"Beyond the Blend" with Cormier & Holmes PDF Print E-mail
Written by Barbara Forbes-Lyons   
Dan Cormier & Tracy Holmes invite you to go “Beyond Synergy”
with the debut presentation of their newest workshop...

"Beyond the Blend" is a two-day hands-on workshop exploring new techniques in polymer clay colour blending at The ArtWay in Damascus, MD. The event will take place on Sun.Feb.24 and Mon.Feb.25.08, , immediately following the NPCG’s “Synergy” Conference in Baltimore, MD

We’ve all known for more than a decade what a gift Judith Skinner gave to the polymer clay world when she discovered and defined a way to almost magically meld two triangles of colour into a single seamless blend of both. Her simple concept forever changed the way we work with colour in this medium.

But have you ever wondered if there was more to this familiar technique? What if the Skinner Blend was more than the answer to our colour blending questions, but actually the source from which many new questions could come? Artist Dan Cormier has been wondering, asking lots of questions, and finding more answers than he ever expected. Applying his creative process of fusing right-brain free-associative thinking with left-brain precision and predictability, Dan has immersed himself in blending, celebrating the intrinsic qualities that make Ms. Skinner’s Blend work so effectively, and then exploring “Beyond...”. What began as a simple “what if?” a few years ago has exploded into a full-blown exercise in lateral thinking that has kept Dan captivated ever since.

 

At the upcoming NPCG Synergy Conference in Baltimore this February, Dan and partner artist and co-teacher Tracy Holmes will premiere the theories behind Dan’s “Beyond the Blend” system. Then, for anyone wanting to put theory into practice and give this system a try, they’ll debut their new workshop, “Beyond the Blend,” on Sunday, Feb.24 and Monday, Feb.25, 2008 (immediately following “Synergy”), hosted by PolymerClayExpress at The ArtWay in Damascus, MD.

 

Part 1: Blend Fundamentals • Beginning with the basics you already know, learn how to refine the fundamentals of the Skinner Blend.

Part 2: New Tools, New Colours • With a collection of new tools and techniques, see how a handful of base colours can easily but elegantly become a vast collection of new hues, all documented in paint-chip style swatches instantly created by the blending process itself.

Part 3: Beyond the Blend - The New Rules of Blend Technology • Take a closer look at the changing relationships of colour, value, and intensity, not just with the Skinner Blend, but also with some of Dan’s new variations: the Staircase Blend, the Spiral Staircase, the Serpent’s Tongue, Dueling Sabers, Angel Wings, Electric Bow Ties, Diamonds & Dots... and many more.

Part 4: Sheet Reduction & Re-Sizing • Once you’ve been introduced to the exponential blending possibilities, learn how you can take any blended sheet (or any clay sheet for that matter) and precisely reduce or re-size it to fit any project, at any scale.

 

Explore, expand, and expect the unexpected with a whole new framework for creating your own personal palette of hues, and fusing them in an almost unlimited collection of multi-coloured blended pattern variations in whatever size you wish. This class will focus on the new, but like all workshops with Dan and Tracy, it will be grounded in developing great work habits with an eye towards excellent craftsmanship, to provide a strong base on which to kickstart your creativity.

 

Students of all levels are welcome. If you’re new to colour, this workshop will be a great immersion. If colour is already your primary passion, take it to the next level with this fresh and versatile system.

 

For more info, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

To register for this debut event, go to http://www.polymerclayexpress.com

< Prev   Next >