Lately, I’ve been thinking I need to stop reading so many magazines and looking at other peoples’ work, and start concentrating on finding my own style. The first couple years after I found polymer clay, I was rather like a sponge – I read anything and everything I could fine, tried all the new techniques, and every variation I could think of.
I know a few things about my elusive style… It’s not overly fussy or ornamented. Everytime I make a piece that is, I’m not terribly happy with it. I can look at my past pieces and identify the elements that are me.
Sculpting natural flowing forms is me – animals, vines, reeds and flowers, seaweed, mermaids and dragons. I love Art Nouveau. Faux ivory is me – I love the way a sculpture looks in a solid color and unless it is done very well color or painting can make something look cheap or tacky. (If it IS done well it’s wonderful but painting is not my strong point) Adding color with diluted inks for a pastel, water color effect might be me but I need to investigate that. Mica shift isn’t really me even though I like it. Irridescent mica powders might be me or just might be a crow’s fascination for shiny objects.
Antiquing, texture, ancient looking and imperfect surfaces are me. I admire precision in other peoples work and I can do it if I want to, but I actually like my fingerprints on a piece. They make it seem more real somehow. And they add a great surface for picking up antiquing 😉
Pens are not me although I still make them every now and then. Jewelry is me, but mainly because I fall in love with my miniature sculptures and want to bring them with me. Kaleidoscopes are me because I am fascinated by them – by the idea of creating beauty both inside and out. I haven’t done many pure sculptures and I’m not sure why. I think that might be me but I need to find out. Wall pieces, vessels? I don’t know.
Eyes, and expressions and curving poses are me – or at least who I want to be me. I want to be able to sculpt like Katherine Dewey or Boehm when I grow up. So maybe that’s what I need to concentrate on.
