Customer Reviews

Ancient Modern: Polymer Clay And Wire Jewelry

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've been reading Ronna's book. It's quite different from most of the polymer clay books on my shelf. Her aesthetic seems to invoke stone and bone, pod and seed. It's a good approach for beginners, encouraging experimentation and setting aside the scourge of perfectionism. So many contemporary pc artists are producing exquisite, tight, detailed designs that it is refreshing to dip into Ronna's much looser and free style.

Ronna writes for Step-by-Step Wire Jewelry magazine, and she brings her expertise in that arena to her book. The section on wire working is thorough without being labored.

She includes one of the most useful charts I've found in any wire working book. You'll find the coiling grid on page 21, which shows how much wire you will need for various coiling projects. One of her very bright young students mathematically developed the chart, and it's been tested several times by the student, Ronna, and the folks at Interweave Press.

I also appreciate her section on the mechanics of jewelry design. It may look terrific on the bench, but if it doesn't fit or hang properly, it'll never get worn.

The projects themselves won't be to everyone's taste (I happen to like them a lot). But even readers with very different taste can be inspired by the shapes of her beads, the way she puts colors together, and the various ways she uses texture.

Within the projects, I would have liked more step-out photos, but overall, the design of this book is elegant and clear. The cover is fabulous and inviting, and what's inside delivers the goods.

This long-awaited book is so delightful and delicious you won't need desert! Ronna's approach to polymer clay is fresh and unique and gives us permission to free ourselves from the constraints of technique. It will open your eyes to what you can do if you let yourself go.

Not to worry, the first part of the book is full of the necessary technical information including some great design basics and wire working essentials. Then the step-by-step projects take you into Ronna's quirky off-beat world where making polymer beads is joyful. Fun, fun, fun. In the end, there's the gallery of her work, all beautifully photographed and presented for your consumption.

This book fills a gap in my polymer bookshelf. It's about inspiration and finding your own personal story to tell. I always remind my students that they "know how" but need to find out "why" they are making polymer jewelry. This book will help open that door.

I was sent a copy for early review, and I love love love this book! I love that not only do you learn how to make Art Jewelry from polymer clay and wire, but you also learn about designing jewelry so that it actually looks good when it is worn!

This book gives you practically everything you get from Ronna's fabulous classes -- close-up and personal looks at her inspiring jewelry, easy-to-understand (and duplicate) techniques for polymer clay and wire, a nurturing approach coupled with an understanding of how students learn, and lots of clearly-written excellent techniques. Doug Yaple's photography is incredible too. Very high-quality book!

The only thing missing? The lady herself! You see, Ronna is one of those amazingly talented, widely versed - and incredibly generous teachers that will give you everything she's got when you ask "What if...?", "Then what..?", or "Why?" Her warm & giving spirit keeps students asking for more!

More books like this one too, please! Ronna's book takes Polymer Clay up several notches as an art form, and incorporates new materials with great elan -- we can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!

Randi Harper - The Ranch. Center for Arts & Craft

I really like this book, I'm glad I bought it. I can see where the style of the projects wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but it is to mine, and it was really nice to open a polymer clay book and not have to think "nice, but not my kind of thing" like I usually do! While this isn't a book of faux techniques, the projects inspire in the direction of natural materials, primitive adornments, and natural, muted colours and shapes.

Ancient Modern is a superb book with an authentic voice. It's definitely not a cookie cutter polymer book. Ronna Sarvas Weltman's book is very original and innovative. It's filled with generous ideas, large colorful photos, clear directions, and stunning pieces of jewelry. She packs in loads of bead texturing techs, fresh bead surface decorations and ingenious color and form combos with new ways to rethink rings, brooches, bracelets and necklaces. Her use of wire with polymer is both functional and aesthetically fantastic. An amazingly wonderful book to enjoy over a cup of coffee and for inspiration. If you enjoy the works of Eric Silva, Robert Dancik, Susan Lenart Kazmer, Celie Fago and Barbara McGuire, you'll love this book.

I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of this book, to give me some new inspiration for my polymer clay/jewelry work. I was sadly disappointed. The author is well-known and well-read, and her her work is highly regarded. However, I found the work in the book to be messy and way too "primitive" for my taste. The wire information had some helpful spots, but there was nothing in the polymer clay work to inspire me or push me to new depths. I showed it to some friends, whose general opinion was "What's the point of it all?" Not enough photos, not enough variety, no real new techniques or information. It will not remain in my library.

I knew next to nothing about polymer clay before purchasing this book. My preconceived idea was that it was used for finely detailed figures and beads. I love the organic, back-to-nature aspects represented in her book. Ronna's instructions are easy to follow and well represented with photos and the projects are diverse. A great book.

First - full disclosure... I know Ronna Sarvas Weltman, and have admired her work for years. You should also know, however, I almost never post reviews - for anything - unless I really think something is worth it. And her new book, Ancient Modern, is definitely worth it!

I've been working in polymer clay for 6 or 7 years, 24/7, and have read just about every polymer clay book out there. So I didn't think there were any books that could really get my creative juices flowing. But when I got my copy of Ancient Modern, I realized I was wrong!

Ronna's approach to her art is totally out of the box, and her new book speaks volumes to that. Plus, she's a great writer (which isn't always true about artists). She has plenty of delicious photos to get your muse inspired, and her projects are wonderful (and very well written)! So whether you like "eye candy" books, or project based books, Ancient Modern offers both in spades.

If you tend to be a bit obsessive with perfection in your work, Ronna's book will really encouraged you to loosen up and let the expression inside shine. I so adore how Ronna is able to be so immediate and powerful with just a bit of wire and some polymer clay. And I love her use of wild organic forms

I highly recommend Ancient Modern to any clayer who loves to play and explore, and isn't afraid to think outside the box!

The creativity in this book inspires the best in me. It's great to see Ronna pair wire with polymer, I enjoy being able to put different mediums together. The instructions and photographs in the book offer a step by step process that is easy to follow. I can hardly wait to get started! Ronna is very talented and this is one of the best polymer clay books I have found.

I bought this book because I find it so inspiring. The author's pieces are colorful eye candy and I find my self leafing through the pages with my mouth wide open. I don't even work with polymer clay ...no matter, just gazing at her design aesthetic is enough for me. If you do work with polymer clay this book will be an even added bonus for you. Buy it, you will not regret it!