So many times, the best successes I've had began with "What if I .......?"
Left is a photo of my work table. The faux eagle feather cane is upper right, a project I'll be teaching next year. It is a traditional feather and so far a favorite. But, what if... I used the same technique but very different, non traditional colors? Note the two feathers to the left of the eagle feather. They are the answer to "What if I...?"
There were three colors on the work surface (black glass) today, Turquoise, pearl white and a soft coral color, leftovers from some project.
Also on the work surface was a small Stroppel cane that Jane and I made together on our last play day.
Shaft ready to be added to the feather halves |
The side splits in the 'barbs' were finished and I had reached the point where the shaft needed to be wrapped in black to separate the shaft from the feather barbs but it seemed to me that black would be harsh and not fantasy like.
After holding a number of colors up to the shaft and parts of the feather I pretty much gave up. Actually I was hoping for one of those "Ah-HA!!" moments that often come after I give up trying.
That's when the Stroppel cane caught my eye. "What if I were to wrap the shaft with a slice of the Stroppel cane??? If lengthwise, then it would be the same problem as the black clay but if vertically then the shaft would have dozens of tiny color bits as we'd be looking on the cross section of a very thin slice.
Would it work? A thin slice of the Stroppel cane was put through the pasta machine on a thin setting. #7 in a machine where #1 was the thickest and #9 was the thinnest.
After covering both sides and the ends the shaft was inserted into the feather halves.
They were pressed together leaving the thick end of the shaft sticking out of the feather cane about 1/4 inch.
A small vertical slice of the Stroppel cane was placed from the tip of the shaft to the tip of the feather.
The cane was then tightly pressed together, shaped and reduced slightly.
The cane provided about a dozen slices from large to small. Left are shown some of them.
The lines around the shaft appear almost 'sparkly' due to the darks and lights.
Left is a close up scan of a Fantasy Feather.
Original Design by
Penni Jo Couch
Designer and sculptor of
Designer of