There are days when you wake up with so many project ideas, you can’t even choose one. (Hallelujah!)
Then, there’s the flip side, the dark, dreaded void – burnout. You look for a spark in Youtube, FaceBook & Instagram; but you end up spending hours gazing at rodents shlepping pizza, a hundred and one zucchini recipes, celebrity waxing tragedies and political opinions. It’s not only UN-helpful; it’s a mind-numbing waste of time that leaves you more discouraged than before. That’s when it’s time to drop the digital and reach for the real.
I learned everything I know about clay from books. When I first discovered polymer clay in 2010, I’d been suddenly widowed and had lost my car, my home, and my savings. I didn’t have a smart phone or internet. I did, however, have a library card. With my precious few packs of clay in one hand and my books in the other, I began a journey that has brought me more friendship, joy and recognition than I ever dared to imagine.
Here are the artists who, unknowingly, revived my heart and ignited my mind.
Donna Kato, Marie Segal, Debbie Jackson,
Barbara A. McGuire, Lindly Haunani, Maggie Maggio, Julie Picarello
Maureen Peck Carlson, Christi Friesen, Nanetta Bananto
I now own their books, and many more. I think I have every polymer clay book ever published; but these beautiful women have a special place in my heart. I still study their work and I always learn something new. Best of all, after 14 years, when my hands are sore and the cane looks warped, I turn the pages and I find healing and inspiration. Lucky me.
The Art of Polymer Clay Millefiori Technique by Donna Kato
Polymer Clay Creations by Marie Segal
Polymer Clay Jewelry by Debbie Jackson
Polymer Clay Design by Barbara A. McGuire
Polymer Clay Color Inspirations by Lindly Haunani & Maggie Maggio
Patterns in Polymer by Julie Picarello
Clay Characters for Kids by Maureen Carlson
Polymer Clay and Mixed Media Together at Last by Christi Friesen
Polymer Clay Jewelry by Nanetta Banato
