We all have our favorite polymer clay artists, and I thought I'd share what some of the members of the Polymer Clay Smooshers guild had to say about their personal favorites.
CreativeSisters said "I finally took a class with Donna Kato at the Clay Carnival Retreat in Las Vegas. She was awesome! I felt the same way about her clay - too hard to condition. Her new clay now is much softer - and mixed in with her old clay it is perfect for me." You can visit
http://www.katopolyclay.com/ to see the wide range of polymer clay products available from Donna Kato, check out her gallery, and find some fun tutorials.
WyvernDesigns said "There are so many polymer clay artists I admire, including some right here on Art Fire. There are two artists that immediately come to mind when I think polymer clay, Donna Kato and Lisa Pavelka. Maybe it's because I watched them on the Carol Duval show some years ago but Donna does such amazing work and Lisa was the first polymer clay artist I had seen doing the mica shift technique, which fascinates me. Both inspired me to try creating with polymer clay and I learned quite a bit through watching them." Visit
https://www.lisapavelka.com/Home.asp to check out Lisa Pavelka's gallery, read her blog, and shop for her wonderful products.
Tonya'sTreasures said "My first choice always has to be Donna Kato. It was seeing her on Carol Duvall that got me interested in polymer clay. I love her whimsical style and use of bright colors. Next is Jana Roberts Benzon. She has such a unique style and imagination. I wish I had half her talent. Another pair I admire are Lindly Haunani & Maggie Maggio for their skill with color. I want to acknowledge some amazing caners, too - Sarah Shriver, Sarajane Helm, Judith Skinner and Karen Lewis. Caning has never been something I had great patience with, so I tip my hat to those with the talent." You can find Jana Roberts Benzon and her amazing work at
http://www.janarobertsbenzon.com/, Lindly Haunani at
http://www.lindlyhaunani.com/, and Maggie Maggio at
http://maggiemaggio.com/color/. Check out Sarah Shriver at
http://www.sarahshriver.com/, Judith Skinner at
http://judithskinner.com/, and Karen Lewis at
http://www.klewexpressions.com/.
CreativeCritters said "A few of my personal favorites include Christi Friesen, Maureen Carlson, and Katherine Dewey. When I was in my early 20's I got my first book on polymer clay: Maureen Carlson's How To Make Clay Characters. That was the book that started me on my amazing polymer clay journey. I never knew how to sculpt people before, but with Maureen's instruction I learned how to create realistic people, whimsical people, fairies, gnomes, and so much more. I have every book from her that I could find ;-) Katherine Dewey wrote Creating Life Like Animals in Polymer Clay and Creating Life Like Figures in Polymer Clay. Because of those two books I was able to really refine my skills when it came to sculpting realistic animals and fairies, elves, and other fantasy beings. Christi Friesen is actually a rather recent discovery for me, but once I "met" her on Facebook I was an instant fan. Christi is just so much fun, and I love every book I've bought from her. I adore her teaching style and her sculpting style. She encourages you to do things your own way and get creative with her projects, and she's constantly coming up with new ideas and techniques. I love the way she incorporates all sorts of beads, findings, and other "non-traditional" things into her clay projects. And I don't want to forget Dinko Tilov, who wrote Creating Fantasy Polymer Clay Characters, and co-wrote (with Boris Tilov) Sculpting Mythical Creatures out of Polymer Clay. I love the fun and fantasy and freedom that comes with his instruction. He encourages you to really "feel" the clay, and see the character within that shapeless lump ;-) Each of these wonderful artists has their own unique style, and each has taught me something different about sculpting. Of course this is just the beginning of a very long list, but these are the artists who probably influence my work the most." Katherine Dewey can be found at
http://www.elvenwork.com/, Maureen Carlson at
http://www.weefolk.com/, Christi Friesen at
http://www.cforiginals.net/, and Dinko Tilov at
http://www.funclay.com/.
I encourage you to checkout these links a see what all these wonderful artists have to offer!
Thanks for stopping by!
