Location
Ireland
About the Artist: Aoife Murphy
My name is Aoife Smyth Murphy and I am a co-founder of the Irish Polymer Clay Guild. I very much enjoy my role within the Guild coordinating and hosting Workshops for our Members. I fell in love with Polymer Clay four years ago after making a Fairy Door for one of my daughters. She, like her Mom, is fascinated with the "Wee Folk" or "The Fae", as we call them in Ireland. We often create a batch of Fairy Doors and hide them in our local woods for children to find. This brings me so much joy and allows me to teach my three children about the importance of kindness and sharing! I have been lucky enough to be a Cover Artist and regular contributor to the US magazine "Passion for Polymer". I have also taken part in a virtual teaching retreat (Polymer Clay Adventure) for the past two years. I absolutely love to teach but I also consider myself very much a student. I hope I will always feel that way about Polymer Clay – that there will always be something new to try!
Websites
Exhibition Images
Fairy Teapot Cottage
6 inches x 10 inches, Ceramic and Polymer Clay
This cosy little cottage is a home to a very special fairy. It was designed with the notion of blending into a forest landscape. The Star Gazer Lily petals offer a waterproof roof and of course add a touch of femininity to the overall look. The walls are covered in faux bark and the spout, handle, door and window frames have been created with a faux wood cane. The magical fungi that have sprouted on the paved doorstep allow us to interpret the miniature stature of this piece and the Quartz Crystals embedded in the mossy foreground offer protection to the occupant. The stonework on the chimney draws the eye and allows us to imagine a brightly burning fire inside on cold days!
Related Gallery
Containers
Everything but the Kitchen Sink
10 inch x 10 inch, Ceramic and Polymer Clay,
This piece manifested as an exercise in "letting go" and not planning every last detail! I'm very inclined toward perfectionistic tendencies and I agonize over colours and design of every creation I make. This results in me working at a very slow speed and so I decided to just stop over thinking things! I grabbed my box of canes and just started sticking 'em on! I absolutely loved the result and this is definitely one of my favourite pieces. I hope it will inspire others to let go and just allow some of your work to manifest itself without worrying about what people think or if it will sell!
Related Gallery
Containers
Fantasy Wine Goblets
9 inches x 4 inches, Wine Glasses and Polymer Clay
I created these goblets just as Summer turned to Autumn. I wanted the colours to reflect a season of preparing for rest or indeed hibernation for some creatures! The warm Terracotta and Yellow Ochre leaf canes convey a Fall Feel while the Navy/Blue leaf canes makes one think of starry nights. What else can one do other than curl up in front of the fire and enjoy a glass of wine when the weather is wet and windy or dark and frosty!
