Conference Presenter – Cindy Silas

Always an artist, I spent much of my youth drawing, painting, sewing, knitting, and of course macramé in the ’70s. I chose the business art of graphic design as a profession, while continuing to explore other mediums, such as watercolor and photography. In 2003, I picked up a book about polymer clay and more recently, silver clay, and have become focused on combining these two wonderful mediums when creating art jewelry. My art experience has been rich, not with any one medium, but in collecting what they individually offer. Each has added to my sense of design and love of color. Not to mention a jam–packed studio. haha. Life is an adventure, and there is so much left to do…see…try. I’m looking forward to exploring, innovating, and continuing to share through art, demos, teaching and publishing.

Cindy Silas’ work has been published in PMC Guild’s Annual #2, Fusion and PolymerCAFE magazine. She is certified through Rio, and is a member of both the Art Clay Society and PMC Guild. Currently, she is the Vice President of her local Virginia PMC Chapter, and the Member–at–Large for the National Polymer Clay Guild.

Contact information:
Website: www.cindysilas.com
Studio Phone: (703) 590-7286

Conference Presentation Overview: Enamel Illusions

While taking a cloisonné enameling class, I learned how to create a beautiful glass gem. But it took hours to apply and fire all of the layers, plus my pinks turned orange in the kiln. I started wishing I could truly imitate the brilliant glass enamel using liquid polymer on fired silver clay. It would be so much quicker, and I could easily mix any color desired. Several experiments led to a brand–new method that’s much clearer and glass’like than the usual way of adding liquid polymer to your fine silver. This new technique looks just like real enamel! In this presentation, I will cover the entire process, starting with my design and photopolymer techniques, materials used, and their application–everything necessary to create your own Enamel Illusion.