Saturday, February 23, 2013

Doodles, a Follow-up

Wondering what I did with the Zentangle doodles from a couple of weeks ago? I created a transfer and applied it to a sheet of off-white polymer. Then I layered that sheet onto one of my favorite right-from-the-package colors of Premo polymer - Rhino Grey - to which I added a bit of texture and antiquing.
This assembly got backed with multiple textures in black, the end portions receiving additional coloring in the form of chalk stamp ink. The base of this valet/bowl is a chunky polymer block in a stamped abstract pattern of rhino, off-white and black. Fun, home decor graphics!!!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Introducing Fantasy Flora (or Alien Flowers)

I've had this idea for gauze/polymer "alien" flora knocking around in my head for a while. (Those who know me at all won't be surprised...)

Most of the pre-planned methodology actually worked out well. The "petals" would be of liquid polymer and gauze, pistil and receptacle equivalents would be of polymer and the stamens and stems would be of wire. And the stems would be totally frivolous and have loops.

First I created the pistil from a yellow-orange blend of polymer, textured the end and added several coats of tinted liquid polymer. Next, I gathered one edge of black, white and (stained) purple gauze, treated them to a soaking in liquid polymer and wound them around the pistil.

Then I covered the base with more polymer, stamped and mica-d the receptacle (in patterns not seen on this world!) and mounted them on nicely looped, thick copper wire stems. I grabbed my torch and beaded the ends of some sterling wire, crimped some copper headpins and spiraled some silver plated wire and behold - I had some wonderful little alien stamens to embed in the pistils!

 On to the vase/container... I hoard plastic shapes which I feel could stand up to a 280ยบ cure, so finding a container base wasn't too difficult. A window cleaner spray cap seemed the perfect scale, and it had a wonderful center well for anchoring the stems. Now for the covering...



Like almost anyone breathing in the polymer world, I've been itching to give the Stroppel cane a try! The few cane scraps that I have are luckily a perfect color complement to the floral petals. So, strips of my new cane, plus silver, copper and black practically covered the cap by themselves. The sanding and buffing took over an hour, but what else is new?

Here is the finished creation. I've learned enough during design/construction for at least two more "species". It's kind of neat how the stems and stamens silently jiggle at the slightest vibration... sort of ALIEN!

Fantasy Flora No. 101, 8 1/2" H., base 2 3/4"dia. x 2"H

Monday, February 4, 2013

Doodling is Now Acceptable, Mrs. Ringle!


Over the last month or so, I've been having fun with Zentangles. Yes, I'm a few years late to the game, and as many of you already know, Zentangling is a controlled method of doodling, something that I've done, well, FOREVER! 
Case in point: 1st Grade, 1961-ish. We had the metal desks with the laminated wood-look tops that were hinged at the back. One day, at the end of a lesson, I beat everyone else in opening my desk to get to the next task. So, even though I was way at the back of the room, my desk top was in full view of the teacher. All I heard was "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO YOUR DESK???" I shut my desk in puzzlement and saw the teacher (who I'd really liked a lot, up until that point) bearing down upon me.

The next few minutes are more hazy in this memory. All I remember was crying ashamedly (though not sure why) while the teacher and every other first grader crowded around to look with wonder at my desk top which was almost entirely covered with black No. 2 pencil doodles! I don't consciously remember creating them. They must have "just happened" over a series of days (weeks?) building up to this climax. The only other memory that I have of that particular experience is spending the next recess with those horrid brown paper towels and a can of Comet cleanser (borrowed from the janitors closet) scrubbing off my works of art.

Well, nah-nah-nah Mrs. Ringle - now my doodles are condoned, and even encouraged! So here are my first two attempts beyond the basic Zentangle "tile". I sort of like them, and am already planning an incorporation into a current polymer piece. Stay tuned.....