(From Benchmark School Weekly Bulletin, Courtesy of Carol Rydel)
Benchmark Hosts Mosaic Workshop with Prestigious Artist
Last weekend, Benchmark hosted members of the Mosaic Society of Philadelphia for a workshop presented by internationally-known mosaic artist Kelley Knickerbocker. Benchmark art teacher Carol Rydel is an active member of the Mosaic Society and was instrumental in bringing the workshop to Benchmark.
Saturday and Sunday's workshop was called "Strata Various," and attendees made a sample board using various mosaic materials such as stone, marble, granite, glass and beads to form "strata" (layers) on the backer board. They also learned how to cut the "tesserae" (various materials) and attach them to the backer board in interesting ways. Monday's workshop was called "Grey Scale" and the attendees were limited to using only white to black materials to compose a mosaic.
Carol Rydel noted that the group was impressed with Benchmark's facilities, commenting that they loved the building and the natural light in the Clemens Lobby of the A. Palmer West Performing Arts Center and would be happy to return here for another workshop.