Patricia Kimle

I have been creating wearable art and home decorating accessories with polymer clay, for 15 years. I have shown eggs, beads, jewelry, and vessels in juried national exhibitions of polymer clay as well as in local and regional general media exhibitions. My work has been included in such shows as Embellishments, the Bead & Button show, and several other annual beadwork events. In 1997 and again in 2000, my work was chosen to represent Iowa in the White House display of decorated Easter eggs.

Since I was a child, I have always loved designing things. My hearts desire led me to pursue apparel design and ultimately to receive a Ph.D. in Textiles and Clothing. During and after my graduate program, I taught undergraduate apparel design courses at Iowa State University.

Picking up the thread of teaching again, this time in the polymer clay community, has given me great satisfaction. In polymer clay, I have pursued just about every technique available, and one of my favorite techniques is the decorative surface pattern created with canework. I guess that's because it seems close to creating fabric patterns; surface design was one of my areas as a fiber artist. In addition to making work for sale, I've chosen to concentrate mostly on technique development and project design for the craft industry. My designs can be found in jewelry craft magazines as well as general craft publications. A full-length how-to book of my designs, Polymer Clay Inspirations was released in 2005 by North Light Publications.

I live on a small "hobby farm" in Ames with my husband and 3 children, a large garden, 6 sheep and a Springer Spaniel. I enjoy cooking and needlearts when I'm not in the studio.