Why it's good to be a "PLAYER"

It was last minute and very impromptu, but a bit of time for PLAY was necessary and what better place than Port Townsend, WA with Teesha and Tracy Moore at their PLAY retreat (and yes, everyone who goes is called a "player"). A group of very talented artists got together, shared ideas, techniques, and creative energy. It was fantastic! Everyone had an opportunity to work on whatever projects they chose, and many of us chose to create new journals using polymer clay following some samples and demos that Tracy and Steve Salic provided to guide us along the way.

I've never really worked with polymer clay before, so I thought I'd give it a try.....here's book number one:

The Book of Dreams

The crown and the keyhole are metal embellishments that were glued and then painted, the spine is leather, and everything else is polymer clay. I used a combination of molds, stamps and some freestylin' clay manipulations. All in all, not too bad for the first try.

Then, feeling fairly confident, I figured I'd make a journal for my oldest daughter, she has trouble falling asleep, so I thought that I would make her what I call a Tranquility Journal, where she could write down her thougths and quiet her mind before bed. I based it one of my drawings called Tranquility:

Tranquility sketch

Taking a drawing a turning it into something out of polymer clay, well, let me just say it was tougher than I thought it was going to be, but here's what I ended up with:

Tranquility Journal Cover

I must say that this isn't exactly the result that I was hoping for and there are definitely a number of things that I would differently next time, but it was a good learning experience. I also think that it was good preparation for my next polymer clay experiment which will involve making eyes in preparation for the next Michael deMeng class that I'll be taking in March. Yup, that's right, Michael is going to be teaching right here in Vancouver, if you are anywhere in the vicinity you are not going to want to miss it - he is a phenomenal teacher (and artist!)...check out his website for all of the details. By the way, if anyone out there knows how to make eyes out of polymer clay, I'm in desperate need of all the tips and tricks you've got!!!!

A Confession for Day Three

Reluctantly, I have to admit I struggled a bit with this one. I looked at the original that Angi sent me, and I got nothing, no vision for what I wanted to do. I looked at the collage and wondered "What is she trying to say?" And then, as I was studying the collage, I began feeling that this woman seems worldly, not a huge stretch given all of the buildings on her head, I know, but hey at least now I had a starting point. Then I began reflecting on when the "Digital Smackdown" started:  I began with the image of a young woman at the pivotal transition in her life where she is deciding what path she'll follow to find her destiny (see Day One). The second collage is a young adult woman which inspired the fertile and nurturing Empress (Day Two). Well now, I'm thinking that this woman has "arrived", she's chosen her life path, maybe raised her family, has a wealth of experiences, knows her own mind, and while she's still looking forward to all that is yet to come, she has accomplished much and is somewhat self-satisfied. Here's what the original looked like:

Now clearly to achieve my new found vision for this piece there were going to have be some changes.The turnkey in her back - gone, this woman was in control, she can't depend on being wound up to get where she wants to go, and she gets where she's going under her own steam, so bye-bye birdie. I added some of the great landmarks of our time into her headress, representing her worldliness and accomplishment. A tiny hot air balloon hovers in the distance to remind us of her desire for future adventures. A few more additions, some more photoshop adjustments and voila:

Smackdown Day Three is done! I'm hoping that you see her as accomplished and worldly as I do, and you've enjoyed these "smackdowns" as much as I have! Thanks Angi!!!

Smackdown Day Two!

For day two of the challenge, Angi sent us this scan of her original collage. I knew in an instant what her transformation would look like:

So this is what I came up with...

I've been fascinated with the gorgeous designs featured on Tarot cards for a very long time. I just love the way every single element on the cards have a purpose, no single element is ever there by chance. With skillfull intrepretation the "reader" can divine the cards meaning and significance. So when I saw Angi's original collage, the nest, flowers, and bunnies immediately made me think of the Empress. Surrounded by the bounty of the earth and symbols of fertility, the Empress represents Matriarchal authority, the birth of new ideas, and creativity. I  placed three eggs in the nest to represent her maternal nature and also the new ideas that she is nurturing (three specifically, because the Empress is the third card of the Major Arcana in the deck). The crossed arms are added embracing the nest in a gentle, yet protective fashion. A crown, a halo, a few more layers and adjustments and ta da....The Empress.