Featured Artist Jennifer Stuart

Hi! I’m Jennifer Stuart, and my company is called the Kaleidoscope District. I am excited to share a bit about what I do, and why I deeply appreciate using Aves Apoxie Sculpt on my kaleidoscopes and teleidoscopes!

I found Apoxie Sculpt when I was first learning to make kaleidoscopes in the beginning of the pandemic. A friend mentioned that she was creating tiny figures for a game out of a two-part clay that would dry without heat and didn’t shrink. Instantly, my eyes opened wide, and my heart had a million questions, realizing how potentially helpful such a thing could be for my newfound and challenging obsession.

Learning to do stained glass and make kaleidoscopes without any direct instruction was not an easy feat. I devoured YouTube videos trying to troubleshoot why many things kept going wrong, and there were very few videos that were specifically about kaleidoscopes.

One issue I faced was wanting to attach things once the mirrors were inserted, which seemed impossible to do without getting flux inside of the scope or damaging the mirrors with the heat from the soldering iron. In the past, I had used polymer clay to make jewelry, but did not think it would be safe to put a kaleidoscope through the heating process. Most importantly, I didn’t know if that type of clay would last for years if it was stuck to smooth glass.

The idea of a clay that could harden without heat was incredibly appealing. Suddenly, any decoration that I wanted to add became fair game. My collection of semi-precious stone beads and unsold handmade jewelry became building blocks that I could use to create a unique style without having to apply heat or flux once the kaleidoscope was sealed. I used leftover mica pigment from my resin crafting days to coat the top of the clay, and used sculpting tools to create leaves and other designs. It has become the most joyful, soothing, and creative part of my building process.

Now, as I take my kaleidoscopes to music festivals and local artisan markets, I often recall that night on the porch when my friend opened my eyes to the possibility of an insanely durable clay that dries without heat, doesn’t shrink, and sticks to anything that I put it on. When I try to imagine making kaleidoscopes without it, I simply can’t, as it’s become such a part of my designs and individual style.

Jennifer Stuart
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