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.
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 writes a bi-monthly column that appears there on
the business of selling wearable art. It has been ongoing since 2003. An
online column about polymer clay work is featured in The
Bead Bugle.
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 2007, Helm released
her most recent book, The Business Of Professional Art, a compilation
of 24 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 The Art Of Polymer Clay Masks,
scheduled for release in October 2008.
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 recently 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
Tougaloo College Summer Art Colony 2004 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 www.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.
Bibliography--works in print
Create A Polymer Clay
Impression
pub. 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.
Next
up came 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!
Adapting
Quilt Patterns To Polymer Clay
was released in November 2006 by Polymarket
Press, which is the work of Judith Skinner and Sarajane Helm.
The
Business Of Professional Art is the 2007
release from Polymarket Press. It is a compilation of 24 columns that previously
appeared in Belle Armoire Magazine from 2003 to 2007.
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.
