Polymer Clay

Fimo and clay tips and tutorials

Art Nouveau Inspiration

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The best polymer clay designs come from being inspired and influenced beyond a technique.  Techniques are the language, the words and sentence structure that we speak as polymer clay artists.  True poetry comes from expressing something beyond a jumble of words. 

I encourage you to find something you love, whether it’s a painter, a movement in art history, a design period, something in nature or science and translate that passion in your life into polymer clay.  Don’t merely copy a technique this weekend, but use a technique to create an object, a bead, a piece of jewelry, that tells the world a little something about yourself. 

Art is not magical, anyone can create something that is unqiuely theirs.  I believe in your artistic vision and I hope you spend some time exploring it this weekend.  You are an artist, everyone is an artist.

My current inspiration is Art Nouveau.  I love the linear, asymmetrical designs of flowers and plants.  I appreciate that the artists of the day were tired of industry and the mass production of the turn of the century.  They found beauty in nature rather than machine.  In today’s world I think designers and artists long for the same connection to the natural world.  This is why I’m currently influenced by this time period. 

(Click on the photo to see the images up close and for the photo credits.)

[tags]polymer clay, art, inspiration, expression, design, art nouveau, art history, artists[/tags]

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Comments

  1. I have really been enjoying the last few days of postings. Very insightful, even for me who is not a clay artist. Color and design, and texture too is important in my beading projects. Keep up the great work!!

    Rosanne

Have you read?

How To Make A Milk Mache Molding Compound

There are some craft projects that feel like they belong on a rainy afternoon kitchen table, and this Milk Mache Molding Compound is exactly one of them. It is part craft, part science experiment, and part “wait… did we just turn milk into something solid?”

This clever little project from CraftBits shows you how to make a simple homemade molding compound using just milk and vinegar. The idea is wonderfully old-school: when the vinegar reacts with the milk, it separates into curds and liquid, leaving you with a soft mixture that can be pressed, shaped, and dried into a hard, stone-like material.

It’s a lovely one to try with kids, especially if you enjoy hands-on STEM-style crafts that do not require a trolley full of supplies. You can use the finished compound to make small charms, beads, ornaments, rustic tags, or simple molded shapes. Just keep the pieces small and thin, as this is not really the sort of compound you would use for large sculptures or anything that needs to be perfectly smooth.

What I like most about this project is how accessible it is. Most of us already have milk, vinegar, a bowl, and paper towel in the kitchen, which makes it a brilliant last-minute craft activity. It also has that slightly magical quality children love — one minute it is liquid, the next it is turning into a moldable material.

A couple of tips before you try it: use whole milk if you can, as it tends to give a better result than skim or semi-skimmed milk. White vinegar is also the best choice, as darker vinegars may affect the colour and texture. And don’t rush the draining stage. If the mixture is too wet, it will be soggy and hard to shape; if it is too dry, it may crumble.

This would be a fun companion activity for our other kids craft ideas, especially if you are looking for something simple, inexpensive, and a little bit educational. It also fits nicely with home crafts and handmade gift embellishments if you want to turn your dried shapes into tags or decorations.

Would I call this a polished, professional clay substitute? No. Would I call it a wonderfully curious, messy, memorable craft experiment? Absolutely.

If you enjoy homemade craft supplies, kitchen-table experiments, or easy projects that make children ask “how did that happen?”, this Milk Mache Molding Compound is well worth a try.

You can find the full project instructions here: Milk Mache Molding Compound