Artist’s Bio

The first time Gera used polymer clay was in when she made a funky pair of dangly earrings to compliment a painting she had in a show at art school. Her focus was on ceramics at that time so she set the packages of polymer clay aside. 

Her formal art studies paused when she had her children but she discovered that the internet was populated with communities of artists willing to share ideas, techniques and encouragement and her art studies could continue from home. She spent several years focused upon papier mache, paper-making, book and gourd arts. One day she needed to drill a hole through a pebble to add as an accent for a project she was working on. It came to mind to try to make a faux stone with polymer clay. The little exercise was an epiphany for her. She joined an online polymer clay group and was drawn into an innovative community of artists fascinated by this wonderfully adaptive medium that is making inroads in the art world. Polymer Clay has proven to be the perfect foundation medium for Gera's organic approach and her delight in colour, texture and mixed media. She was soon using polymer clay for figurative sculpture, jewellery and vessel-building. 

Gera has been a full time polymer clay artist since 1997 and her work is in collections in Canada, USA, Europe and Japan. She has been involved in juried shows and most recently was honoured to be a finalist in the sculptural category of The International Polymer Clay Artists’ Association's Progress and Possibilities Competition. Gera has developed a series of polymer clay workshops which she has taught in BC and Ontario. She is a founding member of the Vancouver Island Polymer Clay Artists' Guild. 

Polymer Clay is a synthetic material that fires at 275F. It is available in a myriad of mixable colours as well as a translucent version allowing 3 dimensional effects. It can be sculpted, stamped, carved and even turned on a lathe or potter's wheel. Adding acrylic paints, inks, micas, foils and inclusions results in amazing effects imitating natural materials such as jade, opal, turquoise or even rusted metal. Many traditional techniques from glass making, metal work and woodworking such as millefiori and mokume gane have been adapted by polymer clay artists to achieve astonishing effects. Gera's polymer pieces require multiple firings as they are composed from the inner frame to the final surface. Her predominant technique currently involves painting a design on sheets of clay with an acrylic and mica mixture, adding inclusions, allowing it to dry before running it through a pasta machine to crackle and distort the image. The polymer clay artists' community is innovative and dedicated to discovering new approaches and effects. There's always something new to discover!