Our favorite thing to do is delve into the collection of beads, glass
tiles, polymer clay pieces and more to embellish each in in its own lavish
way.
When we find interesting bits and pieces, we don't always know where
they are going to go. But that doesnt matter, because things have a way
of finding the right project sooner or later, and collecting them is part
of the fun, and the challenge.
Each piece is fitted next to the neighboring bits in such
a way as to all fit together...eventually.
The house seen here is made to be seen from all angles, so even the
bottom is colorfully clad in polymer clay tiles.
A flying Balinese carved wooden cat seems somehow natural suspended
from the bead encrusted perch. No doubt he's on the prowl for any bejeweled
birdies!
This is another example of how collected pieces go together to form
groupings that are even more elaborate!
Bryan has access to all sorts of polymer clay tiles and pieces. Whenever
I make canes, I bake a few dozen slices for the mosaic pieces box.
Scraps get pressed into nearby molds whenever there are leftover bits
from the production process, and everything gets turned into useable product
with no waste.
These colorful impressed pieces are made using molds we have created
over the years of collecting buttons and other sources of textures.
Click here to see some of the
patterns I've collected.
To make them I've used polymer clays as well as silicone RTV modeling
compounds such as Miracle Mold
and Amazing Mold Putty.
I also make use of custom made rubber stamps and the matrix trays I have
made at Ready Stamps to
form fabulous buttons or tile pieces for mosaics. They are some of my favorite
tools to use in making impressions and textures. We create all sorts of tiles
and pieces, knowing they will come in handy as buttons, cabochons, or mosaic
tiles
Some are topped with Pearl-Ex powders, some are stained using Rust-Oleum
Varathane and acrylic
paints.
Varathane is used to protect powders, foils, and metallic leaf as well.
Jones Tones foils, gold and silver leaf, glitter and bits of glass all add
sparkle to tiles and in between them too.
Bryan also uses polymer clay transfers, cutouts and beads in whatever
way seems to fit the piece.
He begins by painting the wooden houses to seal them and give a good
background of color. We use acrylic paints, which are chemically compatible with polymer clays.
Some are more elaborate than others--houses meant for outdoor use are
not as heavily tiled and rely more on paint. Varathane also provides a
coat of UV protectant when applied over acrylic paints.
After they've dried thoroughly, he begins to add dichroic glass, vintage
glass, polymer clay, telephone wire, glitter, copper foil or whatever looks
good!
Each one takes many hours to painstakingly collect and affix each piece
so that it all fits together.
In some ways its like doing a jigsaw puzzle with no pre-ordained picture
to follow and no set number of pieces.
To see more of Bryan's mosaic pieces click here.
To learn about Bryan's musical pieces click here.
Here at The Polyclay Gallery, we take a different
view of many ordinary objects.