We’re still on Chapter Eight of Polymer Clay Color Explorations. looking at contrast and proportion. The Mosaic Leaf Brooch Exercise is something I would have never tried on my own and the results I got surprised me. I didn’t like what I thought I would like and background colors that looked blah to me perked up when I incorporated them into the brooch.
I started out making a Skinner Blend with my palette colors, cut out strips, laid them down on a sheet of mud and indented the strips to mimic tiles. After baking, I grouted or back filled the pieces with randomly chosen colors of clay and added clay bezels.
For the “grout”, I chose ecru, “sunlight” left over from the Log Cabin Pin project, black, and light blue. For the “bezel” colors, I chose orange, red, light green, and a darker turquoise green.
Look at the effect the background color has on the “tiles.”
The brooches on the left (see below) have essentially the same color tiles as the brooches on the right. But they look different simply because the background colors are different. There’s lots of information in chapter eight explaining this phenomenon and giving examples and illustrations.
The second brooch from the left reminds me of Halloween candy. What was I thinking? I’m not sure I like it but when I chose the colors, I was sure I’d love it! The brooch on the far left reminds me of a fall harvest and I think it’s much more interesting. The brooch on the far right makes me think of a summer ear of corn (which I can’t have right now because I just had dental surgery and my mouth is packed with dressing and stitches!) It’s amazing how altering the background and bezel color can change feel of the piece. Not only has this exercise showed me how colors affect those around them; it has also given me examples of how one can use color to communicate.
On another note-
I mistakenly went from Chapter Seven to Chapter Nine, a few weeks ago. My next post on my journey through Polymer Clay Color Explorations will be on the second half of Chapter Nine which explores the effect that texture has on color. I really enjoyed that exercise, so stay tuned.
Ornamento 
