There will be hardly anyone who hasn’t played with plasticine as a kid. Yes, with the so-called polymer clay. And KleineKnetwelt is no exception.
This creative person from Germany was so enamoured by the possibilities that plasticine offered, it became difficult for her to part with it even when she reached adulthood. What really hooked her to the moldable polymer clay was its beautiful colours and ease of handling. She also found miniatures tiny, whimsical and full of fun.
However, it was Knetwelt’s fertile imagination and excellent visualization that prompted her to do with polymer clay that is unique in its own way. Totally self-taught, she honed her skills in moulding plasticine and turn them into amazing figurines and motifs in miniature forms.
Going by her motto, ‘You have to look to see’, she finds it easy to get her ideas by visualizing the miniatures. For inspiration, she just observes whatever is happening around her. Her mind also gets stimulated by pictures, nature, people and music.
Once the idea pops into Knetwelt’s mind, she heads straight for her tiny workspace located in the south west of Germany and tries to express that idea in polymer clay and make the best of it. By her own admission, it takes her a couple of tries or some major adjustments in turning her ideas into clay miniatures. For her, everything revolves around the oven-hardened polymer clay that she turns into little figurines with great passion and expertise.
In addition to the miniatures, she has also mastered the art of putting the miniatures into transparent glass balls. She got this inspiration while watching a Christmas special on TV that was teaching this art when she went visiting the US.
Knetwelt preferred crafting miniatures because it uses less clay. And she has no qualms in saying that she did so because she could ill afford the cost of making bigger stuff. Also, she used her own regular kitchen oven to harden the polymer clay. Such was her expertise with miniatures that it soon started attracting the attention of discerning plasticine art buffs.
Although Knetwelt humbly states, “In the end, I always can live with the result!”, she actually creates something that is really marvellous. And her meticulously crafted miniatures are a testimony to her creativity and she feels for the aesthetics. Not for nothing are her creations a rage on Instagram, where they enjoy a huge following of over 80,000 fans.
Knetwelt, who describes herself as a ‘one-woman company’, doesn’t keep her skills to herself, but enjoys sharing it with others as well. Every Friday, she releases a time-lapse video telling how she created her figures, be it a person, animal or any other interesting object. At times, she also uploads a longer version of one-minute time-lapse videos. These videos have become a great teaching and entertaining source for clay craft buffs and laypeople alike.
If you loved Knetwelt’s creations, these are available online.
Vera
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