Teaching and Traveling – Beadfest!

Beadfest in Lancaster, PA is coming up the first week of August and there are a few new twists to the event which may interest you. Interweave has combined a few events (Bead Fest, Stitch Fest, Yarn Fest and Art Fest) to create a Makers Festival.  I am especially looking forward to the exhibit hall with all the supporting vendors!!

I am, of course, teaching four classes as part of this event.  The goals for all of my classes are to take very simple steps and build a sophisticated or fun little project that is completed in class!  

Meditative Magic – August 2, Wednesday: this class plays with color, luscious colors and dips into liquid clay to create a leaf brooch

Mod Mondrian-Inspired Lariats – August 3rd, Thursday: this class is a beginner caning clay, where we play with scale and construct a unique lariat

Little Beasties – August 4th Friday: this class is simply fun, building a little beastie full of character that can brighten anyone’s day

Marked and Framed (Polymer Clay and Cold Connections) – August 5th Saturday: this class combines creating a polymer clay veneer using liquid clays and introduces wire work and cold connections to create a light-weight necklace.

Now to the travel part!!  I was pleasantly surprised when I started making my travel arrangements. On a whim, I was searching American Airlines to see if they had any little flights into the Lancaster Regional Airport. Was I shocked when it came up with reasonably priced options. A closer look had me laughing out loud!!  American Airlines has teamed up with a bus company (Landline) to provide service to and from Lancaster Regional Airport from Philadelphia International Airport via bus.  This is a new service (2022) in selected areas being offered to bring passengers from small regional airports into their hubs.

You book your ticket just like you would normally. The airline transfers your bags between the plane and the bus, so you don’t have to deal with that part. You get an assigned seat on the bus.  This makes traveling to and from the Makers Fest so much easier. No rental car needed, just an Uber from the regional airport to your hotel! 

Well I hope I see you Lancaster!!

Learning . . . always learning

Workshops. Who doesn’t love attending a workshop. The allure of learning something new. The time to spend with an instructor you have admired from afar. The hope of pushing your creative endeavors a little bit further. I still embrace attending a workshop. I get so excited at the possibilities, finding that nugget of information and making it your own.

One of the places I have always enjoyed taking a workshop is Creative Journey Studios, (outside of Atlanta). Ellen and Sue have created such a special place, it is like walking through the looking glass. You are met with a gallery displaying work from so many artists that you admire.  My heart still races as I slowly take in all the greatness.  The intimate venue for workshops and the instructors that they bring in are wonderful. I have had the opportunity to take so many great classes that helped me along the my way . . . .  so grateful!

But now I am on the other side. I have actually been asked to teach at Creative Journey Studios. ACKKKK! Nervous, yes. But equally excited to pay it forward!  And I always find that I learn while teaching. Watching how information is absorbed, listening to how people understand techniques, catching the differences in the applications . . . . all of these nudge me in new directions.

We are diving deep into – Exploring Liquid Clay.  Three days to play in-person (April 21, 22 and 23).  Anyone that has spent any time with me knows this has been my passion and playground for the last few years.  And every time I think I have exhausted the possibilities, something new pops up. So, if you are interested, I encourage you to jump in and get messy.  We will be trying all the different techniques I have played with and creating loads of samples. Then taking those samples and putting a few things together with some wire embellishments.

So, if you are interested, give them a call at 404-314-5767. They are located just north of Atlanta in Milton, Georgia. Hope to see you there!

Presentation Matters!

I have been exploring and teaching anyone that is willing to stand still about liquid polymer clay.  It has been my obsession for a few years now.  And I am always surprised when I see it being used in a new way. And I am not bored yet!!

With that said, I have loads of samples, boxes and bins full. I am usually dumping them on a table and pawing through to show to students in class. Then one day I was thinking about book making (another lovely past time of mine) and realized I might combine the two.  Wouldn’t it be nice to present veneer samples in a creative book format.  So I pulled an explosion book that I did years ago to highlight the use of gelliplate printed papers off the shelf. Yes, the synapses started firing!! I made a series of baked liquid clay veneers and used them for an explosion book. I wasn’t sure if anyone would appreciate it like I did. I had fun just making it!! But when I shared it at a recent retreat this past fall I knew I had to do more! Everyone loved it!!

Front of book

Back of Book

So then I agreed to do a little class on Stenciling with Liquid Clay for Polymer Week’s Society. I didn’t realize that I would be kicking off the 2023 line-up or that I was in the company of such amazing artist, but here I am! January 14^th is my mini-class and you can find out more info at www.polymerweek.com. 

So I needed more samples. One set was created with a base sheet of white polymer clay and the other used black, grey, blue and a couple of color blends. This was so I could show the difference between stenciling on white backgrounds versus colored backgrounds. One isn’t better than the other, they are just different and you can get great effects on either background.

Stenciling on white polymer clay background

Stenciling on colors of polymer clay backgrounds

These samples led to two new sample books. These were simple accordion books that I think showcase the samples very nicely!

I am really pleased with these and plan to do more. I love it when I can combine two different art forms that I enjoy. Double the pleasure, double the fun!! More to come in 2023!

Another 100 Day Challenge

I tried another 100-day challenge earlier this year (2022). This was my third challenge. I made it to about the half-way point, Day 45.  I was regularly posting, then started to miss days.  And while I could have dragged it out, I think it was better to just set it aside. I needed to meet some other obligations and that’s okay.  I was really proud of what I did in those 45 days.  Much of my efforts were focused on making samples for classes. So these projects did double duty as I bounced from idea to idea.

Yes, I know it is a self-imposed challenge. But the regularity of getting in the studio and creating is invaluable every time I do it! The pressure and accountability to post daily constrains the overthinker in me. It forces you to move forward, whether you make pretty stuff, interesting stuff or some real duds. And there is a real cringer in this group, that makes me wince every time I see it (Day 35).

And yes, I would do it again given the chance. I would love to see if I could limit myself somehow in order to manage the time required.  But when I look back at the first challenge in 2020, the second in 2021 and now, the change has been amazing (IMHO) and worth every minute.

Workshop Update!

The next three weeks is going to be epic with virtual retreats, virtual workshops and prep for in-person workshops!!  I hope you might join me for one of these events.

I have been teaching virtual workshops for Metalwerx Studio over the last year and we have more to come.  The series of workshops “Marriage of Metal and Polymer Clay” has been well received. The first in the series was LINKS and was sold out. So, it is being offered again on September 6^th and 8^th.  The third in the series is TABS coming up soon on August 9^thand 11^th.  This series is designed for polymer clay artists who want to incorporate a little metal into their art.  While I always cover some of the basics, unique twists are included when working with polymer clay.  For more information and to register go to www.metalwerx.com. 

Beadfest, the first big in-person event in three years and its less than three weeks away!  Everyone is so excited to get together.  The show has been relocated to Lancaster, PA and the final plans are being put into place. I have four workshops being offered, but there are another 100+ workshops to choose from!  I have three project-oriented workshops that include Meditative Magic, Little Beasties and Marked and Framed.  The technique-oriented workshop is Getting Wabi Sabi with Liquid Clay.  And don’t forget the market place for some great shopping.  For more information and to register go to www.beadfest.com.

Fresh Perspective and New Process

I firmly believe that all the different types of art and various mediums out there overlap and inform one another. When I get into a lull, I switch focus. This reduces expectations, changes your point of view, and for me, creativity will usually start to click.

Last June, I took a virtual workshop with one of my art crushes, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer at Balzer Designs. She is a mixed media artist but her art journaling is what makes my heart sing!!  The class was called ‘Art Parts’. It presented a way for makers to streamline their process and make art that they like more quickly.  She had you evaluate your own art and see what you used consistently whether it was specific colors, shapes, a particular substrate or specific medium. Then you make a collection of parts or components that fit in the way you like to work. These art parts minimize ‘recreating the wheel’ each time you work and keeps you moving forward as you assemble your piece. The concept was interesting.  I have taken other classes from Julie and encourage you to check out her classes at www.balzerdesigns.com. I have never been disappointed!!

But my big take away didn’t hit until I let some of the concepts percolate a bit.  It was when I was working on samples for an upcoming class on liquid clay. There are so many things you can do with liquid clay, it is amazing, but that’s a whole other blog post!! I realized that I was creating a lot of layered pieces and these samples started becoming my ‘art parts’. 

So I began to more intentionally to create some art parts in polymer clay. Below I snapped a few photos of the various colors. I varied the techniques, shapes, and contrast. I can not explain it, but seeing these pieces laid out together makes me happy. 

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These parts allow me to audition pieces or patterns together. Below are a couple of photos to show you some of my recent work. You can easily find some of the parts that I used. Often the magic happens when unexpected colors or textures come together like they were meant to be.  Other times, these parts are close but not quite right.  And that’s okay, because I can often modify the shape and/or color. 

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And by the way, for me art parts can include handmade chain, cut and textured metal sheet, earring wires, or hollow forms!! It is all about making the way you work easier for you!!

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Yes, I create a lot of parts that I don’t use right away and that’s okay. If I really love it, it is stored for the right moment. This is just one approach or process. Not everything I do is created this way, but when it works, it can be magically! 

My Second 100 Day Challenge

I did it . . .  again! This challenge was very different from the first. I sort of knew what to expect. I also embraced the evolution of my focus throughout the challenge.  

But I always get the same question  .  .  .  .  .  why would you want to do that?? When I think about the answer, it always comes back to this – it forces me get in the studio and create!!  Put in the time. Make mistakes. Learn.  And the desire to create feeds the desire to create, like an infinite loop. That part is really cool!

There were definite phases of the challenge where goals and objectives came together.  At those times, I was able to explore a particular style, technique or approach to construction.  I have tried to organize the days into what I think was my goals

The first week, Days 1 through 8, was spent playing with stitching polymer clay. I really liked these pieces. This is something I will revisit at some point.

I floundered a bit from Days 9 to 18. I played with the hardware cloth, again. But I feel like I need to move forward and leave it behind. I liked the scribble dribble technique, that was fun and a little messy.

I then entered a phase where I was playing with bails and incorporating metal in different ways (Days 19 to 31). These were some of my favorites from the 100 days . . . . . . . fun . . . . interesting.

I continued the work with metal and cold connections combined with polymer clay (Days 32 to 57). I feel like these stepped it up a bit. A more traditional approach with the metal but some full out play with polymer color on some of these.

A second phase of floundering that lasted from Day 58 to 61. Nothing clicked, but I kept moving forward.

The focus was on specific liquid clay techniques over Days 62 to 75. Yes, I am obsessed with liquid polymer clay.

Then a third phase of floundering over days 76 to 80. I had a vision of layering and abstracted flowers. I think there was a gap between the vision and execution. I will not do these again, but I am glad I at least tried it out.

I hit a stride at the end that focused on overall shapes and forms with simple color thrown in. I was looking at large, modern garden sculptures thinking “that would make a great pendant”. I had fun with these. Keeping the forms the focus and restraining all other parts was a challenge itself, but I think it paid off.

I don’t know if I will ever do another 100-Day challenge. It is so much work, but I guess that’s the point, right????  And with everything ‘shut down’ I felt that this helped me focus and used my time wisely. So I will give it a ‘maybe’ for next time. But I do highly recommend the challenge!!

New Workshop Schedule

I want to share some very exciting news with you all.  I have some new classes scheduled over the next few months. Two of them are virtual classes using the Zoom platform and one is a 5-day in-person class!!

Coloring Outside the Lines (August 9 and 11; 6pm to 9pm Eastern Time on a Zoom platform)

This is an update to my Picasso-Inspired Portraits in Polymer Clay workshop. I mean, why limit yourself to faces? So, I pushed the boundaries and started working ‘outside the lines’.  This technique is an exuberant use of color, shapes and marks. Definitely not a subtle statement, whatever you make!! 

If you are interested in playing, join me for this fun project-oriented class.  For more info and to register go to www.metalwerx.com.

Exploring Liquid Clay (September 20, 22 and 24; 4pm to 6pm Eastern Time on a Zoom platform)

If you have been following my recent work you know I love liquid polymer clay!  There are so many things that you can do with liquid clay when using it with solid polymer clay. It could be as subtle as adding a worn patina or finishing edges to more interesting applications such as stenciling, mark making and scrafitto techniques (my favorite). 

This class explores the some of the many techniques that I have discovered over the last two years using liquid clays. We will go over the basics such as mixing colors, using raw vs baked clay and tools for application. We will then step through the techniques, sharing ideas, tools and some of the super powers of liquid clay that make it so unique. 

Let’s explore the possibilities of liquid clays together.  For more info and to register go to www.metalwerx.com.

The Marriage of Metal and Polymer Clay (October 18 to 24, 2021)

Modern Masters is a unique 5-day workshop sponsored by the Florida Society of Goldsmiths (FSG) and held every other year. This event allows you to take a deep dive with a single instructor and elevate your jewelry making skills, learn new techniques and focus on your creative growth. Held in the Smokey Mountains at Wild Acres, it is the perfect setting to share these experiences with like-minded creative souls. So, join us to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones.  The fee for this event is $1050 and includes workshop, room and board!!

I will be one of the three instructors with my focus on bringing polymer clay and metal together using simple but effective cold connection techniques. Both polymer clay artists and metal smiths are invited to join me for this exciting union of materials.

Daily lectures/demos will be held in the morning and afternoon followed by bench time. I will be available to work out steps in construction, demo alternative techniques or troubleshoot your individual projects.

For more information and to register go to www.fsgmetalsmiths.org. You do need to be a member of FSG to register, but membership is only $50!!

If you have any questions for me regarding any of these workshops, contact me at lynnyuhr@gmail.com.

Week One – 100 Day Project 2021

Well I completed my first week of the 100 Day Project. It was really satisfying to get back into a routine in the studio. This is basically a continuation from where I left off last summer. The focus will be polymer clay, liquid polymer clay and whatever else is within my reach. This may include more mesh grid (hardware cloth), stitching (with wire, embroidery thread or leather), wood and leather.

What will I do differently? I know I should try and keep it simple and focused. It is what I recommend to others. But I don’t seem to have that ability. So instead, I have tried to keep my ideas organized in a 3-ring notebook and track what I have made with photos of each piece. I am going to try and finish each piece so that it is complete and functional (to wear or to sell, at some point).  I am trying to take more process photos and write up new little twists and turns I come up with. Even in the first week I discovered a couple of new approaches to liquid clay.  I am also editing my photos to include my name and studio name which I have been very lazy to do in the past. A gentle scolding by another artist pointed this out, so I am trying to do better.

So for the first week I have kept a consistent and limited color palette. My new twist this week was the inclusion of embroidery thread to add a pop of color, texture, marks or line work. These were a lot of fun. Some were more successful than others, but that’s with anything, I guess.

So I will try to keep an open mind and continue to show up in my studio. I hope the ideas don’t dry up any time soon.  Although for me, I seem to have loads of ideas (all over the place). My problem is often just knowing where to start. This 100 Day Project runs from January 31^st through May 10^th. Stay tuned or follow along on Instagram!!

New Year, New Hopes

The blog police knocked on my door the other day with a notice of non-compliance.  Okay, so there are no ‘blog police’, just my guilty conscious.  But I am back and wondering where the time went!!

I swear that I have used my time well in 2020!!

• Completed a 100 Day challenge on instagram (a few of my favorite pieces highlighted below)
• Highlighted on Polymer Week’s blog
• Tutorial published in Polymer Week’s Magazine
• Took several workshops on Zoom
• Taught several workshops on Zoom
• Completed FIVE beginner lap quilts (never quilted before)
• Made art books, explored gouche, carved stamps
• Researched new places to travel (when the time comes)
• Reviewed past travel photos and recognized how lucky we are to have gone to these places
• Grew my Instagram followers with good content, IMHO (this is my excuse for not blogging)

Some of my hopes for this new year include:

• Participate in my second 100 Day Project (starts January 31^st). It will be a continuation of my past challenge with my focus on further polymer clay and liquid polymer clay explorations.
• I will be teaching multiple sessions of my Meditative Magic workshop for Clayathon, Feb 12 to 17^th, 2021.
• Beadfest Phillie is still being planned for August 11 to 14^th, 2021. Fingers crossed that this happens. 

I recognize that I am very fortunate to have found opportunities throughout the year that has made it special for me while others have been inconvenienced at a minimum or have suffered a devastating loss. I think ‘grateful’ is my word from last year that I may carry with me into 2021. I hope that you were able to welcome the new year with new hopes and a few plans.