This is the first time I’ve played with polymer clay, and it turned out to be a lot more fun than I thought. I was thinking of using real ice cream for some compositions, but decided not to due to the potential messes and lack of control of the medium.
The overarching theme for this series is modern still-life photography in pastel hues. It’s a style I’ve been wanting to try for awhile.
ICE CREAM from the point of view of
a GLUTTON is a DRUG
Ice cream to a glutton is a form of sustenance, an addictive drug.
PROCESS
I made tiny scoops of ice cream with balls of polymer clay in pink, purple and white. I added texture with an old toothbrush and a toothpick to make it look more realistic.
I arranged the ice cream scoops in a pill box and left some of them outside the box to show the details on the clay. I shot the composition against a light blue backdrop and brought the image over to Photoshop for enhancement.
Originally, I placed 2 flu pills together with the ice cream scoops so that people could make the association, but Shirley felt that the pillbox was enough to bring out my intended meaning, so I photoshopped them out.
ICE CREAM from the point of view of
HEAT is a TRAGIC DEATH
Ice cream is no match for the relentless heat. All it can do is melt away into nothingness, and we’re left with a pastel crime scene.
PROCESS
I kneaded purple and white clay together to form a flat marbled base, then shaped the clay into a dead person laying on the ground. I crumbled up bits of a cone and sprinkled them around the clay figure’s feet. The chalk outline and index cards were added later on in Photoshop.
I bumped up the vibrance and matched the hue of the background with the other compositions with the same blue backdrop, because I wanted the colours to look coherent throughout. I also had to smoothen certain areas of the clay figure to look slightly more ice cream like.
ICE CREAM from the point of view of
a MAGNIFYING GLASS is
an IMAGINARY ADVENTURE
Things can look entirely different if you’re looking from a zoomed in, distorted angle. If you use your imagination, you can dream up anything.
PROCESS
I mixed white and green clay to form a mint green shade. For some reason I wanted to make mint ice cream. I shaped the clay into three mountains of different sizes, then created the texture, pushing down on certain parts with a satay stick to create ridges and ledges so that the formation would look more like a mountain.
I crushed almonds and cashew nuts into tiny pieces, then lodged a few of them in the clay. These were meant to resemble boulders. The tiny mountain climbers and the flag were photoshopped.
I also had to colour correct this image, because the background really different shade from the other compositions.
ICE CREAM from the point of view of
a #SOCIALMEDIAADDICT is
a CLAIM TO FAME
For the millennials with *heavily curated* Instagram feeds. #foodporn #followforfollow!
PROCESS
This was my favourite composition to make, and I love how the colours turned out. I shaped the clay into a squarish bold font and melded it into a flat piece of clay, then added extra puddles around the main piece. The idea was to make the ice cream flow naturally, while still maintaining an intentional artificial finish.
I photoshopped many versions of the composition to play up the social media factor, but didn’t really like any of them, until I settled on just the notification bar as a subtle reference (it’s in the final composition).
ICE CREAM from the point of view of
a CONE is THE ULTIMATE
FASHION ACCESSORY
An ice cream cone can be dressed up with sprinkles, nuts and sauces, but no accessory is more important than a scoop of ice cream on top of its head (yeah… I might have been a bit too imaginative when I thought of this).
PROCESS
This composition took the most time, and I spent the bulk of it making the wardrobe. I used cardboard and blue poster paint. The paint turned out too dark for my liking, so I had to fix it on Photoshop. I also added the white borders using a Photoshop brush that looked natural enough.
I poked a hole through the ice cream cones and stringed them together with brown string. Then, I decorated the wardrobe with sprinkles and nuts to make it look more playful.
ICE CREAM from the point of view of VEGGIES is a SWORN ENEMY
Guilty pleasure vs nutrition in a Street Fighter style fight.
PROCESS
I used green clay to make the broccoli, then placed the clay items in formation and shot them against a lilac backdrop. The game graphics were inspired by the Street Fighter arcade game, but I stuck to flat vectors and pastel colours. I’m pretty satisfied with how this composition turned out!
REFLECTION
I’m quite happy with my choice of medium for this project. I’m usually more comfortable with digital work, but combining a handmade element with digital enhancement was a rewarding experience for me. I’m also generally pleased with the way the compositions turned out. It would’ve been great if I had a better camera and a simple light setup, but I had to chase after natural light instead. One of the most fun projects so far! 🙂
