BAILEY SAYS: "LAZY CAT WHO DOESN'T CREATE..."

.....BAILEY ACTUALLY SAYS: LAZY CAT LIKES TO SLEEP"...

Well, at least he knows what he wants. I think he's lazier than Garfield. However,

I have not been lazy this weekend. I created a polymer clay tile mirror and a inspirational box! Bailey slept through the whole thing... Did you know you can use cool buttons to make patterns in polymer clay? Anything that has a dramatic surface makes a good imprint. Sometimes I even embed small charms and figures in the clay. As long as it can be baked safely, the sky's the limit! The paint adds dimension and interest to the surface. You can't go wrong, really, as long as you stay with colors that compliment each other to cut down on the "busy" look that can come from too many mixed patterns and colors.

Creativity strikes again...

CREATIVITY STRIKES AGAIN....

I had a creativity attack yesterday, and I finished one polymer clay embellished box. See above. It has all my favorite colors, blue, turquoise, copper, and a hint of burgundy. Polymer clay is a very friendly and forgiving media to work with. By experimenting you can come up with many great ways to mold it. Perfection some times shows up from a lump of clay... Here are some examples of polymer clay art. Maybe you'll get inspired? I don't use a pasta machine; I roll out the soft clay with a rolling pin, then use a clay blade and various handy tools to make impressions in the clay. It's time consuming, but it's fun to see it grow and turn into a cohesive picture. Color combinations are what make the visual interest.

Bailey is often helping me in my studio by lying right on my work space. His marketing motto for today: Always make sure you're in the center of the action for maximum exposure!

Happy creating! Maria

A NEW DAY, ANOTHER PIECE OF ART...

Hi, my name is Maria and I'm an artist (among other things,) like gardener, shop owner, and butler to His Majesty Bailey, the Cat. I could write a separate blog "by Bailey" but this is an art blog. I love to make art of all forms, but especially painting in acrylics, making mosaics on mirrors and boxes. I use stained glass tile, or polymer clay tiles that I have cut, stamped, painted, and embossed. It's a tricky and time consuming adventure in clay, but the results are always satisfying. As an artist you never know how a project will end. You might have an end result in mind, but halfway thru, the artwork takes on a life of its own... Every artist will tell you that they weren't sure how that dratted cat ended up in the dramatic sunset they were painting, or why the cat was blue along with the purple cat held in the mermaid's arms... Well, honestly, I never painted many sunsets... I have painted a pink beach on occasion, and admittedly a blue cat with white stripes once. If that Blue Dog could make it big, what the heck!

Maria