“PolyWood: Polymer Clay Jewelry and Wood Creations”
Judith Skinner
Joshua Pagliasotti
In the ‘Tis Art Center Mezzanine Gallery
March 2 – 30, 2012
Opening Reception: Friday March 9th
5 – 7 p.m.
4th Friday Art Walk Reception
Friday March 23rd - 5 – 7 p.m.
Judith Skinner
Judith Skinner writes, "I began building computer applications when the job of “computer programmer” was still being invented. As my skills matured, I followed that restless urge to create that marked and enriched my career. When a public sector employee, I was one of the first to apply spatial databases to city planning. As a part of a small business, I was one of the first to put television news production and archiving on a computer system. With my own company, I developed the software for the first commercially successful television weather data capture and display system."
"This diverse technical experience let me work with bankers, accountants, city planners, oil field suppliers, city firefighters and police officers, TV stars, aerospace engineers, educators, artists, and musicians. I’ve worked in silk and in denim; I’ve seen high cotton and paydays with no paychecks. I combined artistry and technology with my own business as a multimedia consultant and producer."
"In my spare time, I always satisfied my tactile energies with a variety of arts and crafts. However, when I discovered polymer clay, my life changed dramatically. It became my primary activity; technology became a meal ticket. And now, instead of using my creative side to advance my technical work, I use my problem solving side to enhance my artistic endeavors. And I get to work with other artists, designers, photographers, and writers!"
"I found the polymer clay world at just the right time. An explosion of new artists, new products, and new techniques in polymer clay has been happening concurrently with my growth with the medium. Polymer clay is exactly right for me, allowing me to express my love of color, pattern, and form, yet maintain precise control for detailed pieces. My color palette ranges from soft, subtle blends to vibrant, metallic tones. My pieces are molded, sculpted, draped, and precisely formed. And, some of them are just serendipitous happenings. My work covers the gamut, from small pieces of jewelry and art objects to flamboyant neckpieces. I especially enjoy creating wearable art for the cost conscious art aficionado."
"Members of the polymer clay community share ideas through guilds and retreats, through videos and books. Having taken dozens of techniques from other polymer clay artisans, I have given something back. I developed a technique for creating smooth color gradations, now known in the polymer community as the “Skinner Blend”. This technique is very evident in many of my pieces."
"I have “officially” retired from the world of technology and computer systems. I can now be found in my workshop in Prescott, Arizona making things and luxuriating in the mountain atmosphere. I hope you enjoy the products of my new life. I certainly enjoy creating them."
Joshua Pagliasotti
Joshua Pagliasotti writes: "I came to the industrial arts by way of the liberal arts. It wasn’t until after graduating with a B.A. from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM and teaching school in Alaska for a year that I took a woodshop class at Yavapai College. I tuned up an old hand plane that I found in my Grandfather’s shop. When I saw that first clean shaving curl up from the board, I knew I had found something that engaged all my senses."
"I continued to take the classes that were offered at Yavapai and had the opportunity to apprentice with a local furniture maker. I was able to trade my labor for the use of the space and the equipment. I studied and experimented and began to make pieces for family and friends as I built up my own shop. In 2003, I joined the Arts Prescott Cooperative Gallery where I met jewelry artist Judith Skinner. In 2005, the demands of having our first daughter and starting a remodeling business led me to stop showing and to do pieces by commission only."
"I like to think that my pieces achieve an appropriate balance between form and function. I search for clean lines and a simple elegance. I employ time honored joinery techniques to ensure that my pieces will endure and be treasured."
"I will display several pieces of furniture as well as a line of clocks. Several of the pieces are constructed using reclaimed material. There is a special pleasure in giving old material a new life."