Melanie West, her work, and her studio.

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The Artist - Melanie West

I live in the deep woods of Maine and share the woods with a plethora of wild life, including moose, bob cats, fox and coyotes, lots of song birds, wild turkeys and of course, ravens.

What drives my current work with polymer is a life long fascination with Nature's use of extravagant forms, colors and patterns. Nature never ceases to amaze, and I have always been compelled to answer that amazement in my work.

With polymer clay I am able to create a very personal, sensual experience for the wearer, while celebrating all of Nature's awe inspiring beauty. Each one-of-a-kind piece in my “Bio” series contains a unique, playful personality inspired by such flora and fauna as salamanders, snakes, nudibranchs, cephalopods, bamboo and acorns. My BioBangles are built on hand fabricated and carved armatures of polymer, and are laminated with polymer clay cane work. My pieces are hand sanded and finished to a soft luster or buffed to a high lacquer finish.

Up Coming Shows - I have chosen not do any shows in the next year or two in order to focus on my work, and begin limited teaching. As soon as I decide to get back to doing shows I will post them here. If you are interested in purchasing my work, your can contact me by email here.

Previous Shows -

November, 2010 Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show

Publications -

Masters Series - Polymer Clay, Lark Books, edited by Rachael Caron
Terra Nova: Polymer at the Crossroads, by Rachel Carren, Bruce W. Pepich and Lena Vigna
Polymer Pizzazz 2, Kalimbach Books
Ornament Magazine, Polymer Clay: A Modern Medium Comes of Age
Art Jewelry Magazine, Polymer Clay Artist Melanie West's Path to Green Living (and Many-Colored Art)
Polymer Art Archive, West Meets East, by Elise Winters
The Art of Polymer Clay Millefiori Techniques, by Donna Kato
Polymer Clay Artists: Techniques and Projects for Creating Successful Palettes, by Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio
Adapting Quilt Patterns To Polymer Clay", Sarajane Helm and Judith Skinner
The Art of Polymer Clay Masks, by Sarajane Helm

Awards -

Niche 2010 Award for Polymer Clay
National Polymer Clay Guild "Progress and Possibilities 2008", Second Place in Art Jewelry

Collections - My polymer clay work is now included in personal collections around the world, from Japan to Spain, Switzerland to Canada. Some of my work can also be found the galleries and collections below:

Racine Art Museum, Racine,
Maine Gathering, Camden, ME
Woman Creative, Buford, GA
"Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder", hosted by Ganoksin.com, curator Beth Wicker (bethwicker.com

MY STUDIO

Like an increasing number of people, we’ve chosen to live "off the grid", where the only connection to outside utilities is our underground phone line. All of our electricity comes from solar panels augmented with a propane generator when solar supply is lower than demand.

Our home is what’s often called a “homestead”. Our home and my studio were built from trees on the land. An efficient wood stove heats the house and studio using wood from the land. We have a large organic garden, which includes fruit and nut trees, and much of the produce is put away for the winter. Above is a photo of our home. My studio is on the lower left, with the large picture window.

Why do I call my studio "Raven's Clay"? One might say the raven is my spirit guide. Watching them play in the sky above my home, they look like master acrobats - having a whole lot of fun. I love to listen to them calling to each other as I play in my studio.

Ravens have a huge range of calls that are surely a complex language. In Heinrich Bernd's book, "Ravens in Winter", his descriptions of ravens paint a picture of intelligent, curious, playful, generous, and resourceful creatures - all characteristics I strive to embody both in myself and in my work.

If this isn't enough information and you'd like to know more about me, just send me an email!