-16T12:36:00.000-08:00

What I love most about the internet is that it's been the vehicle for connecting and making friends with people all over the world as well as a constant source of inspiration and education in just about anything that interests me. One such friend is Christelle Van Lingen , a wonderful polymer clay artist living in the USA who has been making these beautiful ruffle beads for some time. She recently wrote a tutorial on them and asked me to test it...and here it is! Delightful isn't it? And not as hard as I thought it would be. Lucy was here that day, she has never touched polymer clay before and I asked her if she wanted to play along with me... she was sooooo thrilled with what she made...she used two 'petals' for earrings too!
And here is the link to Christelles etsy shop and this marvelous tutorial!

Sydney/Perth Workshop Examples

2009-01-14T22:27:00.000-08:00

These are some different colours and finishes I've been playing around with as examples for the upcoming workshops I'm teaching in Perth and Sydney. I've also used silver leaf instead of gold for a change. The spirals (made from scraps left on the table) and pillow beads are finished with fimo gloss and the pendants and tiles are finished with Lisa Pavelkas Magic Glos which is more like a resin.

"Praying for Nature" wheel beads

2009-01-13T17:21:00.002-08:00

Inspired by the beautiful BVLGARI tubogas technique and those fabulous tibetan prayer wheels... the middle ring moves around freely. I love the deeply etched stamps and home made textures I used to create these beads and couldn't resist the play on words...nature needs all the help we can give it if the planet is to survive...
Strung on magnetic clasped steel cable threaded with softglass and pewter daisy-like beads. These are keepers!

Aussie Hearts

2009-01-08T18:32:00.000-08:00

Called aussie hearts because these colours are so aussie, they mimic the colours of the traditional aboriginal paintings with those delicious rich hues...
Using Premo polymer clay and Kathi's fabulous brain cane tutorial (three cheers to Kathi!). That tute is a little ripper!
What I like about the brain cane is that it's great for heart and other shapes because it doesn't mind being distorted like a geometric pattern would, in fact, a little tweeking here and there makes it even more interesting. Go on, try it! You know you want to...:)
It's been a real 'heart' focus for me this month. Our jewellery collective Hammer and Hand, is holding a 'hearts and witches' night and exhibition for friday the 13th of Feb, the evening before Valentines day. We're all making pieces to suit the theme. These (and the pmc hearts of the previous post) are my heart contribution, they will be for sale on the night. For the 'witches' side of the theme, I'm attempting a broomstick in silver metal clay. A very talented Lisa Moody from SA made one a few years back and I just loved it. I'm halfway making one of my own, am using a gnarly stick for the handle, yet to work out the brush part...

Heartscapes

2009-01-08T16:36:00.000-08:00

Lets start the new year off with hearts. I'm calling these silver clay hearts "Heartscapes". They mimic my own heart, patterned with life's ouchies, big and small, in fact, made more beautiful for it all, so long as one stays open.........

Polymer and PMC pendants

2008-12-05T19:55:00.001-08:00

More ideas for a polymer and pmc workshop I want to teach. Pendants painted with metallic acrylic paints and covered with translucent. The rectangular one has a strip of gold leaf sandwiched between translucent..and a window of arnold grummer flakes mixed with liquid clay. And for that touch of class, I added hand made pmc bails and garnets set in pmc...

Hammer and Hand

2008-11-30T12:12:00.000-08:00

I've joined a jewellery artists collective called Hammer and Hand in Byron Bay. The way it works is that each of the seven artists display their jewellery ( gold, silver, stainless steel, pmc, polymer clay, glass) in a shop which is a part of the new Byron Artists Trail and give one day of their time to man it. There's a jewellery bench for us to work from while we're there and I believe cappuchinos can be delivered! Heaven on a stick for this little hermit who hardly gets out into the big wide world.
As luck would have it, I join them just days before the opening of the new Byron Artists Trail...which is on Friday this week. If you're in the area, pop in for a drink and nibbles anytime after 5...or come any time, we're open 7 days a week, I'm there every Tuesday, come and watch me play with clay!
Hammer and Hand at
1/4 Ti-Tree Place, Arts and Industries Centre

http://www.byronartisttrail.com/

Experimenting...

2008-11-17T14:14:00.000-08:00

These pieces are not finished. I probably won't finish them as they've both got a terrible case of the moonies. I suspect the paint's moisture content is the problem although I made sure they dried thoroughly overnight. I've used Stuart Gills Byzantia acrylic metallic paints before underneath Premo Frost with good results...so I was disappointed to find moonies develop this time. Such a pity because I love how the rest of it has come together. Oh well, back to the clay table!
ps I do like the opal effects from the Arnold Grummer flakes, seems the best way to deal with these are to mix them with liquid clay and bake a thin layer directly on a tile...comes up a treat!
Edited to add: It just dawned on me what's causing the moonies...it's been raining here non stop for the past two days in our semi tropic climate...might have to put off using translucents for when the sun is shining!

Metal clay focal toggle clasp

2008-11-11T16:02:00.000-08:00

Here's something different for me. Not the green...we all know I love green...but I've never made a large focal toggle clasp before and rather like the way this came together. Thanks to Ann for the idea! Don't you love how arty people share ideas and learn from each other. That leaf charm is a sage leaf...a leaf I had read wouldn't take the PMC paste well. Ha! Just goes to show you not to be put off by what you read. I've thrown it together with some green turquoise and freshwater pearls. Remind me to take a proper beading class. I've no idea how to use thread, I've always wired my necklaces with a really ultra flexible wire but only for simple necklaces like this. The instant I want soft dangley bits and additional loops of pearls, I'm in trouble cos the wire doesn't cut it. So it's off to a beading and knot tying class in 2009! Good heavens, that's only about 6 weeks away! Whoosh! What a year!

Now is the time to smell the flowers!

2008-10-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

It's very weird...I hear all this stuff on the news and see all the red arrows on the stock market...the media is having an absolute field day with all the hype that everyone is listening to and clucking about...and yet...my own world doesn't reflect this. I'm still in my studio almost every day creating or sharing what I know. I'm still watering the garden and picking flowers. I'm still taking the dog to the beach a few times a week. The sun still rises like the big beautiful orb that it is. Sure, my teaching diary isn't as full as it was...and I can't go to all the workshops I want either. I'm drinking $8 wine and growing vegies. If money gets really tight, as it's done before and not necessarily because of the 'market', then who cares that I can't have that holiday or buy those Berkies I want. I don't. I still have me...cuddles with my dog...artful adventures... flowers...friends... endless love, creativity, abundance everywhere I look. My tummy is full, my heart is open...and as luck would have it, I have enough clay and equipment to last me well into next year...
When the goddess gives you lemons, you make lemonade. When business is quiet, we all get to stop and chill for a while...a pity it took economic distaster to get us to slow down, but there ya go! That's often how it is. I'm sure you'll all agree that now is the time to get creative...in our work and in living our lives. I love how Christine Kane puts it..."Being creative at it's deepest level means that you're a creator, not a reactor, that your life is your work of art, that you get to choose what to put in it."
If business is slow, then NOW is the time to write tutorials for mags...to attempt those projects you never had time for...to learn new skills...to start a blog/journal/write a book on claying and creativity...to approach those summer schools/colleges/vacation care and aged care places regarding teaching workshops...to do demos at markets/fairs/sidewalks/exhibitions...
Life is what you make it. Always was. This is simply just another opportunity for you to shine. NOW is the time.
Kinara (friend pictured) doesn't miss a chance to smell the flowers...

Earrings from another time

2008-10-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

I'm really enjoying the look of these, they look like earrings from another time, unearthed. I must get myself some gold wire, that's what lets these down, they need gold ear hooks.

Keum-boo

2008-10-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

While in Sydney, I had the opportunity to learn Keum-boo from Roz Eberhart at Eclectic Studio. Oh my! I was instantly hooked.
I can envisage many happy hours ahead immersed in golden goodness! I particularly like it for when I'm going for a really ancient feeling piece which I think these little experiments have highlighted well. I want to make little boxes now!

Fun and the 'follow this blog' button

2008-10-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

I had to provide a few pics for an article in Australian Beading mag and didn’t have any high res shots of me teaching so my next door neighbour obliged in ‘being the student’. This isn’t a very ‘professional’ shot so it didn’t make the magazine but I love it for the fun value.

Try the new 'follow this blog' button starting to creep in on many blogs. I just added a button to my blog (under aussiepolclyers sign)

It's a new feature that allows you to let the bloggers you follow know that you are a fan. As a follower to my blog, it also ensures you get linked! Neat eh! For more info:

FOLLOW ME

Possible Grafton Artfest projects

2008-10-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

I live in a beautiful part of Australia and am surrounded by trees...60 acres of forest at our back door. And where there are trees, there are birds. These metal clay pieces have been inspired by my love of nature. They make my heart glad...
These will make great projects to teach at the Grafton Artfest in Spring 2009. I'm very fond of the copper look patina. I also had a chance to try out pre-made fine silver tube bails for pendants (see back of tree goodess pendant) that I bought from the Eclectic Studio ....very handy indeed! And that gorgeous ginkgo leaf is pasted pmc on a dried gingko leaf...one Pam Annesley found for me at the Sydney Botanical gardens. You're s'posed to paste over fresh leaves but none of them survived the trip home so I'm thrilled that this one on a dried leaf was successful.

CCIP conference 2008

2008-10-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

We've just had our first CCIP retreat/conference in Sydney. It was just fabulous to meet all the students who have gained certification over the past year and to reconnect with all the senior instructors from the various states in Australia. My old friend Pam Annesley was there bearing gifts! She had recently been to the USA and had done a workshop with Klew. She knew how inspirational Klews drum beads were to my early days with polymer and so she brought me back a bead!
The CCIP conference was a huge success with demos given by all the senior instructors i.e. bronze clay, flexible pmc, scultping, mosaics, colour blending, use of core adaptors with Makins extruders...something for every taste! Many of the students submitted pieces for the competition we ran and honestly, it was such a joy to see such a huge array of original art and so beautifully finished. For me that was the highlight. To see that they have all adopted a really professional attitude to finishing...makes me proud to be a part of this team and gives me hope that these 'contemporary clays' will become as much a part of the Australian art scene as it has in America.
I hope to show you pics of some of these pieces but am waiting on names to link to them. In the meantime, I've been claying myself...those pics to follow shortly...

Sydney Botanical Garden Inspiration

2008-10-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

This little blogger has been too busy teaching and travelling this last month and the few pieces I'm working on in fits and starts haven't been finished so by way of apology I have some inspirational pics I took at the Sydney Botanical Gardens while there for our first CCIP conference/retreat (which by the way was a fabulous success!...more on that later in the week).
The pic directly above looks like giant bok choy doesn't it? And how do like those carnivorous beauties in the hanging basket? My particular favorite was the reb bamboo...I wanna plant some of those in my own garden...that red is so striking. And don't you think that sculpture would be fabulous in silver clay syringe or flexible clay ropes...? In miniture ofcourse.
After today's teaching little ones at Mullumbimby school vacation care, I am a free bird till sometime next week so I'll be claying my little heart out. Am soooo psyched to be finally getting some ME time! Have a heap of new things I want to try. Back soon...pwomise!

Endless Mokume Gane...translucent this time!

2008-09-03T00:37:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I finally figured out a way to get maximum silver leaf effect under layers of spectral coloured translucent clay...and wrote a tutorial about it for Australain Beading. It won't be published for a while but I'll give you the heads up when it is.

The mokume gane journey continues

2008-09-03T00:29:00.000-07:00

Remember these colours? These are made from the same mokume gane stack I used to make the workshop piece earlier. Since the workshop is aimed at beginners I didn't want to get to complicated but add a template you designed yourself and a layer of translucent and some delicious fibres and some end beads to finish...and this is what you get. I'm also rather partial to the pin.

Mokume Gane: The next level

2008-08-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

One of my regular workshop participants, Hector Vera, commented he wanted to take his mokume gane skills to the next level, saying he loved the work of Ann Dillon and could I teach him how to make a similar looking mokume gane. I so love a challenge, esp if its focus is on one of my favorite polymer clay techniques. So, in true Melly fashion, I experimented with different layering techniques and different finishing techniques till I got it just right. When Hector came for his workshop, I was able to show him the different results I got using varying thickness of layering and methods of finishing...and we forged ahead and these are his fabulous results. You really get to see the gorgeous crackled leaf better if you click on the pic for a larger view.

Mokume Gane and Transfer workshop

2008-07-14T21:54:00.001-07:00

Here are some workshop examples I taught this week. Mokume gane is originally a metal smithing technique that can be used with polymer clay. Multiple (thin) layers of different coloured clay impressed with objects then shaved, revealing the glorious mystery of colours underneath. This is a really popular technique with my students as are methods of transferring graphics onto clay and creating stylish pendants like this one...

The Fabulous Redheads

2008-07-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

Greer, Gill and me (right to left) on a Saturday polymer clay adventure! Greer turned out to be one of the naughtiest students I've had! Who would have thought? (big grin) And Gill was her usual inquistive creative whole-hearted dive right in there self! I had a ball with these two gorgeous redheads.

Pillow Bead Tutorial

2008-06-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

The current Australian Beading magazine has my pillow bead tutorial for anyone who might like to try them...check it out here:
http://www.completecraft.com.au/next_issue?cid=12527

Rainbow Patina

2008-06-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

These earrings are the ones I made in the patina demo the other day. I love this look! There are so many colours glistening through. If you click on them for a larger size you'll appreciate what I mean...
Having looked at them again, I see I need to polish up the little balls back to silver to make them stand out.

Teaching heaven

2008-06-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

These one-on-one silver metal clay workshops are proving to be really fulfilling...for both the student and me! It's a much more freeflowing way of teaching and the feedback I'm getting is awesome.
What I generally ask when people book in for a one-on-one metal clay workshop is to bring pictures, both drawn and from books and magazines, of the type of jewellery they like or want to make...keeping in mind to keep it simple. I don't promise we'll make something like it but we use these sketches and inspirational pics to form our own prototype. In Jen's case, we took her drawing of an elegant long earring, altered it slightly in it's design to ensure success for a first piece (ie simplified it a bit with clean straight lines) and included certain elements like texturing, adding layers, adding elements, making bails so that many of the basic techniques are covered. I want people to go home after a day here with a good basic foundation so that once home, they can immediately start to create with confidence. We then made a polymer clay protoype. Having a much better sense of what 'works' asthetically when I see it in 3d rather than a flat drawing, making a test piece really highlights what needs to be altered before the pmc pack is even opened.
So anyway...meet Jen.. and enjoy these pics of her pieces. You can imagine how happy she was, having made these exquisite pieces on her first ever play with silver clay.

Mullumbimby series in metal clay

2008-06-05T22:27:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting with different layering techniques. Same hill, different medium. PMC is always more challenging.
I wanted a real dimensional look so opted for layering sheets one on top of the other rather than different textures all on one layer giving the impression of layering (see last post)
The tops of these landscape pendants ended up with a rather attractive curl on them probably due to the last thin sheet which acts as 'sky'. Having such a thin sheet attached to a thicker body of work was asking for it really. I was going to bend them back but they sit nicely on the hollow of my neck so for now I'll leave them be.
I'll patina one tomorrow to see whether I like it but won't do them all...I've noticed that most of my sales are the unpatinad (sp?) bling bling variety... and while I prefer the antiqued look myself, it makes sense to go with the flow of the sales...

Deciding on teaching projects...

2008-06-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

Teaching workshops involves choosing projects that are both appealing to wear and constructive as a learning curve for the student. These fit the bill pretty well I thought.
I had a little window of time on Sunday to make these as an example of what a beginner might choose to make on their silver claying debut with me. They involve rolling the lump clay into sheets, cutting base squares and letting those dry, then texturing three small sheets, cutting them and using some of each on top of the dry base sheet. Adding paste, drying, refining and firing with a butane torch complete the lesson.

Workshop fun!

2008-05-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

Meet Rosemary! I don't often remember the camera when I'm teaching, but since it's been a while between blog posts and I needed pics, we snapped a few off while Rosemary was staying with us for a three day CCIP clay retreat. These pics were taken on the last day and since we flew through the workshop, I asked Rosemary whether there was anything she'd like to try with me. Well, trust her to say 'a signature cane'...ha! Talk about jumping from grade school to uni in one swoop! Well, if she was up for it, so was I, so here we are at the end of the day starting on her signature cane. It's not totally finished, she wants to put a border around it yet and will finish it at home...but over a glass of wine, she learned a lot about cane building and we had a ball making it...
Our lives have been busier than usual so I'm sorry there hasn't been as many claying posts as usual. It's been a few weeks of concentrating on the property, tree lopping and milling and general advancement towards designing a guest house. If you want to see what we've been up to, check out our personal blog.

Blogging!

2008-05-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

Cynthia Blantons blog is always full of great info. Today it's about blogging and being alerted when your favorite blogs have been updated without having to go there first.
http://cynthiablanton.blogspot.com/
Ok, so I've taken some time out, don't be too quick to scold me. I have a husband with a lame foot so everything he normally does, I have to do. Y'know, nothing like a little wake up call to appreciate the ones you love is there? Anyway, it's been a pleasure to look after him these last few days...till about midday...then I start to get antsy and by evening I'm ready to snap. LOL! Eckhart Tolle ( Oprahs favorite right now) would say to bring some awareness to the emotion...not to fuel it with more thoughts but simply to watch it arise and recognise it as habit of the ego. And ya know, it's true. Cos when these feelings come up and I simply watch them, not trying to engage them, not trying to change them, not pushing them away, not resisting them, not even having an opinion about them, just simply let them be there and watch...they disappear! Yes, really! So while I haven't been claying AT ALL, I have been on another creative journey...an inner creative journey. And all cos of Curt's bung foot! Blessings come in all kinds of ways...

Studio snapshots

2008-04-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

Libby Mills, an American polymer clay artist, is featuring snapshots of studios from all over the world in her blog. It's been so wonderful to see how others have set up their studios and to gather a helpful tip here and there. This week, she's featuring mine! What a lovely surprise to come home to...
http://libzoid.net/blog/2008/04/28/studio-snapshot-melanie-dilday/
Do check out her other blog entries...she writes a very interesting, useful and eye catching blog.
I've been away teaching in Queensland this week (was an absolute pleasure to teach this gorgeous group of women) so I'm just resting now for a day or two before I get back in my studio. Hope to have something new to show you soon.

Grafton Artfest Autumn 2008

2008-04-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

Well! Can you tell I've been busy? I normally always get some window of time to write on the blog but it's been a little crazy these last few weeks. Crazy but loads of fun and so fulfilling. I've just had a week teaching at my first Grafton Artfest, a fabulous event held in Grafton NSW, bringing artists and students together from all over Australia to learn all manner of incredible arts.
I had the most amazing week teaching both polymer and silver claying to a keen bunch of students. This is what I love most about teaching. Watching the joy on their faces when they see the results of their efforts. Look at their happy faces! What a week! Jam packed full of all kinds of techniques. I love the shot of them heads down diligently searching for their silver pieces amoungst the steel shot just after the polishing. For you teachers out there, an easier way for students to find their own pieces amoungst the others is to press them in polymer first so that they have a template of their own pieces to match up against. Saves a lot of time and prevents squabbling over pieces!
The shot with the pussycat is amazing in itself. Apparantly this cat lives at the school and is looked after by a big hearted maintenence guy who says that cat rarely goes near people...and yet she graced us with her presence all day, even curling up to sleep in one of my boxes. A room full of lovely women must have lured her in eh!
And have a look at the work these girls accomplished. If you click on the picture you'll get a bigger shot which you can also zoom in on. I made sure I took very high res shots so those who want a good look, can! And to think most of them had never even opened a pack of clay before.
All in all, a truly fulfilling and fun time for all of us. Thanks so much to everyone who made it possible. Special thanks to Suzanne and Janice from Aussiepolyclayers for your support and friendship and to Sylvia and Myra and the'mystery woman' for buying the pieces I put in the auction to raise funds to help make Artfest possible.

When something speaks to you...

2008-03-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

Aussiepolyclayers Rock Swap was a pivotal point for me, Lisa, thank you for choosing such a fabulous theme for our swap...because I had to produce something that wasn't 'normal' for me. Something that made me uncomfortable in a way because I had to think outside the box of everything else I'd ever made. So I went with what Rock meant to me, the rich reds and browns and yellows of aussie rocks, the smattering of vivid opally colours, the crags, the layers, the fissures and boulders and bulges. I had so much fun making those that I used the same layered landscape theme in producing something even closer to my heart. Mt Chincogan. Ever since we moved onto this land in Mullumbimby (aboriginal for 'small hill') I've been wanting to create something representing Mullumbimby. I added fine silver bails I made with the Makins extruder with the core adaptor to which I added more clay to create an organic effect...and finished it off with fibres and polymer clay end caps.
If you hang on a tick, I'll run and take a pic of the 'real thing' from my front yard...
Ahhhh, it's great to have my camera back!

Rock Swap

2008-03-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

Still no camera but luckily Lisa Henderson, our Rock Swap hostess extrordinaire over at Aussiepolyclayers http://aussiepolyclay.21.forumer.com/ took this photo of one of my pieces so I have something to show you after all.

Check out all the other fabulous entries on: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lillybriar/

I'll be back with more pic just as soon as my camera comes home. Promise.

Most artists are 'grown' not born

2008-03-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

Christie (Skygrazer) over at http://skygrazer.com/journal/archives/154 made a very interesting comment about artists...that there's no magical wand or myth about being an artist, that she (like most of us) "have a subconscious belief that people who could draw or paint were born with the knowledge and the vision." and goes on to say "I didn’t know there were tricks and tips to “seeing” that help you to recreate what you see."

I found this most interesting because I too held that notion and I had the same 'ah ha' moment after I turned 40 and discovered that there are techniques to be learned to achieve certain results and that once you practiced with these techniques, you could actually make something 'artful'! What I wanna know is how come in all the time I was going to school, not ONE teacher actually taught any basic art lessons. That's the true tradegy, that art in those days was not encouraged... it was all about learning the 'practical' stuff ....like algebra and dissecting frogs! Art was considered play time, not something to be taught and encouraged. Inevidently, I'd already made up my mind that I couldn't draw by the time I went to high school and so I didn't take art as a subject later on because I thought I didn't have what it took to be an artist...certainly no god-given talent. It wasn't until I learned about claying that I thought 'hey, I can do something'...and being encouraged by the results I learned more and more, through books and videos and experimenting and practice, I actually became good at something artful. This helped push me through all my subconscious beliefs and associated fears and led me into drawing and painting at Tafe where I once again had an 'ahha' moment about art...it's learned! I now believe that everyone is an artist, just that many of them, like me, don't know it because they weren't guided in their formative years.
Let me say though that just knowing techniques doesn't make you an artist. It's how you put these techniques together, it's how you express yourself and how much you're willing to step out of your own way and let creativity flow through you that will make you a truly unique artist. I'm only just getting to that stage in my claying where I can automatically draw on any number of techniques to create something...where I have ideas that make me jump out of bed and create....AND that these ideas would not have been possible had I not known the techniques and possibilities.

Anyone 'grok' what I'm saying here?

So, for all those who haven't had any formal art lessons and those who truly believe that 'haven't an artistic bone in their body' like I did for about 40 years...I encourage you to take the plunge. Go enrol in a course or buy a book or a dvd and actually DO these lessons. You'll be AMAZED at what you can do once you have been guided....

I don't have pics today as I'm waiting for my camera to come home. I had a fabulous weekend away at Suzanne's studio in Sawtell. We both got to experiment with new ideas that had been brewing. Next week, I promise to have something new to show you.

Great new metal clay book

2008-02-25T11:21:00.000-08:00

The Handbook of Metal Clay, Textures and Forms is a new book by Hadar Jacobson which I received (and devoured!) from Roz at Eclectic Studio the other day. I'm very impressed with this book. Not only do I love Hadars work and the fabulous projects, she writes about all kinds of valuable tricks and tips and this book comes with tons of good clear photos.
https://www.eclecticstudio.com.au/
Also...a rare sighting of me with lippy! Had to have some pics taken for the magazine article and though I rarely wear makeup, I still remember how to put lipstick on, much to my husbands horror. Nice pic of the studio view too...everything is so lush from almost 7 weeks of rain!

Hollowy vessely pmc

2008-02-15T21:08:00.000-08:00

Last time I made hollow vessels and beads using cork clay, they kinda bubbled and bent outa shape. I put it down to using recycled paste ...so this time I used fresh paste and voila! No probs at all. The urn vesse looks big but it's not even 3/4 inch tall, the others about 1 1/2 inches. Got a goddess theme going on right now. Who knows why, she just slips in there every now and then. These would look better hung but I've run out of silver chain...sorry.

Polymer Clay Daily

2008-02-12T21:47:00.000-08:00

I just about choked on my coffee the other day when I wandered over to Polymer Clay Daily, the wonderful site Cynthia Tinapple writes about what's happening and the who's who of the polymer clay world...because guess what? It was my turn! My moment of glory. I must say it was a fabulous write up and made me realise yet again, how lucky I am living this gorgeous creative life up here in the tropical wilderness. I love my life! And I'm ever so happy to share my home and my studio with anyone who wants a few days break from the rat race. Check my workshop page for details.
Oh...and the link to the featured article...
http://polymerclaydaily.com/2008/02/07/dildays-tropical-setting/

And for those who want a pic or two, how about these...had a small window of opportunity to silver clay...and took it.

French tutorial translated into english

2008-02-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

This isn't my pendant...it's Violettes from Parole de Pate..but I'm certainly going to be trying out the tutorial. Those wonderful people at Parole de Pate often have interesting little morsels to digest...in the form of wonderful jewellery or tutorials. This latest tutorial deserves a special mention...because they have especially translated the tutorial from french to english for us! Waahhooo. Next block of time I get, I'll be giving this a go!
http://paroledepate.canalblog.com/archives/2008/02/05/7826600.html

Making tube bails using Makins Core Adaptor

2008-02-04T18:36:00.001-08:00

Well, talk about positive feedback! I've just been asked if I'd send my pmc tube bailed necklaces with polymer clay focals and end caps to the writer of a new book on polymer clay and mixed media. Using my mum's expression...I'm tickled pink! Here's a couple of pics of one of them...it's a reversible bead, the wearer can chose what side she wants showing.
I also wanted to show pics of the Makins core adaptors in action...for those who haven't seen it. The example here uses polymer clay but it's just as suitable for silver clay. I have two extruders, one for silver and one for polymer...so as to avoid contamination. There are two sets (of different sizes) of core adaptors which are easily cleaned so I only have one set of these. I was impressed with the Makins extruder already (I love the dotty canes it makes!) but now I've used the core adaptors, I'm doubly impressed... and I imagine I'll be using it a lot more judging from all the great feebback these pmc tube bails have been getting.
You can buy Makins products from Jen Tattam at Metal Clay Australia http://metalclay.com.au/

Sculpture Park

2008-02-02T17:13:00.000-08:00

I've been making some wonderful things but since they're in the same vein as the 'rock swap comp', I can't take pics cos it'll take away the surprise. Which is why I've left you with these gorgeous pics of the Sculpture Park in Ballina that I went to last week. I'm so pleased I did. It was a real treat. Here are some of my favorite pics...that top sculpture with all the goddesses is fabulous isn't it?! These are all purposely taken in high quality shots so if you want to click on them, you'll be able to see detail.

Aussiepolyclayers First Swap Comp

2008-01-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

I've been having a ball! Just spent two days in my studio making "rock themed" pendants for Aussiepolyclayers First Ever Swap Comp. We've had some wonderful swaps but Lisa Henderson (http://www.lillybriar.com/) came up with a FABulous idea in honour of our new forum (we've given yahoo the flick in exchange for a board that allows our members more flexiblity). A swap which is also a competition! This is an exciting national swap and competition open to all polymer clay crafters and artisans. The Swap is played out as normal with Swapeees making ONE EXTRA piece that is retained for the competition. Winner of the Great Swap Comp 2008 will win a $50 Gift Voucher to use at the Bead with Me, via in store or online. Winner will also receive a NEW Christi Friesen “Emerald Isle”T-shirt. There is ALSO a Peoples Choice Swaard (Swap/Award). Items will be on display to the public and the public will vote for their favourite. Winner will receive NEW Christi Friesen “Emerald Isle”T-shirt and their choice of Christi Friesen Book (Dragon’s, Jungle, Sea, Cats or the upcoming DownUnder).

Come check us out...Aussiepolyclayers... http://aussiepolyclay.21.forumer.com/

Everone welcome to become a member. Sign up for the swap too if it interests you. The more the merrier!

Ofcourse, this also means I can't show you pics of what I've been making because it's a secret till the swap deadline. So, I'll leave you with a picture of Lisa Hendersons beautiful work...

Mokume Gane Heaven

2008-01-18T21:21:00.000-08:00

These are the result of that fabulous day with the 'gurls' playing with the mokume gane technique. I also had some ready made pmc pieces I'd made for just this purpose...my aim being to have several pmc pieces pre-made for impromtu embedding into polymer. It worked!
Directly above is a button with a pmc sculpted fish embedded into it.
The middle one has a textured pmc layer between two layers of polymer clay mokume gane. I added a pmc starfish and some pc sand and a little gold snail shaped 'thingy' on the bail. Notice the hollow tube bails? These are the first I've made using polymer clay with those core adaptors in the Makins extruder...and I'm really happy with the effect.
The top is a pic of the whole bunch of mokume gane things. I'm playing around with different shapes...
I have one more piece to show you which is in the oven now...stay tuned...

I'm back!

2008-01-16T11:54:00.000-08:00

Well, as some of you who have written to nag me about not blogging for over two weeks (good for you!) would know, I've been on hols...doing nothing but reading books and enjoying some down time, away from clay. I get stale if I don't do this every now and then. I cheated a couple of days here and there, wanted to make something for my Mum and make a start on a commissioned piece this week, but mostly just letting myself stop still for a while, feel who I am again. It was a whirlwind of a year for me and stopping for a while did me the world of good. But I'm back! had a wonderful day with some girlfriends yesterday. Since they were new to clay I thought I'd start them off with mokume gane, always a crowd pleaser! I have some beads in the tumbler for them as I write this and later on in the week, I'll have some 'show and tell' for you I promise. In the meantime, here's a pic of us all having a break. Anyone would think I worked them hard???
In the meantime, I want to introduce someone in the claying world who's work I've been admiring for a while now. I've been watching her progress over some time now and am so enjoying her work, I thought you might like to see it too. Many of you from the US will know her already but my Australian friends probably don't so this is for you. Interestingly, there's a new clay just released on the market, Studio by Sculpey...and I wasn't at all surprised to see that Susan has already 'test driven' it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pcbysusan/
Enjoy her site...and I'll be back with pics next week!

Much gratitude to you all and Happy New Year

2007-12-30T20:46:00.000-08:00

Being the last day of the year, I would like to thank all my friends and polymer clay buddies and the many wonderful folk who have left comments on my blog or emailed me privately to say a nice word of support over the year or who have helped me, taught me, filled my heart or made me laugh…

Some of these special people are featured below…clicking on their name will take you to their website or gallery to kick start those creative juices for the new year…

Thank you pics

2007-12-29T22:21:00.000-08:00

Judy Dunn

Silver doodles

2007-12-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

This is what I've done with some of those pmc doodles. The delicate little doodle with the gorgeous blend (I just love those 'beach' colours together) is awfully delicate...which is why I only made one. It's rolled out on a #7 on the pasta machine, a little liquid clay added to the underside of the silver clay and then I pressed the doole into the thin pc sheet and cut around the edges. I do love it although I'm not very confident it will hold together as liquid clay is for clay on clay and I'm afraid the slightest flex on the silver will cause it to snap off. I'd use the Lisa Pavelka glue that is formlated to take the oven heat but alas, it always goes gunky after only a few uses. I heard about Donna Katos new glue which I bought because it comes with special clean up material and instructons so that it can be used over and over again without clogging. Does anyone know if it deteriorates in the oven? Will have to do some of my own tests to see.

Anyhow, it's coming up christmas and I'm in the mood to get festive this year so I'm going to down tools for a few days and catch up with you all next week. I'd like to wish everyone a wonderful christmas and a very creative and fulfilling new year. Thanks so much for being your beautiful selves and coming to visit, I've loved your comments and your enthusiasm. A passion shared is so much sweeter!

Silver and polymer blended blocks

2007-12-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to try my Makins extruder with core adaptors for a while and finally did. Makes great tube beads (on the right) to which I added texture and a loop from which to hang some pretty thing. I also felt like playing around with more ideas for the the workshops I'm teaching at the Grafton Artfest in April next year. The leaf and silver earrings are finished and I'm very happy with those. We're also going to be making coloured blended plugs and adding silver overlays for pendants and earrings. I've yet to make those but this looked like such a colourful shot, I had to snap and share! Click on the pic for zoom if you're having trouble seeing the detail.

Poiple Pillow Bead Earrings and Necklace

2007-12-05T14:30:00.000-08:00

I had enough of those purple pillow beads (below) to make three sets of earrings (one which has been tagged for the USofA already!) and a necklace. One pair of earrings has been uploaded to my new online esty store if you want them (first link in 'links' section on RH side of this page) In fact, I've just loaded a whole pile of stuff to my store. The necklace is waiting to be professionally photographed. I'm looking forward to see how these beads look in the hands on a real professional.

Feeling romantic?

2007-12-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

Maybe this will attract some romance in your life. Another inro. I can't stop!

Ta daaaa! Online store! And more pillows...

2007-11-23T11:34:00.000-08:00

Yes finally...I have an online store. Totally wrong timing ofcourse. With having to stock up the Bead Shop cabinet and entering into two exhibitions in December, I don't have a lot to offer. But it's a start and if you keep looking in from time to time, you'll see it grow over the next few months.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5063669

I'm very impressed with the whole Etsy operation. It's like a worldwide art and craft gallery, all the items in the stores are handcrafted.

One thing I'm noticing on this three year long pillow bead journey of mine is that the more I experiement, the better these get. They're worth clicking on to get a better look at them.
The rust one is going into an exhibition and those divine poipley ones are going in my new etsy shop. Not sure whether to put them in as beads or made into something? What do you reckon? Those pearls look awfully good with them.

More inros

2007-11-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to finish these inros for ages...and finally did. Some things just take their own good time eh! That delicious blue silkscreen inro uses a screen made by a friend on the other side of the world (USA). Tonja has a whole array of great silk screen stencils. http://www.tonjastreasures.com/cart/

Pieces, Parts and Process Examples

2007-11-10T20:01:00.001-08:00

I realize I have a lot more to share about the Robert Dancik workshop.

I’ve just stolen Libby’s http://www.libzoid.net/blog/ words for my title. As she said in yesterday’s comments section, “I loved all his pieces, parts and process examples.” This is precisely why I got so much out of the Robert Dancik’s “forming meaningful and lasting connections’ class. That… coupled with a really keen and creative mind and crystal clear communication. Robert got through to me on a totally different level of being than normally happens in a class. It also is making me look at my own teaching methods which to date have been very technique heavy, I don’t share so much of the underlying things that create a beautiful piece because I’m too busy getting the ‘teaching done’, and now I feel more drawn to take some time to explain the things that really help make a difference OTHER than just techniques…

There's still so much I'm getting out of it even now as some of the ah ha moments filter through.

I loved his teaching skills. I loved how he piled TONS of stuff all over the table, things he’d made over the years...encouraging us to rummage through them…talking about pieces that caught peoples attention.

I loved how there were so many interesting pieces…I really get that about making a piece interesting, getting the attention of the person holding/viewing the piece. I watched how my eyes traveled over certain pieces, noted how something attracted me, noticed the little things that kept me interested in the piece, noticed my response to hearing that it was concrete (omigod, CONCRETE!) or paper mache with some polymer squished in there! or this delicious material he uses called faux bone.

I loved how he started the workshop off with the sound of a Tibetan singing bowl. I have a pair of Tibetan chimes…two shallow bowled bells connected with a simple piece of leather. I love to use them to center myself or just for no reason at all. They’ve always fascinated me, how that tone touches the depths, opens the heart, clears the mind. I’ve never heard a singing bowl before but it has the same effect. So I hope Robert doesn’t mind me taking on this lovely way to start my own workshops…with a sound that goes on and on…

Anyhow, enough words for one day. But you get the idea don’t you? Do a workshop with Robert the next time he comes to your country (he travels allllll overrrr) and you’ll find, like me, that the workshop lingers long after it finishes.

Robert Dancik

2007-11-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

I'm back after a whirlwind trip to Brissy doing a Robert Dancik workshop. Loved my day with Robert, learned HEAPS, had a ball! I must say here though that I discovered I am NOT a jeweller! While many of the crew seemed to have taken to sawing and riveting like a duck to water, I didn't like it at all!. Mind you, it was good for a laugh. I noticed Hector kept looking at my antics with a big smile, must've been amusing to watch Melly with a saw! But sweating over a saw and a drill just ain't me and I doubt I'll be doing much more of it. I will however be endlessly grateful for the way Robert instilled a whole new way at looking at work. There were all kinds of tasty titbits to gnaw on ideas-wise but the thing that will really stay with me is how I will look at art/jewellery now. I walked away with a new appreciation of art and will never throw another piece of mine out again! He has tremenous communication skills too and a genuine interest in each and every person and if I hadn't had all kinds of commitments planned by then, I'd have easily given the credit card another hammering and stayed for the other two days. If you get an opportunity to take any one of his classes, grab it with both hands!
I didn't take many pics but I managed to shoot off a couple. That's Roberts in the white shirt ofcourse and aussiepolyclayers Hector looking good in basic black and sawing his heart out (not literally!). Unfortunately the two pics I took of May Bartrum, our host and metal clay artist extrordinaire, didn't pan out (read: she'd kill me if I posted them!) but she will get a special mention here because she's amazing too. If you live in Brisbane and want to learn metal clay, our MayBee is the bees knees!

Where does your table face?

2007-11-02T15:10:00.001-07:00

Libby Mills has an interesting discussion on her blog about where your work table faces. http://www.libzoid.net/blog/ She prefers facing the room. I do too. I like it that every time I lift my eyes, I gaze out over myworkspace through to the window and the view outside. It makes such a difference to my wellbeing and creativity. A lot of my work involves sanding and I can't tell you how much things have changed to the way I feel about sanding (luv it now!) since I've had this studio set up like this.

The child is alive and well

2007-10-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

Making the pheonix at Christis workshop got me all inspired again. Why I like making these is that it has a flow, it's not so much about left brain nutting the technical stuff out or making something 'perfect'...like...as much as I love inros, they are finicky to make and take a lot of refining. Where as these little creatures are more about letting your hands do their own thing, giving free rein to that which creates through you...I guess that's why Christis classes are so much fun too, is that it encourages spontaneity, lets your inner child out. And you know what? I think it shows in the work.
Anyhow, my favourite creature of all is the seahorse...I don't know why...it just strikes a note in me somehow...and since I had the luxury of a whole day to play, this is the result...
You can click on it to see it up close...

More combo pieces

2007-10-25T00:41:00.000-07:00

I'd made a silver clay leaf pendant a month ago which I finally now just filled with a beautiful translucent teal polymer leaf cane...this beautiful design is Jen Tattam's from Metal Clay Australia and the Contemporary Clay Instrcutors Program. I made a round reversed bevel fine silver one yesterday too and filled it with some old canes I made years ago. The rose cane is about 7 years old and the butterfly about three. Amazing how long canes keep. I rarely cane these days, so many other things taking my attention and I have so many in my drawers that I really want to use those up before I start on another cane frenzy. It's like that with canes, you get in the mood and pretty soon, it's all you want to do. Just about time to get into it again. There's a new caning video out by Judy Belcher which is s'posed to be fabulous so I think I'll order that to get me in the mood....

Grafton Artfest Clay workshop

2007-10-25T00:32:00.000-07:00

See that lovely mokume gane polymer and fine silver shield pieces on the calender from the last post? If you want to learn to make those and more, come join my class at the five day Artfest in Grafton NSW in April next year!

Click this link for details:
http://artsfestgrafton.com/html/dilday.html

The Artsfest has been running for thirteen years and is a fabulous
opportunity to learn all kinds of arts. There are 27 different
workshops. Teachers and students come from all over Australia to
immerse themselves for five full days of creative bliss!
It's also cheap by comparison to most workshops, working
out at $65 a full day (plus materials). I also limit my classes to 8
so that I have plenty of time for everyone.
It's a real 'event' too. Every evening there is some form of social
gathering, be it a concert or exhibition, that allows the interaction
of tutors and students. It's fun and it's inspiring and a great place
to make new friends and creative connections.
Early bird discounts apply!

Hope to see some of you there!

Mel

I'm a calender girl!

2007-10-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

...although I no longer have the bod for the x-rated kind! These days I'm all about clay and Kathi Gose, my good friend and fabo fellow clayer in America, has produced a new calender displaying gorgeous clay creations from people all over the world and I'm the aussie representative. Check it (and other cool clay related stuff) out at http://www.cafepress.com/dragonsglass

Christi Friesen's workshop

2007-10-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

I went to my first ever polymer clay class as a student on Friday! When I started claying around 7 years ago, there wasn't a teacher in WA, infact, aussiepolyclayers hadn't been formed yet and I just had no choice but to teach myself. I did get plenty of videos and books ofcourse and found friends through Polymer Clay Central who helped me a lot. Polymer clay groups are the friendliest and most helpful of any groups I've ever belonged to. It's been my experience that many artists in other fields tend to covet their 'secrets' of the trade and are stingy with their support and technical assistance...certainly by comparison to polymer clay artists. I wonder why that is? Fear of competition? Paaa! I always said there's room for everyone, we need more artisits in the world not less. Be generous with your help if others ask and encourage budding young (or old!) artisits to explore and find their own way but don't lock them out because of your fears cos you're locking your own heart out too.
ANYWAY, enough of the rant. It was triggered because I met someone who typifies the generous nature of the polymer clayer. I wanted to say thank you to Christi Friesen for coming all the way over to Australia from America to give what I can only describe as a joyous workshop! She is so much fun. And so incredibly generous with her knowledge, it was overflowing. She's going to Melbourne and somewhere else too so if you haven't booked, check her site for details and give youself a treat!
The pheonix which we made in class was BIG...a good tip for those teaching sculpting btw, it's easier for those learning to make a 5inch somethingorother than a 2 inch somethingorother. And mine got a bit squished on the drive back from Brisbane...she doesn't bake them, giving you more time to learn but there is always the risk of damaging your piece. We had to brake heavily to avoid a collision at one stage which doesn't happen normally...but ofcourse, it had to happen the day I have an unbaked piece in the car! Anyway, I resurrected it somewhat. It's actually still unbaked as I'm going to make another one of those jungley type mirrors for it to hang out in. The smaller one is only about 2 inches long, perfect for a necklace. We weren't taught this shape but Christi gives out fabulous coloured pics of all kinds of examples so that you can go your own way with shapes and stances and be guided by her examples. Next step? Buy some beads (and make some too) and create a necklace!
PS Actually, now I'm looking at these pictures, I can see that the larger pheonix needs a nose job, or a head job or something or other! It needs to be less prissy and more falcony like it's little friend. Thank goodness it's still not baked. Can still mess about with it. That's another thing I loved about Christi's class. I allowed myself to mess up...I really got into the moment of it...and Christi showed us several ways of tackling ways to change something you're not happy with. Will post another pic when I've made the mirror with the new improved head...I want it to express rebirth from the ashes, not cuckoo clutz...

Rings!

2007-10-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

I had fun with my friend Zoe yesterday and we made rings! The pics are pretty bad...sorry. But click on them and you'll get a better closeup view.
Years ago I went to a silver clay workshop run by Maggie Bergman (who's a fabulous teacher and a really nice person too) and the only item I didn't like of all the things I made was this textured band ring. Since I don't wear rings anyway, they've been on the back burned all these years. But I've had three enquiries in the last couple of months from people wanting to learn to make pmc rings and so I thought I'd better practice. I'm pretty pleased with this first time effort. Still heaps of room for improvement but by this time next month, I'll have it down!

Inspirational!

2007-09-28T17:33:00.001-07:00

The view outside my studio window is just amazing right now with the jacaranda tree in flower. And just to add to the picture, see what passed by us this morning! No wonder I get so 'wired' with ideas, this place is truly inspirational.

Inros Donna Kato style

2007-09-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

I have holes and buna cord still to add but for better or worse, these are the finished inros.
Susan (see 'comments section' last post) will know what I mean when I say a really interesting thing happened when I went to add the bulbous look to the tops and bottoms...my black premo could only take so much stretching, so I couldn't create the lovely more rounded look I wanted. Looks like I'm going to have to make my next lot using kato clay for the tops and bottoms too. Didn't have any black kato on hand unfortunately. Trust Donna to write tutorials that suit her own clay better than any of the others. Smart cookie that one:) I'm still very happy with my Premo for most things, it's a great 'all rounder' but Kato clay sure does do a better job for some things.

Anyway, I'm still pleased with these and will know what to do in the future.

What's on the table?

2007-09-23T00:25:00.000-07:00

Nope, not one finished thing. But a few items in progress. I like spreading out, I have two tables on the go almost all the time. I actually have three but the third one is just a mess and is awaiting the cleaning fairies. They never come when you want them!
I'm definitely on a Donna Kato binge. I really grok with her work. It's classy, colourful and often fun.
The purpley cane is basically a skinnerblend plug with lines. I've managed to suss out how Donna does those gorgoeus squiggles of hers. Or rather, I've sussed out my version, maybe hers is different but it comes to the same thing. Hopefully, I'll have a finished necklace for you to see later this week. One thing to note. I've been using Kato clay for this last lot and I found it holds the lines in the cane much better than Premo. Fancy that. See, that's why I never get stuck on just one clay. Each brand behaves differently and what may not work so well with one brand will work great with another.
In the second pic, you'll see two half made inros. Again Donna's technique. Although this one is from her great new book. If you don't have, get it. I've been claying for six years...or is it seven now? Anyway, I've learned a lotfrom this book and I've also thoroughly enjoyed the adventure...which basically means it's written well and there's no room for error except your own. I'm still trying to work out why my transfers leaked black ink a bit, had to erase and touch em up with pencils. I used the photocopy wet the back method of transfers. Premo was used for the most part, except for the translucent clay overlay. I didn't have much success with using Premo trans over my last inked inros and I heard that Kato trans stretches much better and doesn' plaque up as much...and you know, they were right. I've just pulled them out of the oven and 'look mum, it's all clear'! Will pop pics of finished pieces later on in the week.
Sooooo...what's on your table this week?

pillow beads...yes...still:)

2007-09-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

These beads are the result of re-writing my pillow bead tutorial using surface techniques with metallic acrylic paints, foils and crackled gold leaf. I decided to go the whole hog with that last lot of green beads, covering the entire painted/foiled sheet with an ultrathin layer of crackled gold leaf encased in translucent.
They may take a while to upload since I had to take them in high resolution...but if you click on them, particularly the last close up of the crackled leaf jobby, you'll see the wondrous layered luminosity.

What? No photo?

2007-09-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

Yup. Absolutely nothing to show for a whole weeks work! That's cos I've taken a week off claying. Every now and then I just get clayed out and need to stop. I've had a glorious week of being 'madam muck' carting mushroom compost to the vegie garden and planting new seeds and generally getting earthed! Now I'm all topped up I'm ready to hit the clay table...which is just as well as I have a tutorial to write for a magazine and have accumulated no less than 15 ideas of possible exhibition pieces during this week of hiatus. Amazing what happens when you just STOP for a while and let things seep up of their own accord. I'll post a pic as soon as I have something to show you!

Finished pieces

2007-08-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

The advantage of teaching step by step is not only do the students see how it's done right there in front of them, you end up with some pieces yourself! Here are some pmc/polymer combo pieces and tile bracelets from the last couple of workshops that I just finished sanding and buffing...I'm really liking the mokume gane tile bracelets...

Thrown in at the deep end

2007-08-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

Louisa (right) and Helen (left) have never clayed before so producing these pieces as a first effort is pretty awesome I reckon. We ran out of time to sand and polish the polymer parts of these pieces but armed with instructions and a quick demo and practice, their pieces will come up a treat. You should have seen their smiles when they left, they were pretty darned impressed with themselves and totally hooked on clay! Silver clay and polymer clay go so well together doncha think? Those delicious black to white skinner blended pieces are Louisa's pieces and Helens are the gorgeous bright tropical blended pieces. Well done ladies!

Singing more praises

2007-08-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

While Hector and I clayed our hearts out, Curt created his own brand of art...culinary art! It's a joy to come out of the studio to delicious smells...in this case, the aroma of a garlic prawn rice dish one day, spicey indian rogan josh another, fabulous salads and finger foods for lunch, bacon and eggs for breaky. All very yum...and very much welcomed after a blitz of claying. Hectors friend John also joined us during our breaks, adding to the fun!

Hectors pieces

2007-08-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

Thought you might want to have a gander at some of the work Hector produced during his stay here. He's been claying for less than a year and already produces the work of a pro! Some of these pieces haven't been sanded and polished yet but you sure can tell which ones have!

Hectors clay retreat

2007-08-22T00:41:00.000-07:00

Meet Hector! He came for a two day 'free choice' clay retreat. Doncha LUV it when your claying guests choose to do some of your favorite techniques. Man, we had the best time! In a two day workshop, he learned about screen printing and how to make and assemble a curved tile bracelet, made a beautiful set beads and the most stunning pendant using the mokume gane technique with daisy bead inclusions, did my own version of faux glass (with gold foil) bead technique, practiced finishing techniques (sanding and buffing), learned how to make swirly beads using my more deliberate method (as opposed to using scrap clay) with striped canes, made some fabulous skinner blended canes (with stripes...inspired by Donna Kato) and rolled them into snaily pendants and other playful shapes (they have yet to be sanded but what a fab job he's done)...and in the last couple of hours we experimented with a technique out of Donna Katos new book which I can't stop raving about...making a laminate with liquid kato sauce and heat set Genisis paints, gold foil, stamping. Pity about the bubbling on one of the transfers eh! That's a lazertran inkjet decal which we wanted to 'test'...bad idea...it didn't work like we hoped. But he'll be able to save the rest of the thin flexible laminate for pendants and such, it's a 4inch square sheet. The fabulous thing about this flexible sheet method is that it wraps around curved surfaces...which broaden the possibilities tremendously ie inros, lampshades, votives, furniture, curved pendants (so much classier than flat doncha think?)...the list goes on I'm sure. Will definitely be experimenting further with all this.

Screen printed inros

2007-08-15T18:26:00.001-07:00

Tried my hand at screen printing my inros and using Lazertran INKJET (the new one) transfer paper, works a treat but I did notice the corner of one of them come up a bit, will have to check 'Glass Attic' (thanks to Diana Black for this very comprehensive reference to anything polymer!) to find out whether I can put a sealer over the top. Still, I'm pretty pleased with the way these have worked out. I love the screen printed look.

Japanese inros

2007-08-06T19:01:00.001-07:00

An inro is a wearable box and they're one of my all time favorite things to wear because they're not only gorgeous and useful but being made from polymer clay, they're also pretty light for something so substantial. The box part is about two inches high and 1.5 inches wide...(4.5cm x 3cm). My camera broke on the weekend so these have been taken with our very old but unbreakable Sony...tomorrow it's off to the store to buy a new cam and I'll replace this pic with one where you can actually see the lovely effect that inks and transfers and gold leaf wrapped with translucent clay create. Still not happy with the way the translucent is plaquing up. I'm using premo frost and never had a problem with it before. Maybe it's the moisture in the air...

Sheesh!

2007-08-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

Does this ever happen to you? This has been a week of clay disasters. Everything I've touched has turned to sh*t! Admittedly, I'm experimenting this week...trying new transfer techniques and inros, playing around with inks for the first time...but you'de reckon that after about 30 hours there would be SOMEthing to show for it. But nope, nothing but failures. I have half a dozen pieces that are going into the dustbin...I don't think I've ever had so many distasters in one week! And since I normally show nothing but my best, how about a reality check here as I show you my failures. Here are two of them, the rest are already in the bin, flung with great aplomb! Lisa Pavelkas transfers all developed tons of bubbles after baking...how could that be when I was so careful not to trap air under them? My own experiments with liquid clay and Canon photo paper were much better but two of the inros cracked, I think it's because they were too thick because the other three I have half-made are thinner and didn't crack. Adding a sheet of translucent over the top of all my pieces seemed to dull everything...till I remembered reading a message on PCC about hitting it with a heat gun for a mo...and lo and behold, it all became clear in more ways than one!
So yes, I've learned a lot, what works and what doesn't... and hopefully the three remaining inros I have half completed will make it all worthwhile...but I'm rather taken back with the effort of it all. Maybe it's cos I have a cold and am feeling a bit despondent. Maybe it's cos after 30 hours work I have three half finished pieces to show for it and a very messy table (see pic). Maybe it's because I was hoping that this experience would encourage me to have a go at making handbags, something I've longed to do all these years. I mean, how hard can be? Bloody near impossible this week I tell ya! If anyone of you has any tips on making handbags, paleeeeease write me. I'm thinking small first off, a bit bigger than an inro. Oh to have Kathleen Dustin living just down the road! I could drop in and have a cuppa and walk away totally re-inspired! Instead, I just have to pick myself up and dust myself off...finish these three surviving inros before they mock me.....and keep at it. Sometimes it really is just about doing it and doing it till you get it right!

CCIP retreat

2007-07-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

Meet Kylie! She and I got to spend a whole week together immersed in clay goodness:) What a fabulous time we had. This was the first CCIP retreat I've run and how lucky to have scored such a great guest. Not only that, she made the most marvelous pieces! It was also the first time I got to see how the new studio worked in action. I was pretty organised but immediately could see I needed more surface space! Other than that, it worked just fine. And so did the accommodation and food side. Curtis spoiled us with lovely food the whole week and Kylie reckons she wanted 'A Curtis' of her own to take home!

Leaf Lock Pendant

2007-07-05T00:34:00.000-07:00

You'll notice that I worked out how to incorporate a slide show of pics in my blog, just not sure how to move it over the other side so if anyone who has one knows, could you tell me? Thanks!
Also discovered how to include titles in the messages......I'll be a computer nerd yet!
I made a leaf lock pendant today from a tutorial by the wonderful Jen Tattam (Metal Clay Aust and CCIP founder). It's one of the precious metal clay/polymer clay projects we're teaching through CCIP. It has a Linda Bernstein technique of reversed bevel holding the polymer leaf into place. Classy design eh!

2007-07-03T16:09:00.000-07:00

2007-06-21T22:42:00.000-07:00

oooo, this one turned out mighty fine. Been playing around with patinas. This PMC tube bead turned the most amazing rainbowy colour, dominately copper with touches of blue and green. The trick is to dip into liver of sulphur for a few seconds several times, each time dipping the bead a little less into the solution so that the colours varigate. So... some parts of the bead are subjected to more patina-ing (hehehe...um, what can I tell ya? I like to make up words),... the most time in the solution, the darker it is. I definitely want to explore this some more...

2007-06-21T22:33:00.000-07:00

Used Makins air dry clay for a scrapbook cover. Felt like I was in primary school again! Fun! When I do this project again, I'll be sure to choose the brighter colours for the script writing down the bottom and possibly only use one colour for cutout hands near each letter A R T, it's a bit hard to read. If you click on it, you'll get a larger pic and you'll see this more clearly.

2007-06-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

My first ever attempt at mosaic, easy when you have such great instructions (by the wonderful Lara LeReveur)! I've used Makins clay to make the tiles. I'm really beginning to like this clay now that I have a handle on how it behaves. Bakable polymer clay, air dry clay, ceramic clay, silver clay...they all have totally different properties and each needs it's own specialized treatment, each has it's own learning curve. Makins air dry clay excels in 'handle-ability' (yes, it's a word!). I much prefer using it to sculpt with than any of the bakable polymer clays. It 'tiled' up easily for this project too!

2007-06-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

Well, we're home! All the boxes are unpacked, the carpets ripped out, rooms painted, windows cleaned. Still so much to do but now that we're finally comfortable in a clean house...I'm claying!

I'm new to sculpting really, only dabbled at it till now. But I need to hone my skills over the next few weeks because I'll be teaching some sculpture to clay retreat guests as part of the Contemporary Clay Instructors Program. We had to make an elf...and I'm just not an 'elf' kinda gal so mine became a hippy elf!

I must say I'm reeeeally impressed with the Makins clay I used for this project. Up till now I've been using super sculpey or modelene but this Makins clay beats those hands down. Much easier to use. No fingerprints. Ofcourse, if you're just practicing, it's a good idea to use the bake clays because they don't dry out, you can change things again and again...but once you have an idea what you're doing, this Makins clay is a breeze to sculpt with. His trousers are made from some lovely old marble dyed hippy skirt I had kept long past it's use by date because I like the fabric...add some paverpol...and it'll last forever!

2007-05-17T18:24:00.001-07:00

Big open hearted thanks to those who have left comments on this blog. I've recently re-activated my blog and am learning more about them...although I still don't know how to respond to peoples comments yet...so let me thank you all here and now!...and tell you that your comments have been such a delight to me!
What I DID learn recently is how to add links of my favorite blogs. While I've tried to just stick to blog addresses, there are still those special people who are too damn busy to write a blog...so I've typed in their web site links instead. Those of you who haven't seen them will be in for a treat!...so be sure to check them out some time.
I'm moving house in two weeks....yes...again! We've loved living here in Byron Bay and our wonderful beach walks every morning...but living in the burbs just isn't our style. We have the need to get our hands into the earth again, have some room to roam around on, be with the trees again. And so, we've bought a place half an hours drive from here, in the hinterland of Mullumbimby. 5 acres with an old hippy house which will be a labour of love to fix up and a view to stop you still! I'll let you know when I'm ready to hold workshops...or just come for a cuppa and drink in the view. This is a place that must be shared....
p.s. That little white dot on the right hand horizon of the middle photo is the Byron Bay light house...

2007-05-06T22:55:00.000-07:00

These beads are really popular and I keep forgetting to take pics before they sell. Not this time! Oh...you see all those little balls on them? If anyone knows of a tool that's like a miniture melon ball maker, please let me know. It'd save an awful lot of time! Never mind, I have such a lovely time making these...very theraputic...I go off into a dreamy space and they kind of make themselves....

2007-04-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

I had to write tutorials for the Adult Community Education (ACE) workshop I'm holding next month in Mullumbimby, NSW. I'm really looking forward to teaching this class as it's my own 'take' on how wonderful these two materials, polymer and silver clay, go together.

2007-03-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

A closer look...

2007-03-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

Steph Westwood from Balmoral NSW offered to string up my seahorse with some yummy pearls I bought to match...and OH MY...what a gorgeous job she did too! Thanks so much Steph, you've done this little sculpture proud! He's hidden a bit in this pic and I'm waiting to get my cam fixed to take a clearer pic of him but you get the idea...

2007-02-25T12:30:00.000-08:00

These are some examples of my latest fun with pmc and polymer combos. Good ol' skinner blends. Doncha luv em!

2007-01-31T18:58:00.000-08:00

I've posted some pics of more lil platypi I made. The ten cent piece is there so a friend can estimate their size.
It's the funniest thing but they're each so different and I don't even try to make them different but every time I make a little creature I'm always amazed at how they choose their own little personalities just by the tiniest tweek.

2007-01-18T22:55:00.000-08:00

Made this flowered inro today...in honour of the girls holding a "cane for January" segment over at the Beading Forum. It's roses this month...and I just don't have time to make a new one and I needed flowers for an inro I was making...so I used some of my precious "only tiny bit left" purple rose cane that is about 5 or 6 years old...still workable today!
That plaquing is intentional by the way:)...wanted a look of stone, not pvc..