Reducing a Semi-Circular Cane?

[Diane B.]

Here are some of the canes I was referring to, at least sort of (keep in mind these are old, slices and cane ends, really dusty and banged up, etc, plus my old digital isn't nearly as great as it could be   ):

...the simplest ones with diagonal stripes... don't know if I confused these with the other b&w geometrics I made in that CZC class (which may actually be more like spliced or flame cane components, in the next pic), or not:

ADDED LATER:
Also check out these old canes by CZC!!
http://polymerartarchive.com/wp-content/city-zen-cane-bw-flat-necklace-detail.jpg

And these may be the New Quilt pattern of CZC's, but using a spliced cane?

Here are a few more examples of things that can be done with spliced canes:

Here are some made just with stripes, including simple basketweave:

And these were created by my friend Grace Yen in another CZC class...I believe they started with a cane composed of a few layers (2 layers like a comb pattern?), then spliced or cut square in various ways and recombined?...or maybe the last two were from a different cane?:

Two things here... on the left, cane with diagonal stripes, but also another cane component ...on the right an unrelated group of slices I had played with to see if I could create a "tumbling blocks" pattern in clay:

And finally, here are some using only squares and rectangles... the first is another quilt pattern, Log Cabin:

...these are by Grace (another CZC class) long ago, mosaic canes (entirely different from making mosaics with prebaked tiles of clay):

oops... this isn't the one showing the multi-colored mosaic slice as well as the blue/green ones, but okay for a closeup anyway:

ADDED LATER... just found these pics of CZC's mosaics! (shows the individual wrapped canes to put together for the mosaic patterns, plus lots of examples of resulting mosaic canes used as slices on beads, etc):
http://polymerartarchive.com/2009/05/29/city-zen-cane-early-caning
http://polymerartarchive.com/wp-content/czc_early-work3-four-necklaces.jpg

I love that clock by Tracy.   I just meant I'd probably use different colors and forms (maby make it a little less 'girly' Wink) Though I really like the way it's leaning to one side.  Makes me think of time flying by.  

I think what you mean is "whimsical" and I'm attracted to that stuff too (as well as many other clayers, including some of the "serious, artistic" ones... wait till you see some of their stuff).  It's is also kind of "graphic" and that's another style some prefer.  

Now let me post this and see if the pics are showing up okay...

Diane B.

[atomicjam]

Wow those are pretty funky  I didn't realise the CZC was a class you took. I really like some of the patterns in their work.  Those mosaic canes look great,  each square has a tiny outline
I really like theway the basket weave looks aswell but my fave is the "tumbling blocks" pattern.  They actually look 3D.   I might have a go at making some of those but think I'll just stick to the diagonal lines at the moment.  Finding it quite hard to make them accuratly but have made a little 'cutting guide'  to help me cut abit straighter.
Thanks for the pics,
Tom

[Diane B.]

I didn't realise the CZC was a class you took. I really like some of the patterns in their work.

I think I've taken two classes with CityZenCane, though it was long ago... they now call themselves Ford & Forlano and I don't think they do any caning now (much more into shape and texture, etc.... sell their work for even bigger bucks now too):
http://www.google.com/images?q="Ford+and+Forlano"  

 

Those mosaic canes look great,  each square has a tiny outline

Did you click on the link to see that?  In fact, those are very simple "wrapped canes" (also called bullseye canes), just a lot of them --can't remember if they were created square or made square later.  A large wrapped cane is made for each "inside-color" needed (same wrap color for all though), then each is reduced a lot and cut into many-many tiny lengths.  The tiny lengths are then placed together as the final cane (often then reduced too).  (Later, the cane is usually reduced and cut into lengths and recombined for the final large pattern.)
  
Wrapped canes are very easy to make, but making that many, that small, is tedious.  They then have to be put together quite carefully and also reduced carefully to keep the lines as straight as possible in the final cane and later reductions ...although they look pretty neat even somewhat messy.  
Straight lines (and facial features) are the very hardest thing to do in caning because the human eye will easily notice and sometimes care about any distortion.

my fave is the "tumbling blocks" pattern.  They actually look 3D.   I might have a go at making some of those

That cane wouldn't be the simplest to do since the elements are actually diamonds, but some quilting/piecing tricks might help.  Haven't thought about doing diamonds in quilting for a long time, but one trick is to join two equilateral triangles of the same color/pattern to create diamonds. (Actually, a lot of clay stuff comes from quilt stuff --canes of course, bargello, onlay/applique, etc.).

Diane B.

[atomicjam]

...Did you click on the link to see that?...

Yeah I saw their huge collection of square canes ready to be assembled into mosaics, but I could tell just from your pics that is what had been done.

I've spent most of the w/e making diagonal canes.   Phew it's not as easy as it looks (atleast not for me).   I had to devise a little system to help make accurate cuts 
But the results came out ok...

Cutting jig...


Final Canes (with the offcuts recombined in the background)...


Now the hard bit.. reducing and recombining them without them distorting. Not really looking forward to this bit 'cos I'll probably ruin them.  I must learn not to worry about slight errors so much (little imperfections usually look really good when other people do it, and add loads of character to the piece, but when I do it I just feel it's messy and dosn't work. I'm no artist )
If all else fails...  I can squish them up to make a pretty cool camouflage pattern! lol

And a word about the cutting jig I used.  I'm not entirely convinced  it is necessary and you can get accurate cuts without it (some of the cuts I did freehand and sometimes when I used the jig it actually made the cuts worse (because it wasn't set up properly).

Anyway I'll get on trying to reduce and recombine these canes and, who knows, I may even try reducing the semi-circular cane and get the thread back on topic 

Once again thanks for your advice and help Diane. I've spent much if the time staring at your pics and reading glass attic - as well as studying those patterns you showed me by Slavik Jablan.  Very helpful stuff.

Tom

P.S I like the idea of joining two equilateral triangles to make a diamond.  I may try that out soon...

[Diane B.]

Have a few things to say about that but really need to be spending time getting new application for health insurance done...ugh...so will be back with those things later.

Meanwhile though, I ran across a few other pics of CZC stuff you might want to check out (from those files of things-to-upload-to-GlassAttic-once-I-can-ever-access-it-again):
http://polymerartarchive.com/wp-content/43-ford-forlano-ikat-cane-slices.jpg
http://polymerartarchive.com/wp-content/44-ford-forlano-caned-jewelry.jpg

Diane B.

[atomicjam]

Have a few things to say about that but really need to be spending time getting new application for health insurance done...ugh...so will be back with those things later.

hehe no rush.  Health insurance is probably more important anyway... 

[sweetpetunia]

cute cane!!!

[atomicjam]

  hehe, did you mean the rainbow cane on the first page.  That was pretty much my first one. I used it to cover a USB memory stick which I've now lost and then tried to reduce the rest of it by encasing it in play-doh like stuff and rolling it out.  It just turned into a big messy blob.  No more rainbow cane. *sniff* 

[sweetpetunia]

I don't know how to reduce the cane, but the colours are AMAZING!!!!!