My personal route to polymer and metal clay

I'd like to say that I made fantastic models with polymer clay as a kid, but I don't think it was around then or that I always wanted to do something arty, but that wasn't it either, at least not consciously!!

About 10 years ago however, I went back to college and did a diploma in figurative sculpture at Heatherley's College and totally loved it. My final disertation was about the American artist Alexander Calder, one of my enduring heroes, and my exhibition piece was inspired by his work Le Cirque.

Calder's Le Cirque

Debbie's version!

So far so not polymer clay, but during my research about using wire and colour I found Barbara McGuire's book, Wire in Design www.amazon.com/Wire-Design-Modern-Jewelry-Crafts and thro' her, polymer clay, metal clay and jewellery making as a natural extension after that.

So, some 8 years on, I've returned to my first love, life modelling the figure in clay and, yup, I still absolutely love it. I'm sharing a few pics of work in progress

The moral is- you never forget your first love!