Introducing treeseaoriginals

treeseaoriginals

What got you interested in polymer clay as a medium?
My first experience with polymer clay came while I was on vacation a few years ago. We were in the Northwoods visiting them and we were bored and wanted to try something different. We got on line, ordered a pasta machine, some tools, some clay and had it shipped express...we got it in two days, and we played with clay for the rest of the week. It was a passing fancy for her...and now it's my medium of choice! Here is a picture of the first thing I ever made.



What inspires you to create?
Lots of things inspire me...especially nature and music. I am always taking photos of an interesting pattern, texture or object, searching flea markets and second hand stores for unusual things to use with the clay.

Do you have a favorite technique?
Right now, I am really inspired by Christi Friesen and have taken several of her classes. They are awesome and she is really funny, and such an uplifting person to be around. I have tried doing lots of things with clay...making beads, making pendants, covering different things with clay but never truely found something I was passionate about. After attending one of Christi's classes, I discovered that I love making sculptures and pendants with lots of objects in them. So I am focusing on that. I never would have thought of myself as artistic enough to make any type of 3D sculpture, but she made it all seem so effortless!

Of everything you have created which is your favorite?
This brings me to my favorite thing: I have always loved mermaids, so my favorite thing that I have ever made is my mermaid that I made using Christi's technique.



What do you prefer to make out of polymer clay and why?
Lots of times I make things because someone asks me to make it. I made a white bird sculpture because someone asked me to make it. Right now, I'm working on making a lizard for a lady who saw my cats and asked me to make her a lizard...I love challenges because they stretch my imagination.

How do you decide what to make?
The best thing for polymer clay for me is that when I don't like what I've made, it doesn't seem like a waste for me...I can just take the clay, smoosh it right up and start over :-)

Is there something you wish you could make in clay that you have not yet?
If you are just starting out, learning the basics is really a good practice, but you don't have to know everything or have a lot of experience to make something really beautiful...that's what is great about polymer clay. Even a beginner can incorporate some basic techniques and create something unique and beautiful. Right now, I am starting to teach classes in polymer clay to some scrapbookers who want to learn about clay and incorporate it into their art. I will be sharing some of those things very soon with the Smooshers Guild. I am writing a tutorial now for a making a parrot and those who are doing it are all beginners.

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