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Polymer Petals and Leaves
Building Colorful Botanical Elements with Polymer Marquetry
Polymer clay lends itself beautifully to the creation of fantastic botanical textures and colors. In this class Bonnie will help you examine the structures of flowers and leaves and demonstrate how she creates this imagery in her jewelry components by piecing design veneers together. Learn to build 6 different types canes that echo patterns found in flower petals, berries and leaves, each with progressively more complex patterning and color. These canes will then be used to make marquetry like imagery and create pin or pendant. Specific botanical color blends will be explored as well as different approaches to construction a design using marquetry to create freehand patterns, layered effect and dimensional shading. Learn to take these components all the way through completion including a simple pendant bail or pin back made with sterling silver wire.
Basic polymer skills are required: Polymer 1 or the equivalent.
Meet the instructor
Bonnie Bishoff has worked collaboratively with her artistic partner and husband J. M. Syron since 1987. Starting as furniture makers, they made work that incorporated large panels of polymer veneers for 28 years. Gradually they shifted their focus to explore jewelry and mixed media pieces.They tend to work in series and on several fronts at once. The focus of their jewelry has been creating metal armatures, textured and oxidized metal surfaces, and polymer marquetry surface designs. In addition they have been exploring a series of wall panels or "paintings" in polymer veneers and wire armatured sculptures.
They have exhibited widely in galleries and fine craft shows including the Smithsonian and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Museum exhibitions include the Peabody Essex, The Museum of Art and Design, NY and the permanent collection of the Racine Art Museum. Their materials include veneers of polymer clay, silver, bronze, copper, and wood. They aim to create work that projects an expansive notion of art and creative pursuit to be shared by the wearer with the world.
Materials & Tools
The following supplies will be used for course demonstrations and objectives. A suggested item and/or vendor has been provided below for reference. Click the vendor name to be redirected to a page where you can view the item. The quantities needed for each item are listed first. If ordering, please be aware that some items may come in larger quantities than needed for this class. We recommend not opening an item's packaging until the day of the workshop. Student participation during or in-between class sessions is not required - observers are welcome.
Metal/raw materials:
- 1 x 1 foot Sterling Silver Round Wire 18 gauge half-hard (RioGrande)
- 2 x 2 oz of each color: Premo green, black, and white (MunroCraft - Premo or equivalent in Cernit or Fimo)
- 1 x 2 oz of each color: Premo pearl, gold, cadmium yellow, pomegranate, translucent, orange (MunroCraft - Premo or equivalent in Cernit or Fimo)
- 1 x 2 oz of each color: Premo gold, copper, purple pearl, ultra marine blue (MunroCraft - Premo or equivalent in Cernit or Fimo)
- 1 x Graduated Small Brass tube sets set A or B (Harryman Designs)
- 1 x Ateco 4847: 12-Piece Tin 3/4" Aspic Cutter Set (Ateco)
- 1 x Xacto "Z series" Knife no.1 (DickBlick)
- 1 x 6" Polyblade or the equivalent (RioGrande)
Recommended but not Required:
- 1 x 39 piece 39 Shape Style Hollow Hole Puncher Leather Punching Tool (Amazon)
- 1 x Sculpey 6 piece Oval Graduated Stainless Steel Cutters (Joann)
- 1 x Ateco 5457: 12 piece stainless steel round plain cutter set (Ateco)
- 1 x Leather Hole Punch Die Round, 8pcs: (20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, & 55mm) carbon steel set (Amazon)
- 1 x Wubbers Large Round-Mandrel Bail-Forming Pliers (RioGrande)
- 1 x bag of 50pcs: Pre-made stainless steel 1” pin backs (RioGrande) - If you don't plan to make the pin back yourself
- 1 x 21.5 x 7.5mm with 12 x 7.5mm package of 5pcs: glue-on, silverplated "pewter" (zinc-based alloy), leaf flat base. (Fire Mountain Gems)