Sarajane Helm began making dolls and dressing them when she was a very young girl...the skills learned in drawing and sewing for dolls translated into a love of character and costume. She studied theater arts at Barat College and theatrical design at Ohio State University. She is currently attending Front Range Community College studying for a degree in Media Graphic Design and Art.
Since 1978, she has designed and sold dolls and wearable art in many forms, utilizing her skills with fabric and fibers, polymer clay, paper and multimedia works.
She designs rubber stamps and textile prints, dyes and hand embellishes fabrics, draws paper doll art and coloring books and designs web sites.
Her work appears in magazine articles for Bead & Button, Jewelry Crafts, DOLLS, Lapidary Journal and others. In addition to serving as the Polymer Clay Editorial Advisor for Belle Armoire Magazine, she wrote a bi-monthly column that appeared there on the business of selling wearable art. It ran from 2003-2008.
Her books Create A Polymer Clay Impression and Celebrations With Polymer Clay continue to be well received and respected as being both beautiful and brimming with information. Adapting Quilt Patterns To Polymer Clay is the title of her 2006 book co-authored with Judith Skinner, whose "Skinner Blend" technique has changed the look of polymer clay art throughout the world. In 2009 Helm released her most recent book, The Business Of Professional Art, a compilation of 30 columns from Belle Armoire Magazine. Several other books are in the works and there is a planned release of 1-2 per year. She is currently working on the photographs for A Collection Of Polymer Clay Masks, scheduled for release in October 2010.
She is a founding member of the San Diego Polymer Clay Guild, and of the Rocky Mountain Polymer Clay Guild (which is now three groups-- the Rocky Mountain Polymer Clay Guild is in Ft. Collins, Colorado, Denver has the Mile High Polymer Clay Guild and the Pikes Peak Polymer Clay Guild in Colorado Springs). Sarajane works to explore and promote the many possibilities of the medium and to nurture creativity in others. She served as Vice President of Membership for the National Polymer Clay Guild and continues to help organize an annual polymer clay retreat with the Rocky Mountain Polymer Clay Network.
She and her husband collaborate on their larger pieces, and the entire family gets involved in the pursuit of business and art. Together they have created mosaic pieces for private collections, for gallery sales and for the benefit of local community organizations such as the Humane Society and the Symphony Orchestra's "Art of Music" fundraiser.
As part of the Artist In Residence program at Columbine Elementary School in 2005, Sarajane worked with hundreds of local elementary school children to create a polymer clay mask and flower garden installation and to promote the use of their creative skills. She works with adult artists and educators as well, and was an instructor at the week long Tougaloo College Summer Art Colony 2004 and 2008 in Jackson, Mississippi. By continuing to learn and sharing what she knows with others throughout the years, Sarajane has acquired many skills that she enjoys honing through use. She travels throughout the United States to instruct people of many ages and skill levels in classes and seminars on subjects including textile dyeing and decoration, mask making and costuming, dolls and miniature making, bead making and use, and about polymer clay in all its many potential applications.
Artist's Statement:
"As an independent artist and author, I have learned the value of having many skills that interconnect. I have them all available to use in design challenges, and I instruct others on how to access their own artistic and perceptive abilities. When instructing on uses of dyes and paints in textiles, or thermoplastics used in jewelry and sculptural maquettes, the power of creative thought is emphasized and nurtured. These skills can be honed in any creative area for their own sake--or to bring about better use of mental and physical skills in all levels of work.
I am available for workshops with children, adults, those with exceptional abilities or special learning needs, and for corporate workers who wish to hone their abilities in perceptual skills and problem solving in previously unexplored ways. To see some of my work in building everything from web pages to artist in residence projects for schools, please visit polyclay.com and I can be contacted through email at sarajane@polyclay.com
While beads, dolls, and wearable arts may seem of less import on the surface, aesthetic and ethical design qualities are at the basis of many endeavors--and these things can be learned in a comfortable, non-threatening, fun and satisfying way through creative arts."
Specialties: Perception and the communication of those perceptions are the key elements in all my art and other endeavors. An understanding of many kinds of applications of creativity and the nurturing of it in others is my specialty. Whether designing textiles, jewelry, sculpture, or writing about creative work in books and magazines, I choose to share in ways that are fun and informative while still incorporating a further understanding of ethical behavior and personal responsibility. Creativity in visual or tactile fields sparks improvement on many levels of brain and physical efforts. I make interesting and thought-provoking work, and show others that they also have the ability to do so and to develop their own artistic voices.
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Technical and instructional writing
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Paper and digital graphic arts
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Digital photography
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Desktop document layout, editing and publishing
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Website design and maintenance
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Textile design and embellishment including beading, dyeing , painting/printing
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Pattern design and drafting
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Sewing and Costuming Decorative arts
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Doll, Puppet and Miniature making
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Animation and Theater arts
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Faux-finish and Set Decoration
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Mask and Figure sculpting and mold making
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Character design and development art
Create A Polymer Clay Impressionpub. 2001(Krause Publications)
This book is packed with projects, tips, techniques, sources (five pages) and inspiration! With more than 200 full color photos, its a treat for your imagination.In her first book with Krause Publications, Sarajane Helm shows some of the wide variety that can be achieved with polymer clay.
Photographer Bob Grieser focuses on capturing the details, and his step-by-step shots make it easy to follow all the projects inside.
Celebrations With Polymer Clay was released in 2003 with Krause Publications. This Holiday extravaganza is filled with projects and techniques for artists of all levels of skill.
The gallery shots include the fabulous work of over 60 polymer clay artists. There's lots to be learned and seen in this new release. This book was also photographed with Bob Grieser.
Adapting Quilt Patterns To Polymer Claywas released in November 2006 by Polymarket Press
Our first foray into self-publishing through PolyMarket Press shows off 122 pages of incredibly colorful polymer clay quilts! Co-authored by Judith Skinner, who also created all the graphics, and Sarajane Helm, who took the photographs.
A gallery of contributing artists and a focus on quilt designs all combine to create a visually compelling book that is also a great tutorial on all sorts of polymer clay work--with a quilt theme!
The Business Of Professional Art is the 2009 release from Polymarket Press. It is a compilation of 30 columns that previously appeared in Belle Armoire Magazine from 2003 to 2008.
This handy little paperback is chock-filled with information of importance to all artistic entreprenuers who yearn to earn! No matter what your chosen media for art, the tips on presentation and selling for a myriad of venues can be of great benefit.
Other Magazines and Books In Print
Dollmaking-- Projects and Plans summer issue 1991 |
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DOLLS-the Collector's Magazine Nov. 1991 pgs. 160, 161, 162 |
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Dollmaking--Projects and Plans winter issue 1991 pgs. 42, 43, 44, 45 |
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Dollmaking--Projects and Plans fall issue 1992 pgs. 30, 31 |
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Dollmaking--Projects and Plans winter issue 1993 pgs. 36, 37 |
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Doll Makers Journal winter issue 1993 pgs. 8, 26 |
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Dollmaking--Projects and Plans spring issue 1993 pg. 60 |
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Dollmaking--Projects and Plans July-August 1994 pgs. 62, 63 |
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POLYinforMER Aug.-Oct. 1994 pg. 12 |
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POLYinforMER Jan.-Mar 1995 pg.4 |
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1995 Polymer Clay Calendar National Polymer Clay Guild and S. Ford features beads in the cover shot, also 2 polymer covered eggs on "March" |
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Creating With Polymer Claypub. 1996 (Lark Books) written by S. Ford & L. Dierks pgs. 51, 52 dollmaking tips, "BonBon Bertie" doll and setting |
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Jewelry Crafts Magazine Jan./Feb. 1997 pgs. 52, 53 |
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POLYinforMER summer 1997 pg.16 |
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Jewelry Crafts Magazine Sept./Oct. 1997 pgs. 44,45,46 |
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Bead & Button Magazine Aug. 1998 pgs. 48, 49, 50 |
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Jewelry Crafts Magazine April 1999 pgs. 24, 25, 26, 27 |
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Foundations in Polymer Clay pub. 1999 (Krause Publications) |
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Lapidary Journal March 2000 pgs. 69-70 |
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Bead & Button October 2000 pgs. 64-67 |
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Belle Armoire Autumn 2002 |
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Belle Armoire Summer 2003 pg.32 |
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Belle Armoire Autumn 2003 pg.48 |
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Belle Armoire Spring 2004 pg.8 |
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Belle Armoire Summer 2004 pg.8 |
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Belle Armoire Autumn 2004 pg.10 |
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"Belle Armoire Winter 2004 pg.24 |
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Belle Armoire Winter 2004 pg.32 |
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Lapidary Journal-Step By Step Jewelry Winter 2005 pg.63 |
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Belle Armoire Jan-Feb 2005 |
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Belle Armoire Mar-Apr 2005 |
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Belle Armoire May-June 2005 |
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Belle Armoire July-Aug 2005 |
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Belle Armoire Sept-Oct 2005 |
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Belle Armoire Nov-Dec 2005 |
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Belle Armoire Jan-Feb 2006 |
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Belle Armoire March-April 2006 |
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Polymer Clay--Creative Traditions --Pub: Watson-Guptill Publications Jan. 2006 written by Judy Belcher (featuresteaset, hand and mask pendants) |
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Belle Armoire May-June 2006 |
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Belle Armoire July-August 2006 |
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Belle Armoire Sept-Oct 2006 |
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Polymer Pizzazz--25 Great Polymer Clay Jewelry Projects |
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Belle Armoire Nov-Dec 2006 |
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Belle Armoire Jan-Feb 2007 |
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Belle Armoire Mar-April 2007 |
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Belle Armoire May-June 2007 |
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Belle Armoire July-Aug 2007 |
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Belle Armoire Sept-Oct 2007 |
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Belle Armoire Nov-Dec 2007 |
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Belle Armoire Jan-Feb 2008 |
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Belle Armoire Mar-April 2008 |
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