Fishy, fishy, fishy

Yesterday, I hosted a workshop by Diane Villano on making small polymer clay fish pendants inspired by Oaxacan woodcarving. The small fish was based on a large polymer clay over papier mache article that Diane did for Bead & Button magazine.

One of the things I love about the studio is that it it big enough to have a small group of people over for a class or an impromptu clay day. It really makes the space come alive for me to be able to share it with friends. We had a lot of fun with Diane’s class. I don’t make canes very often and whimsical fish are not my usual style, so it was a great creative exercise to step out of my usual comfort zone. I had so much fun, I can’t seem to stop making fish.

Here are the fish we made in the class. From left to right the fish were made by: Michelle P., Judy D., me, Sue R. and Jenn D.

Aren’t they a hoot? They have so much character. It was an interesting process. It was a bit fiddly at first because you’re working on a very small form (the main body section measures around an inch a half to just under 2 inches) and they’re a bit like colorful rocks. However, once you start on the face they begin to develop character and by the time you add the fins you start imagining names and whole back stories for them.

Thanks Diane! She’ll be teaching this class at the Bead & Button Show. If you’re in the area, Diane’s a great teacher and it’s a really fun class.