Well, it was a surreal experience to see Ron Ben-Israel in person. It's funny how we idolize people and then when we see them in real life, they really are just people! But Ron has a quality that is intangible and it's what makes him stand out in a crowd. He's genuinely happy!
I was caught off guard by his generosity in providing information and answering questions but also his enthusiasm with teaching. Obviously, he's taught this class many times before but he took the time to instruct us carefully and methodically. Now I just have to practice, practice, practice!
We attended the new classroom at Flour Confections in Pickering, Ontario. It was a well-planned room and high tech too, with a remote camera that projected from above the demo area. Ron himself seemed to be impressed! I would love to attend this venue again and again but I wish it didn't involve a 3.5 hour flight from Alberta!
We learned how to make sweet peas, peonies, a rose in different stages of bloom, calla lilies and an orchid. Some of the flowers were harder than others to achieve. The easiest for me was the sweet pea mainly due to Ron's innovatively designed petal cutter which I purchased (of course!). The hardest was the orchid due to a technique that involved twisting and pulling at the sugar paste to create a life-like ruffled effect...that one will take much time to perfect.
On the last day of class, we prepared to dust the flowers and they really came to life. I wish I had photos of my finished flowers but the plane ride was not kind! Most of them broke and now I wish I had packed them much better and held them on my lap the whole way. Ah well....
I leave you with photos of Ron and I, the classroom and some of the flowers I made, undusted! As I create my own at home, I'll post them here.
