One of the most appealing qualities of polymer clay as an art medium is the fact that artists can mix any color under the sun from three primaries, black, white and maybe a touch of metallic pearl or gold for sparkle. Although I drool over tools as much of as any artist, I love the simplicity of being able to mix all the colors of the rainbow from 5 blocks of clay. Since my monkey brain gets in the way of traditional meditation, I turn to color mixing when a dose of tranquility is needed.

Here are the primaries in Kato Clay, my preferred brand, and a handful of the dozens of colors on my worktable that I’ve mixed from those primaries.  

I’ve always loved the art of combining colors and, of course, try to remember how to recreate favorite colors I’ve created. In July, however, I learned that there is so much more to color theory and systematic color mixing.
 
Along with 11 other professional polymer clay artists, I recently attended a 6 day workshop called “Color Intensive” taught by two color wizards, Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio. Maggie and Lindly are both experienced teachers in demand all over the world as well as renowned polymer artists. Their shared passion for color generated their collaborative book Color Inspirations (2009), which is a classic in the field for polymer artists. Maggie calls her approach to teaching “21st century color”; the red-yellow-blue primary system we learned as children has ceded to magenta-cyan-zinc yellow primaries. During the class each participant learned a bit about the science of color, then dived into a systematic approach to color mixing, learning how to create an individualized color palette that reflects the artist’s voice and that hangs together beautifully. 
 
We started by mixing color scales from each primary pair (strings of beads on the left), then tweaked one color by creating a “pivot” deck by adding muds. Muds in this case are mixtures of the three primaries, plus possibly a little black and white.  I mixed several variations of mud for the colors I was considering, and then chose one particular mixture to be my “mixing mud”, a warm brown (more yellow, less blue and magenta). My pivot color was a yellow orange (on the top of the tiles on the right below). The result was luscious variations on my original hue created by adding various qualities of my mud along with pinches of yellow, blue, magenta, black and white. Because I learned a systematic way to vary the pivot tile color, I can catalog and recreate my colors in the future. It’s way more effective that writing down color recipes.

Here’s the coolest part. Once you have created your mud for a palette, adding just a pinch to any other mixed color unifies the aesthetic. Here’s a photo of a pair of earrings and a necklace made with a lot of the variations in my orange pivot deck, plus a few more darks and lights for contrast.  Mud magic!

How long have you been a part of Artistic Portland, and what appealed to you about joining the Co-op?
I joined Artistic Portland about one month ago. After retiring from my full time career one year ago I knew the co-op would provide me with companionship of other artists along with a space to show my work.
 
What is your background?
I am from Buffalo, NY and lived on the east coast until my husband and I moved to Portland 20 years ago to escape the snow. I am one of seven children and when we all get together it is loud and joyful. I have been married to a wonderful guy for 37 years this August and together we have owned 4 Newfoundland dogs (not all at once). I worked as an accountant/financial analyst for over thirty years before retiring.   

Why do you do what you do?
I have created some form of art work since childhood. It is simply a part of my nature. As an adult I have dabbled in many art forms; raku pottery, silversmithing, oil painting, photography, but once I began working with glass I knew that I had found my forever medium. I love the translucence of glass, the color, the reflective quality and the fact that it can be manipulated to create anything your mind can dream up. I actually purchased my first piece of fused glass about 30 years ago and now it has been almost 15 years since I took my first fused glass class and I have never looked back.  
 
Describe yourself in one word? Why that word?
Curious. I love to keep learning. My favorite question is "why?" It always elicits great information about anything being discussed. 

Where do you create?
I have a studio in the lower section of our house with several stations to perform the different processes that I employ to create my glass art.

What motivates/inspires your work?
Together with my innate need to create, I am inspired by colors and shapes. I prefer to work in primary colors for their boldness, their cheerfulness, but really any bright color will do. I'm also fond of geometric shapes of all kinds. The clock line I am currently making has both of these elements. Looking at the glass art work of other artists to see how they are using the medium is also very inspiring. This often spurs me on to try new technique.

What kind of creative patterns, routines, or rituals do you have?
 I make sure to be in my studio every day. It may only be for five minutes to straighten up, but I find being surrounded by my creative materials motivates me to want to work.   

What is your favorite piece you have ever created?
Any piece I make using pattern bars has great appeal for me. Pattern bars are a separate process of layering different colors of glass in such a way that when they are fully fused they curve into beautifully striated masses. Slices of these masses are then incorporated into an overall design and fully fused again.

What do you like to do when you are not creating?
When I am not creating I love to travel the world. I have been to every continent except for Africa and the Antarctic (so far). I love meeting people, exploring their customs, trying the food. It is a great way to keep learning and expanding my mind and perspectives.

I'm a big fan of quotes, in particular, art quotes. I'd like to share some of my favorites along with images of the artists quoted. Have fun! Be inspired! 

I imagine that everyone who sells art gets stuck from time to time. Your stock of successful products has to be replaced, but your chaotic workspace overwhelms you. On one corner of my studio table there are five half-done projects. Yikes - time to focus! Other times you carve out a little time to create new designs, but your 

muse takes a hike and you feel uninspired.

Here’s my motto.  When the muse takes a vacation, it’s time to retreat - not retreat as in run away, but retreat as in step back, refresh yourself and take time to play.  I am most grateful to have the opportunity to do just that every August when a group of professional polymer clay artists gather in the awe-inspiring northern Rockies to spend a weekend together.

Each artist generally chooses to explore something new during the week which pushes a bit beyond her comfort zone. Jewelry artists sculpt, color zealots work only in black or white, sculptors use clay as pointillist painting medium or artists collaborate. I crafted a series of large pods, using millefiori cane work (which I do) and oil painting (which I don’t do). Bonnie Bishoff, a maker of extraordinary wearable art,  used polymer clay to create this 2-D textured painting. 

Energy is augmented, and the workroom thrums from early morning to the wee hours. As punctuation to the studio work, individuals demonstrate techniques, spontaneous “seminars" (marketing, teaching, social media) spring into life,  and critique groups form. Artists share other skills - one polymer artist is also a photographer who shares tips. There’s lots of storytelling and jokes by a couple of masters, reminding us all not to get too serious!  I’m way too introverted for that, but I  bring my guitar and play classical music each night. Maybe best of all, there are myriad lovely, deep conversations during our week-long slumber party. 

There’s time for walking around the gorgeous northern Colorado landscape, sketching or taking photographs. I love doing that by myself so I can process the heady brew of group experiences. The combination of solitude and camaraderie is my secret sauce. Some artists are fed by the group synergy and create amazing new pieces. I know I’ll never be one of those, since I work most productively in the quiet of my own studio. However,  I always leave the mountain with a notebook full of drawings and ideas, a ton of photos and an eagerness to get back to work since I know the muse will have returned.
 
I am most fortunate to have my amazing August retreat as a time to reset and re-energize. Best of all, it has taught me a “retreat” strategy we can all use any time: take a walk, sketch what you see, and play! 

How long have you been a part of Artistic Portland, and what appealed to you about joining the Co-op?
I've been a member for about a month now! I wanted to join a co-op to meet other artists and have a consistent way to get my work into the public eye. 
 
What is your background?
My background is varied. I have no formal training as an artist. I have a degree in Theater with an emphasis in costuming. But for the past 13 years I have been a stay-at-home mom.  Prior to being a mom I traveled around the world to about 40 countries and lived in Japan for three years. I've always been inspired by nature. And have always had a fascination with color.  

Why do you do what you do?
I like painting and creating because there are endless possibilities. Every painting and creation is unique and I never tire of doing it.  
 
Describe yourself in one word? Why that word?
Multi-passionate. I call myself multi-passionate or a multi-potentialite because I'm never going to be "one thing." I have many interests, many passions. When I finally stopped trying to fit myself in a box, I started to fulfill my full potential. 

Where do you create?
Mostly in my kitchen at a work table that sits under an east-facing window. 

What motivates/inspires your work?
My work is nature and color inspired. I love texture. I love mixing colors and color gradation. I use dried and pressed leaves, plants and flowers in my work.

What kind of creative patterns, routines, or rituals do you have?
I'm not very routine. I wish I had more of that. I often paint at night when my kids have gone to bed. I do a lot of creating when my kids are around.  

What is your favorite piece you have ever created?
So far, my favorite piece is called 4000 Feelings. I spent about a week on this 11x14 water color. I layered grasses and lace-leaf maple leaves in reds, pinks, purples, gold and black. It looks like two trees, one tall and strong and one being blown around by a storm. In the strong one, a face started to emerge, so I spent a great amount of time creating the detail in the face. And the one being blown about became a woman with long hair who is upside down in the tree.  It represents what was going on in my life at the time. 

What do you like to do when you are not creating?
When I'm not creating, I'm landscaping. I have a small landscaping business. Since moving to the PNW I've become obsessed with plants and flowers. I also like to go on nature walks. I take macro photos of flowers and plants, as well. I spend time with my three kids: Quinn (13), Wyatt (9) and December (6).  We like to play tennis, swim, cook, watch movies and go on adventures. I also love food and wine!  I'm a bit of a bakery addict.  

As a mosaic jewelry artist who sells at various venues including Artistic Portland, I find I am often trying to keep a balance between staying on top of trends while also satisfying my need to create art that stimulates me. For example, I love working with certain color palettes such as turquoise, orange, and ocher. I call this my Mediterranean palette and find myself gravitating toward this palette often because, well, simply put, the combination of those colors makes me feel happy!

Perhaps it's selfish of me to create art that makes me feel good rather than focus predominantly on trends or what other people fancy. For this reason, I try to find a balance between what I love to create and current color and shape trends, though admittedly, I tend to lean toward the former.

To be fair, I tried an experiment about a year ago where I focused on creating mosaic jewelry pieces that aligned closer to then current jewelry trends. I created pieces that did not bring me much joy. The color palettes, though on trend, did not excite me while I was creating them and some of the bezel shapes seemed too trendy to me. In short, I did not stay true to myself. I veered too far to the "trendy side" and lost my voice in the process. Not surprisingly, these pieces did not sell for quite some time. One of them in fact was stolen at a show! Though I normally feel a loss when one of my babies, er, I mean, pieces is stolen, in this case I remember thinking "good riddance!" I was happy that the thief did not have very good taste! 

The moral of this story, at least from my perspective, is that I need to stay true to my design aesthetic while occasionally tempering this with trends. I have learned that if I experience joy while creating a piece, that joy will shine through, thus hopefully making the piece intriguing to others, while if I create a piece that feels commercial and uninspired, that piece languishes, longing for a home.

Many artists who sell in wholesale markets or in multiple venues have “lines” of designs. Others, including me, rarely repeat designs, always making one-off pieces. So I have to remind myself from time to time that working in series is an important part of a creative practice. Redundancy can strengthen the artist’s individual voice- not the same thing done over and over again in exactly the same way, but rather concepts improved and tweaked in different yet interconnected ways. It creates a recognizable style, which is important for refining one’s artistic voice.  

By creating multiple pieces around the same idea, we are helping the audience understand what our art is all about;  pattern or intent is evident, so viewers can get a sense of who you are. The process is not about repetition, but rather about being able to explore, investigate, examine or address particular themes, compositions or concepts in progressively deeper and more meaningful ways than is possible by making just one or two.  

And then there’s the sheer aesthetic pleasure, because a cluster of similar pieces looks fabulous! Above are a group of my bowls from 2017. When I make millefiori cane designs, I first choose a palette and mix clay, then I create a series of canes using my mixed colors, finally combining the patterns in different ways to make pieces.  Each of these bowls is unique, yet they clearly belong together as a set.  Every new iteration is an exploration, and inevitably the last pieces are  more interesting and more refined that the first.

Each summer, I have the privilege of attending an invitational retreat of fellow artists who work with polymer clay. The highlight of the week is an exchange of pieces. We have made pendants, bowls, totems, and beads among other things. The group decides on general guidelines and each artist creates about 25 similar versions of the same piece. Voila! A yearly experiment in working in series!
 
Sometimes a series varies by just a bit of color, like these Chinese inspired carvings of artist Nan Roche, one of the founding mothers of understanding polymer clay as a fine art medium. Other times,  a series can explore variations on a theme. Here are Katie Way's totems, both made for the same swap. Katie’s differ quite a bit in color and texture, yet are still easily identifiable as a set.  

​For my contribution to the totem exchange, I was inspired by the wonderful designs of the aboriginal Tiwi tribe.  Like the bowls, each one differs slightly from the group, and, as always, I improved as I worked. The experience of working in series has been valuable for me as a learning experience -  prototype, make samples, discard failures, reevaluate and refine!

Artists know that shows highlighting their body of work, bringing in customers ready to buy art like theirs, help pay the bills. Sometimes just one or two shows a year. Sometimes one or two a month. And if it's a venue like Portland Saturday Market, weekly. Shows are hard work, and when the cost of the booth, travel, meals and lodging are met and exceeded by sales, a thrill. Kristi and I have pared art shows down to only a few each year, and to those that are within a narrow niche--for us, ranch and rodeo western art. We've learned buyers of art know what they like, and will choose from the many options to focus on their favorite shows to attend. 

Facilitating and directing a show is also hard work, usually consisting of a team constantly looking to make it better. At the end of a show, smart leadership will debrief artists for valuable feedback, and act on ideas that come out of that process. Often, artists that have been faithful in their attendance, are asked to join an advisory board, or something similar. Kristi and I recently received a letter from one of those show teams for an art show we plan to display at in October. We think the letter demonstrates some of the great ideas that can come from great show leadership. It reads as follows:
 
"It's Spring in the Pacific NW and ... last fall, after the show, we sent out a questionnaire ~  we asked ~ you answered ~ we listened ~ we brain stormed ~ we have many winning new ideas ... We want you to think 'Art Extravaganza'!  We will have all art forms represented ~ both visual and performing ~ Opening on Saturday and Sunday only ~ Friday night gathering & dinner for artists to unwind and visit with their peers ~ Fewer booths to allow for a different set up arrangement ~ Spotlight Stage for demonstrating artists and performers ~ Showcase Gallery for one piece from each artist to submit for judging and People's Choice ~ Gallery area for pieces submitted for sale only ~  Children’s art display area ~ Finishing Touches Auction to replace Quick Draws ~ Central area for Slow Finish artists to gather for the patrons viewing pleasure ~ Ticketed Dinner and Live Auction on Saturday evening ~  Silent Auctions ~ Benefit Auction ~ Color Catalog with auction items ~ Full screen photos projected during auction ....
 
"We have hired an Advertising Agency to help us promote the show. We will continue to send out beautiful full color brochures to our Patron list ~ we have already secured ... publications for ads ~ we will use pertinent newspaper ads ~ we will have a very heavy social media presence and paid ads with them ~ we will also be pursuing public TV. Another piece to complete this advertising component is you contacting your own patrons...."
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​Being a member of Artistic Portland is a great chance, not only to sell art, but also to network and share ideas. Just like the debrief at the end of a show, participating in a cooperative and spending time with other artists, can help us in all areas of the artist life. And maybe pay the bills.

I have been a member of Artistic Portland Artist Co-operative for nearly four years. Occasionally I am asked why I choose to belong to a co-operative. I’d like to share my thoughts and experiences in this regard, so in no particular order….

Community – If I were to leave the co-op tomorrow, I think the first thing I would miss would be the community. As a working artist, I sometimes find that I am isolated since I work alone in my studio, although I do enjoy the company of my neighbor’s cat, Pickle, who essentially now lives in my studio. That’s a story for another day. I have met so many wonderful, talented, and interesting people at Artistic Portland. We share ideas and even resources with one another because we genuinely care about one another and want to see everyone succeed. I am quick to share my resources with other jewelers at Artistic Portland even though one could say other jewelers are my competition. I feel as though we’re all in this together so if we help one another, we will all benefit and hopefully be successful. If the gallery is successful, we are all successful.

A place to sell art and to gain exposure – This is an obvious one. When I first started creating mosaic jewelry, I mainly gave pieces to family and friends. I sold a few pieces here and there on Etsy but I soon found that I needed to have another venue where I could sell my work because if I didn’t, my house would be overrun by mosaic jewelry. I have a supportive husband but I doubt he’d appreciate me using up what little storage space we have in our small house, for my art.

Meeting customers – At Artistic Portland members can work shifts based on the level of membership they choose. I work two half days per month which gives me a chance to meet our amazing Artistic Portland customers. Yes, I'm talking to you! Working shifts also helps me to “get out in the world” rather than be sequestered every day in my studio (with Pickle of course). I have met so many lovely customers by working shifts; locals and tourists alike. It’s easy to start conversations with customers at Artistic Portland as the gallery is inspirational and customers often engage with the artists on shift. Many customers have shared their stories with me and I have shared mine with them. It’s been fun to learn about what brings customers into Artistic Portland. Often I find that people come into the gallery because they are looking for that “perfect gift” for family or friends and they like the thought of buying unique local art.

Sharing – I touched on this already in the community section of this blog but I think this concept deserves more attention. I am always appreciative when someone shares their ideas and/or resources with me. Sharing with others is a lovely gesture and demonstrates care and thoughtfulness. As I mentioned earlier, we’re all in this together so by sharing, we help each other grow and strengthen our community. 

Business acumen – Belonging to a co-op has helped me to pay attention to the business side of my art business. Since many of us work shifts at the co-op, it is easy to see how managing the day-to-day of a store can help artists manage their own businesses. Picking up business tips and techniques has been instrumental in how I operate.

Fun! – I thought I’d save this for last because ending on "fun" is just a good thing…always! I guess this category could be coupled with community but I thought I’d give it its own category. Simply put, it is fun to work in the co-op because the co-op has a lot of fun members. We have a member who is an expert yodeler, another member who brings joy to many lives because he spearheads a monthly activity that helps an underserved population, and a member who brings cats to life in a way that I’ve never seen before. I could go on and on about each member if space allowed! All of the members are unique in their own way and they each bring something to the gallery beyond their art.

If you’re an artist and you’ve thought about joining an artist co-operative, check out our membership page! We’d love to meet you!