I'm really happy to be in the PURPLE issue of the magazine
From Polymer To Art. It is published in the Netherlands but it doesn't matter where you live, you can always order and get it. Last week, I got my copy and I must say that it's very good done. The two beautiful ladies Marjon and Saskia did a really great job to make the magazine interesting and full of projects.
So, if you're into claying you should have it!
And the article itself :)
Inspiration.. It’s just a word but for most of us who are really into creating, it’s a whole world that lives in our imagination and reacts on the signals that we see everyday in its own way, no matter where we are, no matter what we do. And it’s not important whether we make jewelry or sew dolls, it’s just a thing that helps us to show the fairy tale of our inner world and evokes our personality!
Inspiration is everywhere to be found. But sometimes we want to get inspired from certain things. In my case I had a strong desire to make jewelry series that would combine past times with the modern style.
Watching an interesting film about ancient civilizations, being fascinated by their art I got the idea to use old traditions in jewelry. I looked trough different ornaments, lines and signs of many peoples but somehow I didn’t have the feeling I want to use exactly them. And suddenly I remembered about Trypillian culture, their great contribution to the world art. I looked through a lot of information about its people, who lived from 5400 to 2750 BC mainly on the territory of modern Ukraine, Moldova and Romania, their way of life, but I couldn’t find the proper source that could describe and explain ornaments that they use in their works. And one day something strange happened. Just being at my friend’s studio who is an artist I found a book about all Trypillian symbols, lying simply on the table. That was what I have been looking for several months. Can you imagine how surprised I was just to find such a great and helpful source for my new project at the place where I wasn’t expecting to have found it! Well, he didn’t understand why I gave him a sudden hug, but he wasn’t nevertheless against my spontaneous behavior.
That was how my great journey into the world of an enigmatic civilization began. It was widely spread on the territory of modern Ukraine. Maybe that was the thing why I wanted to use exactly their elements in my works. Maybe subconsciously I felt that they were my ancestors and I just wanted to bring their awesome art back? But it doesn’t matter, the main thing is that we can enjoy and develop their elegant ornaments and extraordinary shapes, implement them into our jewelry designs and create the interesting pieces combining past and modern. Trypillia uniqueness lies in its simple forms and ideal lines, high harmony that express this amalgamation, and great dynamics . With the help of definite signs (Sun, Water, Immortal Life Tree, etc) they showed their high spirituality and attempt to find the everlasting enigma of the world creation and its creator. Their tradition colours were black, white and red.
I’m not inventing a new technique in polymer clay, I’m not presenting something totally unique and special, I just want to mention that using old civilizations’ ornament traditions in modern designs we enrich it with ideal harmony. We fulfill it with the spiritual value. The piece of our creation becomes not only beautiful accessory to wear, but at the same time it signifies the artistic value.
In my bracelet I used the Trypillian curve form that symbolizes the connection and interaction of Nature and a Human Being and lines that symbolize the Water as the most important element for our life.
So, I hope that I have evoked your interest to transform and implement traditions into your own designs and you will really enjoy the process of making it! Jewelry designing is so much fun and brings more happiness into our life. Just think how incredible it is to give birth to the items that breathe love!
