Like putty in their hands

Kris O’Donnell

Wanda Colar, Myra Katz and Johanna Wollenzeine demonstrate the art

form of polymer clay modeling at this year’s Orange County Fair.

Polymer clay is a man-made, pliable, bendable polymer that is

compounded for artists and crafters. However, it’s not a true clay --

true clay consists of fine particles of silicate suspended in water

-- polymer clay consists of fine particles of polyvinyl chloride, or

PVC, suspended in a plasticizer.

The curing process fuses the particles into a solid and requires

only low temperatures -- 265 to 275 degrees -- low enough to use your

home oven as a kiln. The polymer then hardens to a nearly rock-solid

state.

Once baked, it can be finished in various ways to obtain glassy or

stone-like textures.

“It can be used much like clay, but unlike earth clay, it comes in

dozens of colors, and you can blend clays together like paints to

make your own colors,” said Wollenzeine, who has been working in clay

for 10 years. “You can imitate anything from ivory to wood with

polymer clay.”

You can use polymer clay to make buttons, mosaics, plaques, wall

hangings and other decorations.

“We often use pasta machines to press the clay into very thin

strips,” Katz joked. “The designs are only limited by your

imagination.”

Colar said that the Orange County Fair is the only fair where the

three members of the National Polymer Clay Guild demonstrate their

art.

“The guild’s objectives are to educate the public about polymer

clay and to study and promote an interest in the use of polymer clay

as an artistic medium,” Wollenzeine said.

In the last few years years, polymer clay modeling has developed

from a child’s plaything to an artistic medium, yet its apparent

delightful playfulness has not been lost.

“The only thing you can’t do with polymer clay,” Wollenzeine

quipped, “is eat or drink from them.”

* KRIS O’DONNELL is a Daily Pilot intern.