6-Day Simmons’ Master Cane Workshop Level 1 (formerly Kaleidoscope Pendant Intensive)

Have fun developing your personal color palette and style while learning my unique approach to kaleidoscope design and pendant construction.

Experience Level: Intermediate caning experience.

Topics will Include:

  • Selecting a color palette you love for your master cane
  • Color mixing to achieve color harmony and strong value contrast within your selected palette
  • Ways to modify/control your clay for better caning results
  • Applying a painterly approach to component cane design (using new and old Skinner Blend techniques)
  • Component cane types, ranging from simple to detailed, and how to construct them(level of difficulty and types of canes will depend upon interest and experience of participants)

  • Strategies for complex cane design (how to use different cane types to create rhythm, balance, emphasis, contrast and flow in the master cane)
  • Slicing the cane with the “Simmons Slicer”
  • Information on how to store/transport/handle the slices.
  • Making and using angle templates
  • Combining sections of slices to produce a wide variety of beautiful, unique but coordinated designs
  • Creating base forms from scrap clay
  • Applying veneers to base forms
  • Finishing a pendant (making holes, firing, sanding, buffing)
  • If there is time and interest, finishing a coordinating adjustable cord and earring construction techniques will also be demonstrated.

Note: Many students take this workshop more than once to refine their  technique. I include new information, techniques and challenges for those students who have taken the workshop before.

Master Cane students, K.C., MO 2018