Making Polymer Clay Jewellery and more

It has struck me recently how many creative and talented colleagues and friends I have and I wanted to showcase some of their creations and stories for you.

Kim started making polymer clay jewellery and more about 2.5 years ago after deciding that she liked brighter colours and smaller detail than she could achieve with pottery. She saw some Christmas decorations made of polymer clay and thought ‘how hard could that be to make?’ so went and bought some polymer clay to give it a go. Then she started watching tutorials on you-tube and hasn’t stopped since! Kim found that getting involved in a few polymer clay groups on Facebook also helped – it introduced her to a very nice, friendly, world-wide community and gave her additional information and resources. She finds making the canes particularly appealing as you need to engage your brain and concentrating on that is very therapeutic.

When I first saw Kim’s polymer clay work I loved that she was focusing on nature as her subject matter and was absolutely stunned with the amazing level of detail she includes in her pieces.

The photos below illustrates the intricate process Kim goes through to create such realistic details. She sketches out a drawing of what she wants the finished design to look like. Her starting point often seems to be the eyes (of a bird at least) and then the beaks, and you can see how she first creates detailed canes and then reduces them down so that they are in the right proportion for the final image – which is often tiny but the detailing is exquisite. Making feathers look like feathers with all their minute detailing is also a strength for Kim. You can see how she starts by choosing the right colours and blending them together to give the right shading; then folding and layering to make small units that are combined together to create an individual feather for example; and then combining these all together in such a lifelike manner, which often includes their appropriate environment as well.

This NZ kingfisher was Kim’s entry in a polymer clay cane competition in July 2019.

The sacred kingfisher is a medium-sized woodland kingfisher that occurs in mangroves, woodlands, forests, and river valleys in Australia, New Zealand, and other parts of the western Pacific. In New Zealand the species is also known by its Māori name kōtare.

 

Ruru or morepork (NZ owl)

The Ruru is a small, dark, forest-dwelling owl. Found in both native and plantation forests, its distinctive “more-pork” call is commonly heard at night in many urban parks and well-vegetated suburbs. 

 

Kakapo

The kakapo, also called owl parrot, is a species of large, flightless, nocturnal, ground-dwelling parrot endemic to New Zealand. It has finely blotched yellow-green plumage, a distinct facial disc, a large grey beak, short legs, large feet, and relatively short wings and tail. This image is featured on Kim’s business card.

 

Fjordland Crested Penguin

The Fiordland penguin, also known as the Fiordland crested penguin, is a crested penguin species endemic to New Zealand. It currently breeds along the south-western coasts of New Zealand’s South Island as well as on Stewart Island/Rakiura and its outlying islands.

 

Gannet

The Australasian gannet is a conspicuous, predominantly white seabird that is common in New Zealand coastal waters. They can be observed feeding solitarily or in large congregations, especially near the larger colonies. Australasian gannets breed in dense colonies on coastal islands and on cliffs and beaches of some headlands of the New Zealand mainland.

 

Takahe

The South Island takahē is a rare relict of the flightless, vegetarian bird fauna which once ranged New Zealand. It is the largest living rail in the world. The extinct North Island takahē was taller and more slender. Four specimens were collected from Fiordland between 1849 and 1898, after which takahē were considered to be extinct until famously rediscovered in the Murchison Mountains, west of Lake Te Anau, in 1948. Until the 1980s, takahē were confined in the wild to the Murchison Mountains. They have since been translocated to seven islands and several mainland sites, making them more accessible to many New Zealanders. Conservation work by the Department Of Conservation and community groups aims to prevent extinction and restore takahē to sites throughout their original range.

 

In addition to the beautiful birds, Kim has also made a variety of other nature themed polymer clay canes (fruits, flowers, sea creatures, even plant cells) as well as geometric and kaleidoscopic canes. She turns these into a range of different pieces: from earrings to Easter eggs, beads and bowls, necklaces, decorated pens and even holders for face masks (to take the pressure off the ears in these COVID19 times). She even created a wood grained piece to form the steering wheel of a model boat her partner was making.

Kim donates many beads to the Child Cancer Foundation‘s Beads of Courage programme that provides a physical story of a child’s journey, recognising their strength and courage. Each bead represents a treatment (for example chemotherapy, injections, scans); an experience (hair loss, isolation, fever) or milestone (completion of treatment).

 

Recently Kim has taken her polymer clay work to a whole new level – creating kaleidoscope tiles that she used to cover an outdoor table (complete with grout).

I loved Kim’s polymer clay jewellery and asked whether she sold any – which she does. She sells her jewellery through MIXT NZ MADE – gallery and shop in Kingsland, Auckland (also on FaceBook).  Look out for her business card and for the gorgeous pieces on them of course.

I bought a couple of pairs of earrings (one featuring tuis and the other the Fjordland crested penguin). Because she starts with a large diameter cane and then reduces this down in size (see below), she can slice off pieces at different sizes for different sized jewellery pieces that have identical images. She curves and polishes some for gorgeous earrings that are wafer thin and so light. Not all of them are round either – my penguin earrings are oval in shape.

You can also follow Kim on Instagram @kimsnowden7