Welcome to the Blog!

It's about time I began blogging my adventures in Polymer Clay, Arts, Mandalas, and more -- so here goes!

Genetic Predisposition, I Suppose....

Artists and crafters adorn the branches of my maternal family tree. My great-great grandfather, Achille Corbari, was a Vatican-trained painter who immigrated to the US in the late 1800's. He worked on the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, created many beautiful family and religious portraits, and is rumored to have painted several of the "Fatima-like" saloon portraits that hung behind many early California watering holes!

Madonna & Child - Achille Corbari

My grandmother inherited the art gene, and was known to paint on anything that would hold still long enough. Rocks, wood, furniture -- Grandma was a functional artist who delighted in transforming mundane items with ample amounts of gold spray paint and some strategically-placed seashells!

My Mother's artistic skills are amazing. She has gained exceptional talent as a ceramacist, seamstress, oil painter, and compulsive cross-stitcher. She can knit, crochet & quilt like an expert - and has created a gallery of oil paintings that are as diverse as they are amazing.

Bucking Bronco - Joyce Evans

I'm the obsessive-compulsive crafter of the family. Since I can remember, my closets have been chock-full of whatever new fad project has caught on. Beadwork, watercolors, quilling, Christmas Ornaments, fabric painting.. ad nauseum. My dining room table has always been home to "a project" (or two, or three.) My artistic expressions have always leaned toward the colorful and esoteric, but I hadn't found a medium that really fit my style.

Until I discovered Polymer Clay!


It's All Roky Erickson's Fault!

I love early American Psychedelic music, art and expression. When one of my all-time favorite musicians, Roky Erickson, appeared at a local "Earth Day" concert and art fair, I had to attend!

Among the talented artists with a local gentleman who goes by the name "Terry Tunes." Terry creates polymer clay/mixed media dioramas inspired by Roky's music and life, and I had to have one! Conversation with the artist ensued, and I learned that polymer clay was much more than a kids' version of Play-Doh on steriods!

The die was cast and thus began many trips to the craft-o-rama stores for clay, clay supplies, more clay, clay tools, more clay..... At one point, my husband actually "grounded" me from visiting Michael's! As I learned new techniques and practiced through trial and error, I found my "hand" in polymer clay, and began to use it's myriad possibilities to express my love of symmetry, balance, color and light refraction. I had found my medium!