The older I get the more I like bright colors so I decided to do something bold in the kitchen. I have for many years wanted painted cabinets and now I do, or I will when they are done. The walls are "Yellow Squash", The woodwork is"Green Saddle" and the cabinets are "Red Garnet". I will take photos when everything is back together again.
I did get a little clay time in, I made a few pieces I want to show you. All the new Premo colors I have tried have been soft and sticky, much softer than the old Premo. I like the colors but had a difficult time working with the mushy clay. I finally mixed it with Kato Pearl which helped considerably. I also mixed the New Premo 18K Gold Pearl with old Premo red Pearl and got a pretty terra cotta. I still had to add a little Kato to give it body.
Here are a couple pieces I made with it.
Here is a closer look at the plaid piece. As you can see the clay was still hard to work with, It was difficult to get clean lines. I usually put a piece of parchment paper over the top and burnish but the clay was to soft to put any pressure on it. I did cover it with the paper and gently smoothed as best I could with my finger.
I made a Skinner blend flower petal to make the flower piece. I made the golden background by mixing Premo gold 50/50 with Kato Pearl. I placed the petal in a pleasing pattern, burnished the flower smooth and ran it though the pasta machine on the number 2 and number 3 settings. I then place it on layers of terra cotta red and the light gold and cut a shape I liked. I slanted the blade to get the border I wanted. I always enjoy sanding and buffing any piece that contains Pearl clay, I like the shimmer on the petals.
Here is a closer look at the flower piece.
Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to your comments. I would love to know how others feel about the new Premo colors and the consistency of the clay.
Beautiful pieces!
ReplyDeleteI have not tried the new Premo yet and now I am kind of afraid to, I do not like mushy clay. I wonder if leaching it would help?
I really like the flower - how pretty! I've only tried a couple new Premo colors - and I've found the new white so far to be superior to the old white. It was dryer and worked better in canes. But that's the extent of my experience.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful BJ! I love the flower. I haven't tried the new Premo... A little worried because of all the reports of it being mushy, difficult to keep the shape when sculpting with soft and sticky clay. I just read that Jackie likes the new white and found it dryer... That's good!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing pics of your new kitchen, sounds gorgeous!
Your pieces are great. I ordered a whole bunch of the new Premo from Boston Craft Works and the colors are gorgeous but it is mushy. I had a whole bunch of old Premo and Fimo so I mixed a little and did do some leaching but the colors are great.
ReplyDeleteYour creations are beautiful BJ and the flower, sooo elegant! I have come across mushy clay in the past and it's miserable to work with. Looking forward to seeing the pictures of your kitchen and your wire pieces.
ReplyDeleteThank you Coltpixy. I tried leeching and it helped a bit with the consistency but I think it weakened the clay, it was more brittle when I cured it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jackie, I have some of the new white too and I like it, not sticky like the new colors. I wonder why?
Thanks Trina. I hope they adjust the formula and make it less sticky and soft.
Thank you Bonnie. I got mine from Boston Craft Works too... I have been mixing the old and the new too, it helps but it's still pretty soft, sure can't use it for canes. Have you posted photos of what you made?
Thank you Sandy. Yip, mushy clay not fun!! and I of course have lots of it ...lol
Can't we get together - all of us serious artists - and get after Polyform to fix their formula??? Can't we complain long enough and loud enough (as everyone did about the colors they artist's colors they discontinued in 2010 - and they actually changed there mind on some. I will lead the charge, but I need a core group to start the publicity campaign. Heck, I will start a blog on the topic if I have to and publicize their ridiculous e-mails about how I don't know what I am doing (no, I have been claying since 1991 - I am clueless - NOT) and how their lovely new clay ruined a class I was teaching - all the clay was so unuseable that it wouldn't even hold bead shapes. It was so sad and frustrating. I did finally get customer service to offer to give me a replacement of the old formula (as I understood their offer) for over $100 worth of clay (Michael's wouldn't take it back!! I had it over 30 days) - and I was all set to send it back and the Head Chemist intervened and said the soft and mushy quality was MY fault (I don't know how)and that I should leach it. OK. I did. Took 3 days to get a consistency that I could make a cane with. Then, I made some test items: weak, easily broken, unable to get a nice shine from buffing, and it flaked as I sanded the pieces.
ReplyDeleteSo I tried Pardo - LOVE IT. Even the stuff in the ja people say is too soft - not as soft as the Premo!!! However, I can only find it at Amazon for an average of $6-$8 for 2.1-2.6 oz. I live in a state that does not have any Hobby Lobby stores, and I have yet to see any selection of the clay on their website.
Can anyone please tell me where else I may be able to find it for less money than the Amazon price?
Thanks for listening folks -about by the way Sandy - I LOVE your blog!!!