Show Photos: ROOTS

Roots: Photos by Lincoln Scott

She Dreams in Blue

Roots was a show of mixed-media sculptures at the Unitarian Church Gallery in Wichita, Kansas. They were gracious hosts and the show was quite successful. Thank you.

She Dreams in Blue is my favorite. I like the blue staining and her stance. The wood base is antiqued with stains. The turquoise color is a permanent ink pad, swiftly swiped over the surface.

This collection features polymer clay root people. The faces are sculpted first, then the arms and legs. All of the roots were formed in batches. The clay was conditioned, (kneaded), and rolled into snakes of various widths. I rolled the clay further until it wiggled into corkskrews, pinched the end and made a hole for stitching into place.

I rummaged through my rust, fabric and lace collections to find just the right pieces. Bead embroidery is the glue of the designs.

Root King Dreams, a relief sculpt, led me to a new discovery. The aged coloring is deceptively simple. I sculpted in white, stained with caramel alcohol ink dropped from the bottle onto the face surface, then rubbed it off. The heavier the ink, the darker it stained. It is finished with a wash of blue/black acrylic paint, which is also removed with a soft cloth.

The fiber is wool, rayon and chenille. Brass leaf stampings repeat for a forest floor rhythm. Tiny cup forms are made of pearl polymer clay.

Beadwork: Citrus Florals

Citrus Floral Necklace, polymer clay, glass beads, nymo thread

Polymer clay leaves, blossoms, pods and coins in sunny citrus colors might seem an odd choice for the fall season. But what day wouldn't be brightened by this smash of candy hues?

Premo is the polymer clay used in this piece. It stays somewhat flexible, which gives it great endurance. And the brightness is obvious. The blossom in this detail shot shows the sparkling effect of the metallic clay tips. Notice how the metallic clay is not blended in - the design is rather chunky. The leaves are bold, but softly variegated using the Skinner Blend technique of shading. Two colors roll through a pasta machine over and over, until an Ombre effect is achieved. The Skinner Blend is named for Judith Skinner, a pioneer of polymer clay art. This technique is the backbone of many a polymer designer.

Again, I am thinking candy. I just want to eat this up. What flavors would it be? Mango, lime, kiwi, lemondrop and just enough cherry to be the prize.

I like the black tiger spots on the blossoms and inside of the pods. These are tiny pieces of clay. The pods are made of a slice of a kaleidoscope cane, cupped in my palm and rolled with a ball stylus. My version of this kind of cane is not very symmetrical, which is fine for this "organic" approach. Aren't the cane edges fun - the yellow and orange stripes?

The coins have a central hole with a slight recess. This is done with a very small ball stylus. A single bead can nestle down into the sew-on. The cane for this one is in a very loose style. The color seems splashed on.

Here are the "greasy" yellow beads, again. The tropical colors brighten them up. The greasy quality is suggestive of a juicy fruit. The mango colored accent beads are actually pearlized, which is not apparent in the photos.

Yummy.

Beadwork: Bella

Bella, miniature collage cabochon, polymer clay, Nymo, glass beads

Bella is a collar-length portrait necklace. I begin with a clear acrylic cabochon, which is transformed into a miniature collage by applying images to the back of the cab. I work backwards, because the first images glued on will be seen as the top layer. This one uses a rose motif as a frame for the portrait, (a tiny reproduction of an antique photo). After the portrait is applied, the background is accented with a couple of pieces of iridescent "snow" flakes and finished with variegated gold leaf. The cabochon magnifies the collage. The layering is noticeable, the depth is a pleasure to gaze.

The collage is adhered to a stiff felt backing. Glass beads and polymer clay pods are embroidered around the cabochon. The back is finished with a final layer of felt, stitched in place.

I use fine beading needles: John James, size 13. I will use other needles, but only in a pinch. They are strong, thin and bend, rather than break. Mine begin straight and end up completely curved. As long as a needle stays sharp, I will use it until it breaks. John James.

A palette for fall-rich purples of the tiny iris beads, deep red of the garnet chips, cranberry, mink, orange and touches of blue-gives abundant versatility for autumn moods.

Bella is is a unique flavor of ornate and simple. The scale of the focal piece is compact, but heavily beaded and embellished. The sparse fringing at the center of the piece reflects the structure of the necklace. The pods and berries on the necklace are minimal, but add volume visually.

Polymer Clay: Sleeping Mermaid

Mermaid: Polymer clay, mohair, glitter, half shell, oil paint, approximately 5"

Mermaids are one of my favorite subjects of fancy. This little lady must be dreaming of pearls.

She is sculpted of polymer clay - sometimes with a needle, to get fine details. Her scales and fins are made from original canes. The scaling is in a loose style, more graphic than fishy. Her lacy top is made of thin slices of a crackle cane. I chose gold for the crackle.

In this close-up, you can see her delicate little fingers and soft blushing of the flesh. I use water-based oils, lightly applied with a soft cloth. The details are then applied with a tiny (000) brush.

Water-based oil paint is beautiful on polymer clay. It seeps into the surface of the clay, so you get staining that seems to come within. Acrylics are plastic and though some will stain, most will lay on the surface of the baked clay. I use them for eye liners, sometimes lips and eyebrows. I often mix the water-based oil with a touch of acrylic indoor/outdoor paint for the parts I want to have a stronger pigment.

The hair! Her long locks are made of mohair. This mohair is produced for dolls. It is very soft and obviously dyed. It comes in a hank. A hank is a bundle of strands put up in a consistent length and weight.

I pull a strand, wet it and twist it in my fingers until there is a point at either end of the strand. This dries quickly and holds. I apply glue to the top of the mermaid's head, let it get tacky. I then lay the strand in the glue so there is even length on both sides of the head. This is the start of my wig. I end up twirling the ends of loose strands and then shape them to the sculpture to look care-free.

The final touch is displaying my mermaid with acrylic "ice". You can find it in the floral department. It is pretty to photograph. It is not fun to step on.

Beadwork: Floral Earrings

These earrings feature seed beads in iris finishes and polymer clay flowers. The light orange color on the flowers actually glows in the dark or under a black light. I like the way the beads look crinkly all together. If you look closely, you can see that among the tiniest beads I have thrown in a few of a slightly larger size.

Reds and deep coral combine for an unusual palette against the purples of the seed beads and the iris beads. The tiny floral cups are polymer clay.

The term iris describes the multicolored metallic finish as seen above. It refers to Iris, Greek goddess of the rainbow.

Beadwork: Floral Necklace

This piece features polymer clay blossoms in red metallic, orange, yellow and green with little black speckles. I wrapped the petals around vintage floral stamens.

Beautiful matte seed beads are woven into a lace-like pattern with tiny gold-lined bead points for the necklace itself.

The floral pieces are then embellished on top. Coral lined transparent green seed beads make dewy leaf shapes in which to nestle the blossoms. A couple of cranberry colored beads make for ripe berries.

Floral Necklace: Glass seed beads, polymer clay, floral stamens

This necklace fits as a choker. It has a magnetic clasp, which makes it really easy to put on and off.

The focal beadwork hangs loose from the necklace for some movement in the piece. However, each strand is knotted for security. I singe the thread ends with a lighter so the knots don't unravel.