Sumi-e

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Sumi-e

Every winter I try to take a couple of workshops. I'm a big fan of workshops - I find them inspiring, energizing and, well, just plain fun. This year I've decided to try my hand at Japanese brushpainting, or sumi-e. I've signed up for an 8 week class at the CCAE with the amazing Jan Zaremba. I'm really looking forward to it and seeing how I can apply sumi-e techniques to my polymer work.

While on the subject of Japanese art, I found this inro page at the V&A museum website:

Inro's are small containers used to carry seals and herbs. These fabulous museum pieces are inspiring me to revisit inro making. I took a polymer clay inro construction class from Seth Savarick a couple of years ago, but haven't really had the time to pursue it much. Making inros in polymer is a long, painstaking process, but there is something very zen and calming about careful, laborious work.

Here are some boxes using inro construction techniques that I made after taking Seth's class. I'm itching to make more and decorate them with my soon to be learned sumi-e skills!

1 comment:

Holly KnottJanuary 9, 2011 at 4:12 PM
Betsy, your work is fantastic! I just stumbled across your blog via a Google search on "polymer clay alcohol inks" and found you here: http://cs.artjewelrymag.com/artcs/photos/magazine/picture70732.aspx

I am beginning to create polymer clay jewelry, hate the "plastic look" of much polymer, and love coming across artists such as yourself who transform it from what it really is into looking like something else. I'll be following your blog eager to see what you create next!

Happy New Year!
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A word about the work

I fabricate all work in my Boston studio, working primarily in polymer, a synthetic low fire clay that is remarkably versatile and colorful. My work incorporates a variety of mixed media surface techniques, including alcohol inks, acrylic paint, silk screening and image transfers. I complement the polymer with hand forged silver, copper and bronze that add dimension and textural contrast to my pieces.

Stonehouse Studio jewelry has a serene feel, achieving a zen-like balance of pattern, color and shape. The distinct asymmetric, organic pieces are simple, elegant and very wearable.