Andrea Victoria Paradiso is a polymer clay artist residing in the USA but came with her family from Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1964 when she was seven years old. She has been doing some sort of craft or artwork since she was five. In 2012, she came across a catalog of Fire Mountain Beads, with fabulous polymer bead necklaces on the cover. Andrea immediately went searching to find out what material it was made of and how to use it. After making some necklaces and accessories she realized that she has a knack for sculpting. Soon enough, jewelry was not big enough territory for her.
Andrea won several Fire Mountain Gem and Beads Awards as well as having one of very first sculpts in Marie Segal’s “The Polymer Clay Artist’s Guide” Artists Gallery.
“I use any technique that I can get my hands on. I especially enjoy making lighted vessels. I use a great deal of sterling silver and 23kt gold leaf for inclusions in translucent clay and I often use mica powders, embossing powders, and pastels for highlights as well as semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals and fresh-water pearls. The structures I build on are usually glass or metal and, most times, I envelop them in polymer as well.” Explains Andrea her techniques and the process of work and used materials. Every little bit is sculpted and put together with her own hands and the bigger sculpts take many, many hours to complete and oftentimes weeks go by before completion.
Great example of her way of creating is one of the latest pieces, the Purple garlic, which has detachable cloves and skin. It is made of polymer clay, sterling silver leaf inclusions, soft pastels for ocher highlights on skin and stalk. No paints or molds used in this piece. We love the transparent effect and the palette of the colours Andrea used.
Andrea retired last year so she has all the time she needs to create the projects she has been yearning to make. She is working on her photography skills and establishing an online presence with the thought of perhaps having an online store in the future. Her greatest desire, however, is to keep on building and expanding her own little polymer clay world which makes her exceedingly happy and we wish her all the best in fulfilling all her dreams!
