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Innovations: A Polymer Clay Series
Animal Imagery with Karen Lewis a.k.a. Klew
Video by abba dabba Productions, LLC
Reviewed by Ruthmarie Hofmann
If you are not familiar with petroglyphs, they are stylized
animal,occasionally human figures, found throughout the world as ancient
carvings on rock. Even if you can’t draw, you can make a very
credible petro.
Cane work, the process of building an image into a square block that reduces into running feet of near identical images, is something akin to wizardry. Neophytes to polymer clay regard cane work as the particular essence in clay design, leaving handfuls of hapless beginners daunted as to where to begin an initial exploration. After viewing this video, I’m delighted to say that anyone can survive building a petroglyph image into a cane and take great pleasure in their accomplishment.
If you are not familiar with petroglyphs, they are stylized animal, occasionally human figures, found throughout the world as ancient carvings on rock. Even if you can’t draw, you can make a very credible petro. The instructions are a deliberate step-by-step processstarting with kneading and rolling choppedmulti-colors of clay into a grainy chunk for thefaux granite background . . . the size of which will pop your eyes! As Karen Lewis repeatedly assures you in the video, you will be using a generous portion of this two-fisted chunk, withthe extra clay easily applied to component canes for accent details.
Building the petroglyph image was as basic asdrawing a goat/deer figure on plastic laminateand assembling the pieces, chunk-by-chunk, astall as the background block to fit the inked pattern.
The block is then cut up and puzzle-fittedagainst the figure . . . it is simpler than it looks and Karen makes it look like a breeze. What Ifound very absorbing was the reduction process without losing the definition of the image buried inside. Using all parts of her hands, Karen illustrated specific methods of how to compress, wiggle and pinch this square block into the familiar long cane suitable for slicing.
Although only one image is built in this video, the greatest advantage in watching the process is seeing the physical techniques twelve years of experience that this skilled artist has perfected and now generously offers to the viewer. The continuing hints throughout as to how touse hands, arms, and body in an appropriate manner to not aggravate your back or shoulder and wrist joints are enormously helpful. This is not readily found in books as filmed demonstrations is much clearer than an exhaustive written descriptions, and, let’s face it, cane work requires patience to construct. At the end of the video , Karen displays many other examples, including a complex petro horse cane that required 15 hours to build and 5.5 hours to reduce (whew!). I’ve come to the firm conviction that working with canes appeals to the complexity of our modern culture today, but allows us to rub our hands in an earthy medium that evokes the simplicity of our ancient past. It certainly grants more gratification than the clay mud pies of our youth! Postscript: the out takes at the end are absolutely delightful!
 1 hour 13 minutes.
ISBN 1892424061
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