An Arabesque Cane

Last weekend, I took an 8-hour online workshop with Jana Roberts Benzon. As you know from other posts on this blog, I simply love Jana - her ideas, her presentations, her manner, and the way she gently guides us through all the steps to both understand and be able to create some lovely work. We worked pretty solidly for the 8 hours with a couple of meal breaks - and emerged with a polymer cane. One cane you ask? Yes - and it was worth every minute to learn her tips and tricks and put them into practice ourselves.

So, here is my cane. It's 3 inches on each side, and about 3 inches long. The following photos were made after I reduced the cane to a bit more than 1" on each side, took slices, and assembled them in different ways to see patterns develop. Really fun! Now to use the cane in projects!

Creature Features with Jana Roberts Benzon

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of taking an online polymer workshop presented by Jana Roberts Benzon. Jana is an outstanding polymer artist, an excellent instructor, and a simply lovely person. Her creativity is amazing, and it's always exciting to see what she's doing next.

The workshop was a one-day class on a process she calls "Creature Features". Jana walked us through the various steps involved in making various canes, and then assisted us in combining items to make our own creatures. Her detailed handuts with clear visuals, and access to the video for several days, will allow attendees to continue working on the processes as though she was sitting on our shoulders, continuing to provide assistance and encouragement. Although I really enjoy in-person workshops, the availability of technology such as Zoom allows people across the globe to participate and learn together. Above are the pieces I made on Sunday. I plan to work on more "creatures" and will probably try a few other color-ways, too.