Years ago, I created a story about a little boy who wanted everything. Each spread of the book featured this little boy getting every wish granted, as his imagination soared. Eventually, as every story like this comes to a close, this child realized he couldn’t have everything he wanted. A tale as old as time, true happiness did not come from never-ending wishes, and he found content in just being himself. His tummy monsters, as I called them, were characters all by themselves. They were ornery and mischievous, eventually aiding in the exhaustion of the little boy. Being King and...
The Cutest Rooster
It can be totally fulfilling to take a broken or trashed item and turn it into something amazing. In the case of this garage sale ceramic rooster, I saw past its hideous, and somewhat broken, exterior. He was free in a bin and I found the challenge of making him new again of the utmost excitement for my collection. I decided on the coloring I wanted for his base and started sculpting away. The key to clay-covered projects like this one, is finding an item that can bake at low temp, doesn’t set off fumes, does not shrink in the...
Clay Story
Every time I design, I start with a similar process. Initial concepts get sketched from the rough ideas in my mind. Once I can see the color combinations and general shapes, I can then start to try to turn the two-dimensional idea to a three-dimensional sculpt. I have done this in sooooo many different ways over the years, and with so many unique supplies. Whether it was creating a knit accessory, a clever costume, a funky Valentine’s box, or one of my clay creations, my brain works in similar cycles, as outlined below for my polymer clay creations. Depending on...
Green Eggs But I Don’t Like Ham!
Every school year, never fails, I am tasked with creating unique teacher gifts. What could be a better elementary memory than a classic children’s book keepsake? I found extra humor in these sculpts, because I have extremely picky eaters! It wouldn’t matter if unicorns served them these for breakfast — they wouldn’t touch them. “Ewwwwwww…” *giggle* I don’t like green eggs or ham, Mom! PLEASE FOLLOW ME as I embark on a quest to enjoy, learn from, and raise my bamBEANos, in the best way this Mama Chickpea can. Art is my “balance” to life and I enjoy all the DIY therapy I...
Garden Fairies
Creating whimsy is the most fun of all. I’ve made quite a few fairy gardens and their inhabitants over the years. Fairy doors and fairy houses came in all shapes and sizes, and often speak to children young and old. Mushroom, flower, pumpkin, gourd, and tooth themes have been some of the most popular ideas. Learning the DSLR in 2022, only added amazing lighting and extra detail to some of these little creatures and their surroundings. I love all kinds of illustration, and when I can create something three-dimensional from my drawings, there often is no greater artistic satisfaction. PLEASE...
All You Need Is A Vision
This is what I love about art: taking something ordinary, randomly destroying it by doing the unexpected, and realizing it’s the perfect possibility for a role in a larger, magical masterpiece, only I could envision… True art appreciation. To some, it’s merely trash. Wet paper that becomes a sticky, gooey mess. To me, there are a myriad of tangents where this “mess” could go… Food for my soul, for sure! This is what I love about art: taking something ordinary, randomly destroying it by doing the unexpected, and realizing it’s the perfect possibility for a role in a larger, magical masterpiece, only I could...
Polymer Clay Cell Cases
So, it is no surprise (if you have read any of these posts) that I love making art. I love being able to bring a subject to life, adding my own unique spin to things. After years of making art to sell in various venues, while also teaching some of my techniques, I have learned some of my strengths. I would consider polymer clay sculpture to be one of them…I JUST LOVE ILLUSTRATION! One day, while out shopping for a new cell phone case, I felt uninspired by the selection. The cases I found were lame, expensive, and just not...
Mya Scream
Some of my favorite tools to sketch with, are marker and colored pencil. Color just makes things come alive for me. It is no surprise that I would take these ideas and try to add polymer clay and digital art, too. So, I did! The original sketch was based off a character I made in the likeness of my daughter, Mya. My hope is to eventually use her in a children’s book that highlights some of her most amazing qualities. It is with great emotion comes tremendous passion, and both qualities suit her personality to a tee. “It is with...
Polymer Clay Monsters
Every now and again I try another “crazy” idea. Some are amazing. Some only “work.” And, some really don’t. Adding clay to light switch covers actually turned out pretty cool. I made several of these covers. Each one was unique and was a custom order. I made one covered in flowers for a little girl. I made another for her brother, who really loved the long necks of herbivore dinosaurs, like the brachiosaurus (A.k.a. brontosaurus.) The wildest one I made was a basketball themed plate for a Cavs fan. And, then there were these guys…the cutest monsters, ever. I’m not...
“Cold”
Some of my favorite tools to sketch with, are marker and colored pencil. One of my favorite three-dimensional techniques is mixed media collage. One day, it seemed like a fun new idea to add clay to that and digitally combine them all. So, I did! The original sketch was based off a character I made in the likeness of my daughter, Mya. I will never forget how cute she was the day she finally got to wear ear muffs in the cold. We live in the desert, where we don’t often have much need for winter gear; however, this day...