Straw is remarkable for its ability to capture light. It remains humble, yet it illuminates once worked. It immediately evokes Venice, where reflections are a material in their own right, gliding across facades, fragmented in blown glass, stretched across fabrics, or floating on the water's surface. This dialogue between matter and light is what this workshop explores through straw marquetry.

The workshop invites participants to delve into the intricacies of a material too often misunderstood: its fibrous texture, its capacity to diffract light, and its decorative potential. Participants learn to prepare the straw, transform it, and precisely cut and position each strand. A technical approach, certainly, but one that serves a personal visual expression. Skills are honed, perception is refined, and patience becomes a creative tool.

More than an introduction, the experience is akin to a sensory immersion in the material. Each participant leaves with a unique piece, a true micro-landscape of reflections, where their own aesthetic and the discreet poetry of straw are revealed.

Upon completion of the training, the trainee will be able to:

• Understand the history and practices of straw marquetry
• Master the material
• Create a simple geometric pattern
• Create a complex geometric pattern
• Create a three-dimensional piece

Long reserved for cabinetmaking workshops and luxury interiors, straw marquetry is now captivating an audience seeking authentic craftsmanship and precise techniques. A training course dedicated to this ancient art invites participants to delve into the refined world of straw, a humble yet surprisingly rich material.

Accessible to all, the program adapts to each individual's pace. The approach is based on the gradual discovery of the material and on hands-on practice. For beginners, the focus is primarily on becoming familiar with the material, understanding its textures and its play of light. Those who already have some experience can concentrate their work on a personal project, guided by customized support.

This training begins with an introduction to the history of straw marquetry and the preparation of the material. This is followed by learning essential techniques: cutting, arranging the straw into geometric or radiating patterns, gluing, and finishing. The straw is transformed in the hands of the participants, revealing its golden hues and striking natural elegance.

The experience goes beyond simple technical learning: it cultivates observation, patience, and creativity, in a process that respects both time and materials.
At the end of the workshop, participants leave with a deeper understanding of this craft and the satisfaction of having created a piece where straw, simple and luminous, becomes a true element of contemporary art.

Schedule

Each participant progresses at their own pace, according to their abilities. Once the basics are mastered, the guidance focuses on the project itself.

Day 1

Morning and Afternoon

• Creating a 20x20 cm panel using straight and checkered straw
• Learning basic techniques: flattening, pressing, gluing, cutting, cleaning, and working with volume by finishing the edges

Day 2

Morning and Afternoon

• • Creating a 20x20 cm panel with a fan pattern
  • Learning radiating patterns, including their cutting and pointing challenges.

The only motif unique to straw marquetry

Day 3

Morning and Afternoon

• Creation of a 20x20 cm panel with a sunburst motif
• Reflection on the object to be marquetry in the form of a drawing

Day 4

Morning and Afternoon

• Creating flat areas on paper to master small geometric patterns
• Beginning the embellishment of the chosen object

Day 5

Morning and Afternoon

• Completion of the object
• Debriefing on the workshop
• Cleaning up the workshop

Valérie Colas des Francs

Born from a career change and a fascination with light, Valérie Colas des Francs has established herself as one of the leading figures in straw marquetry, a French craft originating in the 17th century and revived during the Art Deco period.

A student of Lison de Caunes, a master craftswoman and leading figure in the field, she trained alongside her from 2000 before opening her own workshop in Nemours in 2014.

Since then, she has combined heritage restoration, contemporary creation, and bespoke pieces for a French and international clientele. Straw, which she describes as a “simple, natural, clean, and luminous” material, has fueled her aesthetic exploration for over twenty years: seemingly rustic, it reveals shifting reflections and an unexpected modernity in her hands.

By adapting this art form to new territories—furniture, jewelry, fashion, and visual arts—Valérie Colas des Francs creates a dialogue between simplicity and innovation, revealing the full richness of a humble material transformed into a vehicle for contemporary elegance and emotion.

• Classroom, multipurpose room, workshops with professional equipment
• Materials provided
• Individual and collaborative work
• Workshop work
• Active participation and experimentation of participants are encouraged

• Collective and personalized monitoring of work, regular updates
• Self-assessment of technical skills
• Collective feedback
• Half-day attendance sheet
• Certification of completion issued by Campus MaNa