Artists I admire.....
There are so many artists working in polymere that I intensely admire and take inspiration from that it would be impossible to list them--so I'll take the random approach and put the spotlight on Rebecca Watkins, who goes by the flickr name artybecca.
Rebecca's style is truly unique--you know her work the moment that you see it--and she is also one of the most consisitently generous artists on the web, sharing her secret techniques in detail. What shines in her gallery of style is a sweet and self-effacing humor, as demonstrated by her 'buttoned-up fish" series:
She apparently creates most of her distinctive pieces from scrap clay, letting the colors of the clay dictate the nature of the piece--a refreshingly unplanned approach very much in keeping with the meditative quality of her work. Much of her work is scribed and carved with an eye to following the patterns already extant in the clay. Sculptors like Michaelangelo famously claimed that they were merely freeing the form from the stone they carved, without conscious intention, and Rebecca does the same in the medium of polymer clay.
All of her work has a timeless, organic feel that invites the viewer to sit and rest awhile--doodle a bit and see what happens---and perhaps be surpised with the outcome. So often we struggle to 'create' something--get an idea or an image out--that it's good to remember that it's just as valid to relax and let the work create itself.
Have a creative and fun holiday..
Namaste,
Randee
