CFCF 2010 Conference Instructors: Kathryn Jo Ottman

Kathryn Jo Ottman

Kathryn grew up in Northern Wisconsin as the third oldest of eight children and from the beginning  sought out her creative side.  With little to no funds for extra-curricular activities such as school sports, dance or music lessons, she forced herself to discover the magic inside – starting small with sculpting animals from modeling clay, then on to teaching herself (as the only left-handed person in the family) to knit and crochet.  In high school, her interests turned to wire sculpture and at the UofMD, she expanded her work to pastels and oil painting. She earned her BA in Business and minor in Fine Arts.

Artistically, everything came full circle for her in 2000, when personal tragedy led her to discover the extremely versatile artistic medium of polymer clay.  From there on, her life was transformed.  Kathryn has been working with polymer clay for nearly a decade, teaching classes and exhibiting her work in juried and gallery shows.  Her love of color and texture most influence her work and she uses everyday inspiration to create one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces, home décor items, books, and dolls.  Each piece is created using custom-blended clay colors and a variety of techniques including Millefiore cane work , Mokume gane, carving, etching, texturing and imitative techniques. 

In 2005, she began laying down plans for a local creative conference specifically geared to polymer clay and mixed media artists, but one that would also give back to the community through fundraising for specific causes.  From this, Polymer Clay Fests and Cabin Fever Clay Fest were born.  Now in its third year, CFCF continues to grow and attract new and experienced artists from around the world.

She currently teaches at GEPPAC, Strathmore, and VisArts Center in the DC area as well as various venues across the country.  Her work can be seen in galleries in Washington, DC and at juried shows around the country.

  Dangles – 4 in Four? 

 

   

This is your challenge…let’s see if we can do it!  Ever had a friend who had a pair of earrings to match each outfit?  In this workshop, students will create beautiful dangles for any occasion using simple canes, embossing powder, texture sheets, polymer “fabric” and polymer buttons.  Students will learn to make earrings from the simplest to the more complex layered styles using many different techniques.  Bring along your imagination and lots of color!