Olivia Surratt – Ornamento

Olivia’s Studio

By: ornamento.blog July 19, 2012July 11, 2012

Art, art, creativity, crafts, inspiration, Baltimore, Metal, Metal Work, Metal Working, Olivia Surratt, Polymer Clay, ToolsArt, Artists Studios, creativity, inspirationLeave a Comment

We all know what fun it is to peek into someone else’s studio. I got the chance to peek into Olivia Surrat’s studio not too long ago. Olivia works in metal and wire with some polymer clay added for color. Her studio is compact and efficient. She’s lined it with Billy bookcases and added doors to take away some of the visual clutter you get when you have thousands of components stored in see through containers. Olivia also snagged couple of old card catalog files and a great long sturdy jeweler’s bench that looks much more comfortable to sit at than a regular bench. And will you look at that stake in the picture with the anvil? She found it at a house sale. That’s where you find great stuff.

The doorway to Olivia’s Studio

The window gives lots of light

Metal waiting to become jewelry

Here’s that great forming stake!

Some polymer clay beads in the making and some interesting glass and shell beads.

View from the bench. Note the slots for pin vises and mandrils.

‘Polymer clay and PMC bracelets, and some strung glass beads.

Close up of polymer clay beads in various stages of finishing

Some of Olivia’s wire work. She was lucky to be able to take a class with Lynn Merchant

Beads from around the world or the house sale around the block

Olivia collects polymer clay pieces but we were having so much fun we never got to pull out her collection. The item above is a purse by Kathleen Dustin. The sign on top of the shelf is a reminder that you don’t need to take everything so seriously.

Truman, Olivia’s Canine companion is a charmer. He’s not a true studio dog because he’s not allowed in the studio, but he gives encouragement from the hall way where he plays with his toys and anything else that people bring into his house that seems new and interesting. Like my husband’s briefs which kept him occupied for a good long time until we realized why he was so fascinated.

Clayathon 2011

By: ornamento.blog January 14, 2011January 8, 2011

Art, Community Art Groups, Crafting Traditions, Hand Made, inspiration, Kato Polyclay, Olivia Surratt, Personal Growth, Personal History, Philadelphia Polymer Clay Guild, Polymer Clay, Polymer Clay Guilds, Polymer Clay Retreats, Polymer Clay tutorials3 Comments

Clayathon is organized by the wonderful and talented Arlene Groch and her talented team of South Jersey Poly Addicts, (which is not the same thing as having a dual diagnosis, although Arlene does confess to having an “out of control” polymer clay addiction.) There is something so poetically just about a woman who gave up her law practice for polymer clay and invited friends to come and use her conference room, not for depositions and settlement conferences, but as a polymer clay studio.

If my Meniere’s disease, which has been acting up this week, does not have me Jackson Pollocking the carpet, I will be there along with the rest of my friends. Actually, Clayathon is a great stress reliever so I’ll have my doctor write a prescription.

Here are some pictures from past Clayathons.

What I made in Olivia Surratt’s Class

I first met Olivia Surratt at a two-day workshop the Philadelphia Area Polymer Clay Guild sponsored with Robert Dancik. For some reason, I liked Olivia right from the start. I don’t know why; sometimes that’s the way it goes. So when Olivia offered to teach a wire and fusing class to benefit the guild, I jumped at the chance to take it, even though wire working is not new to me. Not only has Olivia studied with some great teachers, no matter what you think you know, you can always learn something new or a better way to do something from a good teacher. Olivia did not disappoint me.

One of the first things I did was to replace my portable butane torch with the model Olivia likes best, the original Blazer GB 2001 Self Igniting Micro Blazer Torch. It actually costs less than the torch I already have, but works so much better.

Olivia and Pauline, her trusty assistant, led us through her methods for fusing fine solver and wrapping with copper wire. I used beads I made. Here are some pictures. I give the class an A plus!