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Colorful Rhubarb Red…

I’ve been reading about the new red celery with fascination – (not really red to me, more like the “red” of red onions) …somewhat surprised to have landed on a site that explains “value added produce” (while following the  link trail) which is  something apparently that I buy often .

I am dreaming of rhubarb as I embark on making a new series of folded petal necklaces.

Colorscape- an Around the World Guide to Color by Naomi Kuno and the Color Intelligence Institute calls this red “Starfish”

  • Tropical
  • Floral
  • Gaudy
  • Charming
  • Alluring

CO/M98/Y75/K0

I drew color inspiration from food stylist Linda Lundgren’s food arranged by color series.

To mix my variation of this color I used one part Premo Cadmium red and one part Premo Fluorescent Pink. The resulting red is vibrant and makes for an edible looking cane which I look forward to fashioning into part of my new series of necklaces.

Next time you set out to mix a vibrant color in polymer clay  consider using either a fluorescent yellow or pink to pump-up your mixes.

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Colorful Teaching…

I love teaching– especially polymer clay workshops that allow the students  to come to a new understanding of color = how relax into approaching color with intuition; mix new colors, design palettes and learn new strategies for combining colors successfully. Above  is a picture of me teaching this past summer at  Polymer Play Days (sponsored by Helen Cox) In Nottingham, England.

It is especially wonderful to see a student take inspiration from a class to make  a wonderful personalized variation on a technique via a finished piece.Here is a necklace from Ghost Shift/Sue Corrie.

After teaching Textile Inspirations in Albequeque last month, Janet Paul sent me a picture of a delightful sampler necklace she made.

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Colorful Airport Shopping…

My flight back from Albuquerque was delayed so I found myself in the airport with spare time for shopping… I poked around in several stores and had to laugh as several of the items that attracted my eye…I already had hanging form my ceiling!

I wandered into Earth Spirit and was amazed by the selection of jewelry, ceramics, glass and wall hangings = not the usual things that one finds in an airport. In between the displays of art where hundreds of books on altered art, journaling, collage,creative inspiration and color…and to my amazement! and surprise  our book Polymer Clay Color inspirations.

I ended up buying some lovely New Mexico Pinon Coffee (chocolate cinnamon swirl) and yet, another book about color- as souvenirs of my wonderful trip to Albuquerque.

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“The Full Spectrum”

“Color is like cooking. The cook puts in more or less salt, that’s the difference! (Josef Albers)”

Dwell Magazine has a new series of videos on Vimeo –“The Full Spectrum” -Part one directed by Gary Nadeau features a visit to the Albers Foundation in Connecticut. ‘He was constantly trying new things,compared himself to a chef in the kitchen trying new recipes to see what works. He tried to record the recipes very precisely”- (often on the back of his paintings).

My first semester of college in addition to Design 101 we were all required to take Color 101 (which was based on Albers book The Interaction of Color. I still remember the field trip our class took  to the university library to view a folio of Alber’s silkscreens. We  all had to don white cotton gloves and were allowed to handle the pages and look at the prints close up in the sunlight.


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Colorful Gradation…

Usually when I arrange a heirloom tomato and mozzarella salad I  alternate the slices… after being inspired by Design Sponge Online, I will be re-evaluating just how I arrange my slices and plan future Skinner blends in polymer.

There are several inspirational examples of late summer color gradations in addition to instructions for making a colorful flower garland included in their latest posts.

I’m off to Albuquerque in the morning to teach a color workshop and to drink in the wonderful colors of the southwest!

Thanks to Cynthia Tinapple for sending me this link.

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