Picture a workspace waiting for you, complete with all the polymer clay, supplies, and materials you'd want or need right at your fingertips. Imagine you had a teacher or two to show you exciting new tools, tips, and techniques to create a diverse collection of patterns in polymer clay. And picture a spectacular walk-on waterfront location, with comfortable lodging, delicious and bountiful home-cooked meals, the rainforest surrounding you, and the shores of the Pacific Ocean at your feet.

Dan and Tracy invite you to share the oceanside wonder of their island home with an inspiring three-day workshop that combines an exciting curriculum of original techniques with a bounty of natural beauty for inspiration: the colours, forms, textures, and patterns of Spring arriving on the wild West Coast!

With a focus on process, create a diverse collection of souvenir swatches for later reference. See samples from Dan's portfolio of finished pieces that emphasize one artist's approach to getting from idea to object, with an uncompromised focus on excellent craftsmanship and "finishing right from the start."

As seen in his teaser tutorial, "LINES" in PolymerCAFE Magazine (Winter 2005/2006), Dan has developed "The Cutting Edge," a whole new system for surface design, a repertoire of techniques that are as versatile and complementary as they are accessible. An ideal intensive for anyone new to this medium or these techniques, or an enriching encore to those who've already been to "the edge."

Here's what students have said about previous "Cutting Edge" workshops at The Haven: "Thank you for a fabulous experience. . . . My work in polymer clay has jumped to a higher level. Thanks so much. . . . What a perfect venue. I loved it! . . . So inspiring. I look forward to future workshops. . . . A true inspiration and a pleasure to behold. . . . What an amazing experience! I'll remember this for a lifetime!"

For more information about The Haven Waterfront Resort on Gabriola Island, go to www.haven.ca

Dan and Tracy are honoured to be the first invited guest artists for 2006 at Gwen Gibson's venue extraordinaire, La Cascade. What a distinguished and desirable destination for the European debut of their extended Cutting Edge experience: an historic artisan village as Summer blooms across the countryside in the South of France. Immerse yourself in luxury, romance, and the finer things of La Cascade with The Cutting Edge de Luxe.

For more information about La Cascade and the village of Durfort, go to www.gwengibson.com.

"It proves the old saying that it takes genius to recognize the obvious," says Gwen, of Dan's new approach to patterns in polymer. "What wasn't so obvious was how Dan was able to turn the concept of caning upside down and from there develop an entire vocabulary of possibilities. Although there are many people sharing interesting new polyclay techniques, it's been some time since someone has introduced a revolutionary concept that allows for such a wide range of creative interpretation."