Comments on: Blue Flower Earrings – A Jewelry Making Project Using Premo Sculpey

By: Cindy Lietz@Polymer Clay Cane Designs

Cindy Lietz@Polymer Clay Cane Designs — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:34:51 +0000

You are probably right Monique. I’m sure most people (unless there is big money involved) would rather keep it out of court, though. Too bad there not a little wand you could wave over a piece that would blink if it was considered a copy! :-)

By: Monique Spencer

Monique Spencer — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:09:53 +0000

I think we won’t know the practical answer until somebody tests it in court! If an artist believes that a piece has been directly copied and sold and sues the coper, well, s/he would have to prove that the original work was unique, I think.

By: Cindy Lietz@Bead Making Basics

Cindy Lietz@Bead Making Basics — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:27:15 +0000

Thank you so much Krista, Donna, Garnie, Andrea, Tina Cindy, E. and Keri Lee!! Your opinions are very valuable to us all! Love to still hear more on this! Anyone else have something they'd like to add? Cindy Lietz's last blog post..Polymer Clay Projects - Large Beads From Mokume Gane Covered Wood

By: Keri Lee Sereika

Keri Lee Sereika — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:51:54 +0000

Interesting questions….I agree with the idea that we get inspiration from all over the place and so unless it is exactly the same it is not a copy….it is inspired by perhaps but when you use different supplies and do your own thing…well then how can you say it is copied much less the same?

By: Cindy Erickson

Cindy Erickson — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:31:07 +0000

Cindy,

I believe that we all have the right to take anything we see, hear about, or imagine and make it our own. In the case of your Hydrangea flower earrings, they are a copy of nature. In order to look like the flower they are, they need to look like they do, and you accomplished this. Yes, you saw and used a technique that made copying a Hydrangea somewhat easier than perhaps another technique, but you made your own Hydrangeas. If I were to paint a picture of your Hydrangeas and include them in a bowl of Orchids, would this mean that I “stole” your Hydrangea idea? No, I think not. Many people in the world have painted Hydrangeas before, and they were not copying each other…they were copying Hydrangeas!!! :) If I use the same color combination that another painter used to paint her flowers, it does not mean that I have copied her idea. I have simply used what might be a more popular color combination for Hydrangeas :)

Taking someone’s work that was done by their own hand, and then claiming it as our own, is of course, a very wrong thing to do. But emulating someone’s work, and then making it into our own is just simply creating from inspiration.

Well, this is my take on the subject, anyway! Thanks for asking our opinion.

Hugs to you, Cindy Erickson

PS…I love your Hydrangeas!!! :) :) :)

By: Tina

Tina — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:32:06 +0000

I agree with you Cindy. It is extremely confusing.
Many artists like Donna Kato have a distinct ‘signature’ style, but I doubt she invented the black and white stripe or a squiggle. The hard part is that we all strive to find our own signature.
I think we develop this with time and with the help from each other, whether by lessons or by visual inspiration. Then, when comfortable, we add our own spin onto what we have learned. I think your Blue Flower Earrings are creative and not a copy because you didn’t recreate the whole blossom, but made flowers and turned them into earrings.

Gosh, I have books from the late 80′s and some of those styles in there remind me of what I see being created by established artists today! Reinventing the wheel?

Techniques are so plentiful now, we could probably fill a dictionary just dedicated to clay and although we ‘try’ and credit names to famous quotes every time we write them… a silly thought here, but imagine if we had to credit every single author for every ‘single’ word ever written? Who wrote what word first….?
The ‘fear’ of creating something that may look like someone else’s work or may get compared to someone else’s is something we all have to learn and live/cope with, and it can even happen unintentionally, I’ve seen it happen many times. It’s a tough nut subject.

By: Cindy Lietz@How To Make Beads

Cindy Lietz@How To Make Beads — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:56:28 +0000

This is a big issue, because where do you draw the line. For example, Donna Kato uses a lot of black and white stripes in her work... so does that mean if you use black and white stripes in your work, you're copying?... No I would think not.

But if you were to make a pod shape, in the same colors and configurations, make a squiggled black and white line on it... would it be copying then... probably.

But what if you take her class (I have not had the pleasure yet, but many of you have.) and have a piece that looks like hers and a customer wants to buy it? Do you say no because it's copyrighted? I have no idea.

As a teacher I need to be as creative as possible and come up with as many ideas of my own, if I want people to follow me... and I do.

I have also learned a lot from a ton of other people. Should I be able to share that with you all or is that something that I have to keep to myself?

I can see why so many are confused!

Cindy's last post..Bead Mosaic Jewelry Brooch by Polymer Clay Artist Naama Zamir

By: Tina

Tina — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:09:21 +0000

Opinions vary so widely. There has been so much discussion about copying and for certain there will be more. I feel to copy someone in order to learn is totally acceptable, such as from a workshop, tutorial, magazine. To copy and sell is a whole different story.
Techniques are supposed to be non-copyrightable, but there have been stern exceptions, and it seems that certain techniques get names attached, like Skinner blend or Natasha Bead, that are perfectly fine too use but who remembers who taught the first “-”, thats a tough one. When we use a technique its hard to say on our creations: This piece incorporates Judith Skinners blend, Mokume Gane ala so and so and Pinata technique by so and so and my own special blablabla. Nobody does that. If we make a certain flower, a rose…well, a rose is a rose but can still be interpreted in many different ways including with all the techniques I just mentioned. I could go on and on, but am sure others will have a lot to add, lol. Be happy and create was pleases your own self.

By: Andrea Dimmick

Andrea Dimmick — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:39:14 +0000

As you’ve adapted this to make youre own project I don’t see any problem,though the copyright issue is confusing.I recently wanted to exibit a painting in a judged show,only to be told it couldn’t be accepted, as it had been produced in a class[basicly following the tutors original painting,even though the finished piece wasn't an exact replica].Most crafters/artists adapt their work from many different sources,this dosen’t nessecerilly mean they’ve gone out of their way to copy.

By: Cindy Lietz@Bead Course Info

Cindy Lietz@Bead Course Info — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:06:20 +0000

Thank you so much for your opinions girls! I know that what is original and what is not can be a big topic for debate.

Love to hear more on this. How does everyone else feel?

Cindy's previous post..Premo Clay Flower Pendant Necklace Project