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Tag Archives: polymer clay

cormier & holmes introduce new work and the great white Sh.A.R.K.

We are dedicated to evolving polymer clay through creativity without boundaries, quality without compromise, design with intent, and innovation with integrity. And we want to have fun doing it. Dan Cormier & Tracy Holmes

Dan Cormier and Tracy Holmes have been busy sprucing up their website - adding new work, making cool videos, sharing exciting news about the Sh.A.R.K. family of tools (see below) and refining a mission statement (that’s it above, but read more here).

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cormier_whitepin2

Polar Pin, 2009, polymer clay
 

When Cormier has a new idea for a piece and discovers that it requires a tool he doesn’t have, he gets to work making the tool and the whole community benefits. He has been sharing his Cutting Edge line of precision tools with us since 2005 when he introduced the Peeler Collection, adding the Sh.A.R.K. in 2008 and now the Great White Sh.A.R.K. and more to come later this year.

The Sh.A.R.K. is “a magnetic ‘moveable wall,’ a sheet adjuster that turns your single-width pasta machine into a versatile ‘any width’ tool for sheeting, mixing, blending, and reducing polymer clay.” The original Sh.A.R.K. was made to fit the Atlas 150 pasta machine, but now everyone can enjoy the benefits of this little fin-that-could with the new Great White Sh.A.R.K., which fits the Amaco, Makins, and Atlas 180 machines.

cormier_shark

The video below is a comprehensive look at what the Sh.A.R.K can help you accomplish in your studio.  Beautifully executed, it takes the concept of a ‘brochure’ to a whole new level. Fun, informative and enticing.  I have a Sh.A.R.K. and while I love the way it adjusts the size of the sheet of clay, I admit that it wasn’t until I saw the video that I truly understood that I had a powerhouse sitting on my pasta machine!

Want your own Sh.A.R.K. ? You can purchase a Sh.A.R.K. Kit here.


For me, my tools and what I do with them have always been intertwined. It’s not about the latest gimmick or trick. It’s more fundamental, evolving organically out of some need I find through my dialogue with the clay. A new idea requires a tool I don’t have. So I make that tool. Once I have it, I can usually do the thing I wanted to do, which is great. But even better, it continues the conversation. Suddenly I see something I couldn’t see before, something I hadn’t even imagined. Like cresting a hill, I get a new view, a new perspective, a new take on my medium. Dan Cormier

Congratulations to this dynamic duo – it certainly does look like they are having fun (see mission statement above) while elevating the medium with their innovative tools, work and techniques – a win/win combination for all.
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renee adams’ artificial reality in polymer clay and mixed media

Drawing inspiration from botanical images by 19th century biologist Ernst Haeckel, Renee Adams constructed her own imaginary hybrid species using polymer clay, glass, wood and acrylic paint. The Washington artist, who has an MFA in sculpture, strives to create work that “questions ideals of beauty and the way in which we manipulate nature and ourselves to attain it.”

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[private_archives]Adams uses flocking directly on  polymer clay (Bindybop, below), something I haven’t seen before. You can see more out-of-this-world sculpture on her website and from a recent exhibition at Swarm Gallery.

adams_crownedpolylyp

Crowned Polylyp, glass, polymer clay, wood, flocking, mixed media, 13”x5.5”x5.5”

 

adams_blowpod

Blowpod, wood, polymer clay, leather, seed pod, 6”x10”x7”

 

adams_gussy

Gussy, polymer clay, acrylic paint, mixed media, 60”x10”x14”

 

adams_bindybop

Bindybop, polymer clay, shoe polish, flocking, 9”x4”x4”

 

adams_flinderspindle

Flinderspindle, polymer clay, shoe polish, leather, wood, map pins, 12”x7”x7”

 
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sarah obrecht: copper and polymer clay wall sculpture

Metalsmith Sarah Obrecht combines copper and polymer clay in this assortment of botanical specimens that are both realistic and imaginary. Obrecht says of her work, “Through shape and surface the works reference nature, while the controlling element of man appears in the stems/branches. The scale of the objects invites close inspection and raises questions as to the origin of these species.”

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obrecht_collaredhive

obrecht_collaredhive_detail

Collared Hive and detail
copper, forged, fabricated polymer clay, 14″ x 7″ x 5.5″

obrecht_emergyellow

obrecht_emergingyellowdetail

Emerging Yellow and detail
copper, polymer clay, forged, fabricated, electroformed, 12″ x 10″ x 4″

obrecht_orangelilycluster

obrecht_detail

Orange Lily Cluster and detail
copper, polymer clay, 19″ x 22″ x 6.5″

I have no questions, just accolades. Love this marriage of materials and the artist’s interpretation of organic forms. Images above from Cervini Haas Gallery.  More of Obrecht’s work at Function Art.
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