Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Inspired by Pitcher Plants


Photo by Eric Wentling  Pitcher Plants

Every month Eric Wentling choses a picture to inspire his wife Sarajo.  She then shares it with the FB community and asks us to play along with creations we make inspired her husband's photo.

Here is what Eric wrote about this month's picture of Pitcher Plants:
This month I chose a picture from our recent trip out to Ligonier, PA for the Allegory Gallery's Creative Camp.  Andrew Thornton directed us out to a nearby bog where the carnivorous plants were in full bloom.  An entire field of these pitcher plants and much smaller sundews stretched around us--beauty and savagery all wrapped up in one tiny leafy package.  The strange shape, as well as the striated deep red patterns against green really jumped out at me and I wanted to see what a bunch of jewelry designers could pull off with this inspiration!
I could not resist the challenge of these exotic pitcher plants and the beautiful colors they are sporting in their unique garb.  So I am playing along.  This is my first time.

I was so enamored of these cool plants and the color combo of burgundy and lime green that I went to work right away.
My first piece was a fern leaf in the pitcher plant palette.  I was working in  polymer clay and have been since I broke my ankle several months ago and could not have access to my studio due to the stairs. I expect to begin working again in ceramic clay in Sept.

                                    Fern Leaf by MaryHardingJewelry  polymer clay

I was really excited to try modeling a pitcher plant from polymer clay.  I find that polymer is like magic for me when it comes to make 3 dimentional forms.  Here is the first pitcher plant I came up with:

                                   Pitcher Plant  Front View by MaryHardingJewelry
                                                   Pitcher Plant  Back View by MaryHardingJewelry
                                        Pitcher Plant  Side View by MaryHardingJewelry

So far it does not have a stringing hole that would display it right side up.  I plan to add a stringing loop soon.  This is one of the things I love about polymer:  it can be modified way after it is cured by just curing again.

Then I made a smaller pitcher plant that has a stringing loop.
Smaller Pitcher Plant by MaryHardingJewelry

The two pitcher plants together

I totally enjoyed being inspred by the pitcher plants photo.  Thanks so much Eric and Sarajo.

I  hope you readers will take a look at the other creations in the links below.
Thanks so much for stopping by!!
Mary

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