Your Company Name:
Email Address/Web Page: noel_ferry@hotmail.com
City & State:Australia
Type of Craft:Fimo/modelene
Tell us in your own words, how you discovered polymer clay and how long have you been using it?
When I was about 7 years old I think which makes me having used it for
nearly 40 odd years or so.
Are there any special artists that you can attribute your interest to or that have inspired you?
Not in this medium, no. But there certainly are many artists generically
that interest and have influenced me in many other mediums.
What is your specialty?
In this particular medium, rather quirky anthropomorphic animals.
Can you tell us why you find polymer clay the expressive medium for you?
Its ease and durability. I have two small daughters who are always asking me
to make things for them and I can put this material out very fast for them
and it is comparatively cheap.
Have you published any polymer clay books or do you have any in the works?
No, but I am currently working on a web page for them and this will be out
hopefully by the middle of this year. Stay tuned.
I know it is very difficult to express, but have you won any awards for your polymer clay work?
As a kid I had quite a lot of exposure, but no, I sell material on craft
stalls and also by word of mouth. Quite frankly, accolades such as awards
are not what I am interested in. I am an artist and make material usually
to order now with people asking for something personal to themselves. I
recently made a chess set for my daughter who is 6 years old and the whole
set was with frogs. Many people have approached me seeing this with requests
to make them a set using thir preferred animal etc. This is the way that
things will go for the present...
What are your expectations for the future? Where do you hope to be 5 years from now?
Growth of ideas and commitment/time spent in developing ideas. I would like
to think that I could increasingly spent more time crafting a sort of quasi
part time job doing what I really love, that is, making objects.
Do you have any advice for the beginning polymer clay enthusiasts?
Do not let anyone put you off and be wary of being too influenced by anyone
who is a so called 'expert'. By all means watch and learn off another if
that is your way of learning, ( I have difficulty with this method), but you
will only be any good if you practise yourself and continue to do so. It
takes time and patience, so hang in there. If you are not interested in
putting the mileage in, then buy someone else's work. That is not failure,
just an admission that in this life there is only so much that you can do.
Are you a member of any Polymer Clay group,or any other craft
organization?
My own
What brands of polymer clay do you prefer and why?
Fimo and modelene, an Australian material, as well as du-kit, its NZ
variant.
Last and most important can you tell us all about you? Your family, your
training?
I am an artist/teacher/educator and now part time consultant who uses a
plethora of materials and this one perhaps the most gives me the most
pleasure. Within its limitations, it is an exceptional expressive material.
