Author: Sylvie peraud

Mixed Media

So it’s not that I didn’t work last week, but one of my light bulbs let me down and bad light means bad pictures.

So here is the last necklace I made mixing metal and polymer in purple, and a pair of earrings to match the first necklace made this way.

Then I made little cute mushrooms on two brooches…

I went on with this mixed media idea and added wood. What essence of wood? No idea, I picked this root up several years ago either on the beach or in a river and used it to decorate my table when at a fair. Any way I decided to cut a slice of it just to see what the inside looked like. Surprise…that wood is hard as rock and it took me quite a while to cut it. But I managed and after a whole afternoon of sanding a little oil revealed the pattern! Such a beautiful wood deserved to be enhanced and the association with metal and polymer is magic.

Yesterday, I cut a second slice, sanded it, oiled it, cut out a piece of metal…the idea started to grow in my head…and this morning I added the clay to it. I wanted something very light, like butterfly wings. I dont know if this piece will be a necklace or a brooch, but I’m quite happy with it.

Inspirational breakdown

If there is one thing that every artist dreads but that happens to be inevitable, it’s the lack of inspiration. I’d like to say that in my case this is cyclical; about once a year I have an inspirational blackout.

When this happens to me, no use getting to the studio table and trying to make anything because it’s a loss of time. What I do is run out of the studio and find something different to do that requires all my attention. I need to empty my head of anything concerning clay and the clay environment. This year again I fled the blackout by diving into our corridor renovation: scraping the ugly salmon stucco chosen 20 years ago from the walls, plastering them back, sanding and painting them in a nice neutral soothing color. Redoing the ceiling, painting the doors and cabinet doors and finally retiling the floor to match the rest of the house. In short, an occupation that kept me away from the studio for over 2 months!!!

But every evening, I would surf on the internet and reconnect for a short moment. Every day I enjoyed Melanie West’s posts on world wide artists working in so many different mediums. Her posts are always a great source of inspiration, Thank you Melanie!

This time again it « TILTED » when discovering this creation from a Japanese artist named Jiro Kamata living in Munich.

 

Jiro Kamata

The overlapping pieces, like thrown on top of each other struck me and it has been in the corner of my mind since. So when time came to get back to work, I knew where I was heading to.

Of course it doesn’t come at once. You have to try, try again, improve it, take a new path, digress to start to see it come to life as you had felt it deep inside.

The first try was made of neutral colors and imitations of raw materials. When seing it, my son said it was lacking colors but he liked the faux slate because of the dimension it brought.

Second and third try: color jumps in, but still the feeling it is lacking some punch and volume.


From volume to 3D there was just one step. Add a brilliant and warm color and there you are. It makes sense, it’s nice to look at, the construction issues are settled and I’m off for a mini collection.


 

Of course the need of sizing it down to make matching earrings came and here they are! The earrings are light, comfy so 3 new pairs are in the making.


I don’t know for you, but personally I don’t really fear the inspirational blackout because each time it feels like coming back to life and it’s a wonderful feeling. I just need to find something else to renovate in the house for next time… Gosh I have no idea!!!

For those who might be interested I will be teaching two workshops at Clayathon 2020 in NJ. It’s still time to join in…

 

Clayathon 2020

Wow I am thrilled to be teaching for the first time at Clayathon next year. I will be in good company with dear friends and artists new to me: Kathleen Dustin, Lindly Haunani, Loretta Lam, Jeff Dever, Jana Roberts Benzon, Donna Greenberg and Helen Wyland-Malchow. The event is organized by Arlene Groch, thank you for the hard work!

Here is the flyer created by Arlene. I hope to see you there!!!

If you want to sign up for my workshop(s) they have been added in my store Here

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Early Registration is open
for Clayathon 2020
Retreat & Workshops
at the Seaview Hotel
Galloway Township, NJ
February 12-20, 2020
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Register for Retreat HERE
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Clayathon 2020

Guest Artist:

Kathleen Dustin

Your $115 Clayathon Registration Fee includes
  • 6 hours of demonstrations by Kathleen Dustin [described below]
  • Your own 6′ Ballroom workshop table for 9 days,
  • Buffet lunches on Sunday and Monday
  • Friday evening Welcome Party,
  • Saturday evening Meet and Chat with the Artists
  • Sunday Auction
  • Monday evening Game Night
On February 15, 16 and 17,
Kathleen will Demonstrate
Tribal Texturing, Carving and Hinging in Polymer with Silver Wire
Studying her collection of tribal and ethnic jewelry, Kathleen has realized that spontaneity and improvisation are key elements in tribal design. With this in mind, during the weekend days of the Retreat [February 15, 16 & 17] Kathleen will demonstrate layering and carving cured polymer clay as well as making hand-applied patterned impressions in uncured clay.
As she explains, however, making jewelry requires the artist to think functionally as well as aesthetically. So, using silver wire Kathleen will demonstrate bending, hammering, imbedding, and hinging to join polymer pieces together in a simple straightforward way, enhancing tribal design. If time allows, she will also demonstrate making personally designed chain links.
NOTE: In addition to these included Demos on Feb. 15, 16 and 17, Kathleen will also teach a 3 day Workshop on February 18, 19 and 20, for which the fee is $330. See Workshop description below
Options: You can register for the Retreat only, for Workshops only, or for both Retreat and Workshops. Your Retreat Registration includes a 6′ table in the Ballroom from from Feb. 12 through Feb. 20. That way you will have the option of working independently in the Ballroom while others are taking Workshops.
Wait list: If Retreat registration is filled when you try to sign in, send me an email, and I’ll p$330] ut you on the Wait List. [For workshop wait list issues, contact the workshop artist directly.]
Retreat Registration is limited to 126 spaces, so procrastination is not a wise plan.
To Register for the Retreat: Click on the “Register for Retreat HERE” button at the top. Then, fill out the form, pay the $115 Retreat fee by Pay Pal [much preferred] or by check to Elaine Rankosky at 14 Manchester St
Galloway NJ 08205-3680, and you will be registered for the 9 day Clayathon Retreat. [Registration for workshops is separate]
To Register for Workshops, click on “Contact ________ here” in each artists’ section below.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Corrections? – Please call me at
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to make containers in any shape we wish so why do we feel limited to making a little inro to wear around our neck or a larger box that is rectangular?
In this intensive 3-day workshop, Kathleen discusses shape design principles and leads students through making an interior reusable mold. Then through multiple bakings, students make a container with inside rim and attached handheld or shoulder cord. Students design their own shape, colors and embellishments under Kathleen’s guidance.
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Kathleen Dustin Workshop
Polymer Purse: A Lightweight, Flexible Personal Vessel That Makes a Statement
TU, W, TH 2/18, 2/19, 2/20
$330 fee includes Viton rubber cording for each student.

 

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Sylvie Peraud
Concrete and Rust Earrings
A One Day Workshop
Tuesday, February 18
€100
Buy Now on to secure your spot on her Web Shop: Here
All level clayers welcome
 In this class students will build geometrical earrings. The innovative building technique is simple and opens the way to many more shapes. Once they are baked and quickly sanded, students will learn how to give these shapes a faux concrete look and touch. The earrings will be enhanced with coated wire that mimics rust and adds interest to the faux concrete texture and the hand made findings will be added.

 

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