When
we build canes, we always slice and bake a few dozen pieces for use in mosaics. Bryan
is the one who does all the application work.
So far, he has completely covered a
Head, a Radio Flyer Wagon, a full size Guitar, an Electric Bass Guitar, two
violins, and a Banjo. (shown at left).
He also covers furniture! He's done
several lamps, clocks, a poured resin epoxy table
with ceramic tiles and labradorite stones, and considers commission decorative
work.
In addition to sculptural
(non-playing) instruments, Bryan is also able to do custom work on electric
solid body guitars, or other instruments that do not suffer acoustic loss
through being given a layer of polymer clay.
The Mother of
Minnie Pearl Banjo has many tiny cane
slices, buttons, and mother of pearl discs glued carefully into place, along
with crystal pearl glass beads--and white telephone wire for
"strings".
Its style is reminiscent of an
English craze from days long past when Brits known locally as "Pearlies"
would sew thousands of antique Mother of Pearl buttons onto their spectacular
costumes!
From their hats on down to their
spats, the small white discs of shell buttons made for a most impressive look.
The
Mosaic deMigraine
This "heady" piece of
work contains thousands of individually placed and glued slices, and in between
each is embedded a small black glass bead on a pin.
There are more than 2500 pins in
this head--we finally stopped counting!
We think this item is well-named
(if that many pins stuck in a head isn't the definition of a Migraine then what
is?) Each glass bead was inserted individually, using a sequin pin and a great
deal of patience.
This work was photographed with Sun
and Moon Earrings and a two lovely "techno-tribal" style necklaces of
polymer clay beads.
The instruments and other large
items forming the basis for these mosaics were never themselves baked--but the
covering pieces were. Then each was individually picked and affixed.
Varathane
is used sometimes as an adhesive, though super-glues (cyanoacrylate glues) and
PVA glues (PolyVinylAcrylate) like Sobo, Aleene's, and Titebond are also used
for firm adhesion, and the Varathane is then used as a final finishing coat.
The
extruded "binding" on the guitar is glow-in-the-dark clay with glitter
inclusions...there are also thousands of tiny pieces of glowing clay
scattered throughout the front and back of the guitar, so it's even fun in the
dark! This piece took months to put together, and is encrusted right down to the
glass and polymer beads on the strings...which deaden any sound. But THIS
instrument is loud anyway!
Bryan covers instruments that no
longer function as music makers, and turns them into visual art.
He also makes music with working
instruments. He's archived 25 years of music in podcasts at
My Life In Sound. He uses mosaics in some of his cd covers and graphics
for his site.
To explore his Discography,
click here. Click
here to view more of Bryan's mosaic work.
Many
individual pieces and techniques are used in creating each mosaic work. in
addition to texture and inclusions, cane work is made into flat sheets and
then cut into pieces, or slices of canes are used. The squares seen below are
made using impression and powder
techniques, metallic foils, and a technique adapted from Japanese metalwork,
called "Mokume Gane".
These squares are then made into
beads, buttons, earrings and mosaic tiles. Bryan recently finished a standing
floor lamp covered in rows of these, with metallic blue accents. They also are
featured on the banjo in shades of white, ivory and pearls.
I like to make mosaics too, and sometimes use them to cover
pre-made unfinished wooden trays. Here's a look at some faux ivory items as
well,, including Bryan's Mother of Minnie Pearl Banjo.
Polymer
clay lends itself so well to manipulation; when raw, when applied, and when
digitally photographed or scanned and taken into the OTHER P.C.! (the personal
computer is almost as fun to play with as polymer clay) I like to use them
in creating graphics for websites and in printed art.
The swirls in the header at the top
of each webpage here uses a brush "filled" with a polymer clay
swatch.
The front cover of "Adapting
Quilt Patterns To Polymer Clay is a digital collage created using polymer
clay patterns and designs even inside the font. Inside the book is a chapter on
the miniature quilt store I made
with polymer clay--including its quilt block mosaic tile floor! It took
thousands of squares to cover a 2 foot by 4 foot area. (this picture only shows
the central part of the floor) I was surprised at how long it took!!
Squares work very well in
creating patterns, as any quilter knows. So do diamonds, which are used to
create the tumbling block quilt pattern. At the bottom is a mosaic set piece for
The Blue Swirl Bar and Grill section of the upcoming Aunt
Acid internet show, a work in progress.
Copyright©1995-2010 Sarajane Helm All rights
are held by the artist
Reproduction without permission is
a violation of copyright law
