Workshop Wonderment

Each year the Mosaic Association of Australia and New Zealand hold a national symposium and this year I was asked to conduct a workshop. Now I should say from the get-go that I know absolutely diddly-squat about mosaics and wasn't all that sure I would have anything to offer. Apparently the organisers felt differently and convinced me to run a workshop involving polymer clay and cane work. It didn't take that much convincing really - appealing to my vanity did the trick! These canes have a similar appearance to "millefiori", a  technique used to create beautiful patterns in glass. It means 'thousand flowers' and the Venitians have been making this kind of glass for yonks. This is what the glass canes look like ...

                                                               (I nabbed this pic from here)

I taught my students how to make two basic canes using polymer clay and then how to use those canes to build more complex ones. Then we made them into pendants, using drink cans as bezels. I had a great time and everyone seemed pleased with their work and the new skills they had acquired. I do love teaching! Sadly, I don't have any pics of the workshop in progress because when I went to take some photos, I discovered that there was only one battery in my camera. I am harbouring deep suspicions ( and some resentments) that somebody nicked one for the tv remote control ... Still I have some pics of the demo models I made during class so you can get some idea of what I am babbling about. (sorry these first ones are a bit dark)

Here you can see some in their drink can bezels and some flat ones that haven't been polished.

This one was cured over a curve to give it that lovely domed effect.

As you can see they are really quite colourful and bright. Some of the students made much more monochromatic ones than mine and they looked fantastic too! It is amazing how everyone puts their own spin on things - it never ceases to amaze me!