Polymer clay artist: Rickie Leiter
May 17, 2009 by Cyndi Lavin
Filed under Mixed Media, Other Bead & Jewelry Sites, Polymer Clay, Wearable Art
Rickie Leiter, of Rickie Leiter’s Ocean Stone Jewelry, has a totally unique inspiration for polymer clay jewelry pieces. I love the idea of combining a precious antique material with something as accessible as polymer clay. Rickie writes:
Childhood experiences started me on a path of looking at nature with appreciation and awe. Collecting stones, shells, and pieces of pottery from trips around the world always kept those memories alive in a special way. Some tokens became necklaces or pins, as I learned new ways to create jewelry with different mediums.
The pieces shown are built with polymer clay and are embedded with pieces of pottery shards that date back to 165 BC, the time of Judah Maccabbee. No longer used to store wine, oil, or perfume, these shards come from Tel Maresha, in the 1,250 acre Beit Guvrin National Park which lies one hour southwest of Jerusalem. The darkest shards were used for cooking over and open flame.
I took part in an archaology “dig for a day” program, with members of my group uncovering chicken bones, pieces of pottery, and the top third of a wine amphora intact! We toured where the former residents raised doves, stored their crops, and buried their dead. At the end of the day, we were allowed to take shards of pottery that the archaologists determined were no longer of interest to them. These “relics” now have a new life and can be appreciated in new ways. Much like finding a new path on life’s journey.
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