| By Pam
Pierce
It never ceases to amaze me
that after so many years in this medium, I can still be astounded at the
simplicity that's out there. I have been using polymer clay for close to
nine years. Being a rather "non-inventive, non-initiating type of individual",
I very much appreciate the people that can 'see something in the clay'
before the rest of us and then, miracle of miracles, want to share it with
the rest of us.
That's where Mike comes in.
He has an insight that shines brighter than the summer sun in Alaska. Of
course, most of you know that he has moved to Seattle, but Alaska’s sun
shines longer and all that…
Mike's teaching style is more
of a sharing style. When we were "just not quite getting it" he would demonstrate
and explain it one more time ... again. He is patient, articulate, talented,
personable, genuine, and an all around great guy. The perfect person to
take a class from.
click to see larger image
The current technique Mike
demonstrated was something he’ been playing with for almost two years.
The Premo clay from Clay Factory of Escondido has a series of clays that
are known as "metallics" or "pearlized". These are the basis for Mike's
class.
They seem to be the only ones
out there that work for this technique. The other brands don't have the
life, the shine, and the ability that the Premo clay has. The pearlized
clays have a mica flake in them that reflect light at different angles
depending on how the light hits them and how they lie in the clay. With
Mike's instruction, we were able to make the clay dance in the light and
we came back for more, over and over again! The amount of info and new
ideas was close to overwhelming but I'd be hard put not to take another
class for a week long not just two days. Like Mike said there's a lot of
info to cover in so little time.
A lot of the techniques Mike
is using for this current experience in clay is using one color of clay
and getting dimension and light refraction and reflection to give off more
than one color in the end result. This means less waste clay and lots of
fun. The joy of discovery was not wasted on this classroom of bedazzled
clay artists. Carving into the cane to reveal an unexpected surprise was
the hit of the day, more than once!
There are some teachers that
have a gift of teaching. There are some that have the gift of personality.
There are some that have the gift of new ideas, previously unexplored territory.
In Mike Buessler, you have them all. The recommendation from this writer
is, "Don't ever pass up a chance to sit under Mike Buessler's tutelage,
even if you have to travel five hours to get there." Mike's guidance and
support during the class and after was indispensable. We stayed late for
one last technique that spans all human ability. Mike taught us how to
do the tumbling cubes’ in clay- a trick of the mind's eye and light; too
much fun!
click to see larger image
I haven't been so motivated
and challenged and excited to experiment with clay in a long time. For
that, "Thanks Mike! I, for one, look forward to the next time."
One final note. We stayed longer
than our expected ending time; no problem. Howard Segal of the Clay Factory
had no worries about us staying past the appointed hour. That really freed
us up to learn that last technique that still has me baffled. I look forward
to enjoying many future classes at the Clay Factory.
Click to see larger images
of Mike's work
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