Ireland is a beautiful country full of history and legends where people love their stories full of sprites and fairies… so no wonder art is flourishing there. Today’s blog is about a polymer clay artist living in a very rural area of county Donegal, Fiona Herbst.
Art and creativity has always been part of her life. Both her parents and grandparents were collectors of fine art. Although she always wanted to go to art college, she was directed towards a more ‘sensible’ choice of career, her other interest - social work.
However art was never put aside. In college, Fiona discovered polymer clay. Creativity became her form of relaxation. “I would knit, sketch, paint, write and then I discovered polymer clay. At first I started making brooches and earrings for friends and family and this led me to selling from a billboard on the streets of Belfast,” shares Fiona her beginnings. Plus those sales contributed to my much needed entertainment expenses during the hard times of student life.
When starting her career as a social worker, Fiona retired from making jewellery to sell. But about eight years ago when she was asked to contribute something for a school fair, she remembered her old box of polymer clay and in this moment she rediscovered her passion for working with clay. “With the fair being a resounding success and my children older, I decided that the time had come to try a change of career. My mantra is that when life throws opportunity in your path, it is up to you to pick it up and go!” explains Fione why she came back to the creating. We have to say that this calling of destiny experienced a lot of artists. But only few are responding to it the way Fiona did.
Since then she has been making beautiful polymer clay jewellery inspired by colors of nature. In her latest atwork we also see some influences of polymer clay masters from around the world but the inner voice is clearly heard. We can feel that when she was creating these pieces when she imagined the beaches of the ocean, flowers in the meadow, or sun in the sky. Good job!
https://www.polymerweek.com/post/once-an-artist-always-an-artist
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