clay

Tag: clay

Arches Brooch. Polymer clay, ink toner. Jane Pellicciotto

A Brooch of Then and Now

You might have seen my black and white letterform collages on polymer clay using an image transfer technique. These abstract letterforms highlight not just the shapes of the letters but their negative spaces as well. What’s not there is often more interesting than what is there. When I was a graphic design instructor, I’d assign a project similar to these pieces to my typography students. It taught them to become intimate with the shapes of letters without the distraction of meaning.

So I was happy to come across a call for entry for an exhibition with typography as the subject matter. The only problem was that the deadline was right around the corner. There wasn’t much time to create entirely new pieces. Read more

Polymer clay workshop. Jane Pellicciotto

July Workshop: Polymer Clay & Surface Play

Whenever I sit down to work with polymer clay, I have a craving to make handmade pasta or bread. It’s one of the reasons I took up this chameleon-like medium a little over a year ago. I knew its malleability would be a satisfying change from metal, which I still love, but being a tactile person, I need that experience of exploring different mediums.

In July, I’ll be teaching a 2-day, 2-hour/day workshop called Polymer Clay & Surface Play through Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft. The main focus will be black and white image transfer, which can add an exciting dimension to your clay work, especially for those of you who love drawing, black and white line art, photography, vintage graphics and more.

I’ll also offer up a variety of surface treatments, which will barely scratch the surface (no pun intended) of what you can do with polymer clay. But this will get you off to a good start.

I’ll also sprinkle a lot of tips and best practices throughout the workshop, such as mixing colors, proper curing (baking), finishing your work, adding findings, and a review of tools.

You can also wait till after the first class before buying any materials so you can see what you really need. I’ll probably set up a private Facebook group for to share your work, questions and more. Join me! Register here ››