Paper mache artist to demonstrate craft tomorrow

Rozani Navas-Smith show a paper mache dragon she created from recycled newspapers and liquid starch. The Enterprise woman will host a no-charge demonstration of the craft tomorrow from 1 until 3 p.m. at Morgan Square Mall in Enterprise.

By Michelle Mann
Published: June 26, 2009

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As temperatures to hover at the 100 degree mark, one Enterprise artist calls it perfect weather for her craft.
Rozani Navas-Smith creates paper mache dragons from recycled newspapers, liquid starch and a vivid imagination. Tomorrow she will host an interactive hands-on demonstration from 1 until 3 p.m. at the Morgan Square Mall in Enterprise.
She begins her dragon by twisting the starch soaked newspaper into shape. “It sort of builds itself from there,” she said adding that “the only limit is one’s imagination.” Known in this area as a costume designer, Navas-Smith calls her venture into paper mache creations “a dream come true.” “It’s very therapeutic,” she said as she displayed her colorful flying creatures. “This craft breaks cultural barriers and offers something for all ages.”
Navas-Smith has a studio at Wilkins Industrial Park in Level Plains and her art can be seen in Enterprise at the Euro Bistro Restaurant in Morgan Square.One of her creations is the “Flagon Dragon”, a paper mache dragon that wraps its way around wine bottles. “It’s sort of my version of the contemporary bottle charms,” she said with a smile.
Navas-Smith is a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe. “To learn about the clothing of the period, you research it, then sew and wear it yourself,” Navas-Smith said. “My dragon art emerges from my love of the medieval times,” she said adding that it is a natural fit at SCA events.
Tomorrow’s seminar is free and open to the public and reservations are not required, Navas-Smith said. “It’s for all ages and you can either participate in creating a dragon or you can just watch. The main purpose of the event, she said, is to increase awareness of this unique craft.
“Come on out and try your hand at it,” she encouraged. “And let your imagination do the rest.”