Central Mississippi Polymer Clay Guild: Carol Simmons Workshop

Join us as

Central Mississippi Polymer Clay Guild hosts

Carol Simmons

presenting her Mokume Gane Workshop

March 9-10, 2013

Southern Cultural Center

Vicksburg, Mississippi

Mokume Gane is a Japanese metalworking technique in which thin layers of variously colored metals are fused together, then distorted and ground down to reveal a beautiful pattern. We will mimic this metalworking technique by stacking thin layers of “metallic” Premo clays alternating with non-metallic clay to form a block (or billet) which we will “distort” with impression tools we will make ourselves. Carol will share the recipes for some of her favorite metallic/pearlescent colors and demonstrate a variety of home-made tools.

The block will be sliced with a special slicer to produce gorgeous, paper-thin sheets of patterned clay. Depending upon the tools made and the manner in which they are used, the results can evoke anything from patterned silk batik to fossil-filled agate which will be used to create a unique pendant, then lightly sanded and hand buffed to accentuate the pattern. You will have the option leaving the finish as it is, or machine-buffing your creation to a brilliant, glass-like shine. You will take home additional patterned sheets to experiment with on your own.

This workshop focuses on techniques including:

Tool construction
Mixing colors incorporating metallic/pearlescent clay
How to sheet the clay, then stack and distort the billet for optimum results
How to handle and store the sliced patterned sheets for future use
Ways to cut and apply the sheets a clay backing
Sanding and hand buffing
How to machine-buff the clay to a glass-like shine you won’t believe is possible
Pendant construction.