Having Fun: Polymer Clay and Ironic Man Bags

I have been busy making stuff lately!  Not only have  I have discovered another something that is going to be totally distracting and absolutely gratifying, but I posted some new "Man Bags" in my shops on both Etsy and Artfire--just in time for Father's Day.

I've always wanted to explore polymer clay.  There are some many things I saw that I wanted to do--beads, jewelry, dolls--and I new that if I  dove in I would get completely lost...

And that's what's happened.  I bought my first piece of polymer clay.  And I'm a goner.

I am SO going to explore this art doll scene...  There are some fascinating "companions" that are made today that look like soft sculpture.  I think I've always had an inclination toward the soft sculpture mode of artistic expression.  My departmental advisor in graduate school had double-majored as an undergraduate in both theatre and sculpture, and viewed costuming as soft sculpture on a large scale.  That always stuck with me, and I think I'm now evolving into a new mode of creative expression.  The art dolls that I have explored are right up my alley...  Maybe it's because it's new, but I am really having a good time with it!

I'm progressing on my first figure, and I'm trying to figure out how to make clothes on a scale that's incredibly small for me!  Covering the form with cotton is a new thing, and I'm figuring out how to do it as I go along.  I will be spending time on the internet looking at free tutorials, for sure, but I was so excited I just had to dive in... I'm sure I'm doing some stuff the hard way, but I'll break down and look for proper instruction in my "copious spare time"!  Haha!

My "Man Bags" are also moving forward--I'm trying to use up my stock of double-knit polyester, and I think I'll be moving from text-based humorous expressions into a more artistic expression soon.  It's very easy to do reverse applique with double-knit poly.  It doesn't fray, it's sorta stretches, it's easily cleanable...  I'm a fan.  Now I need to do some more work to explore what my artistic range is...  I'm thinkin' maybe I'll explore doing some Gustav Klimt inspired work...  Hmmm...

Anyway, more soon!  Live Life with Relish!