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A late addition
May. 7th, 2024 05:27 pm
...to our Brushmaking and Decorating workshop album: Michelle and her junco!...to our Brushmaking and Decorating workshop album: Michelle and her junco!
A brush with destiny
Apr. 19th, 2024 08:37 pm...dey's tiny brushes!
Did my first workshop at the UO Craft Center this afternoon. Turnout was small, but enthusiastic: five students, at least three of whom knew (or had purchased) my work at Saturday Market. It was a three-hour workshop, an hour longer than usual. The first part, I talk about my glazing and decorating techniques, and demonstrate, glazing and painting a few bowls. Taking suggestions from the crowd, as usual--this time, a fox, squirrel, hummingbird and giraffe.
Then I demonstrate making the actual brushes I use to draw with: fox squirrel tail, set in bamboo handles with epoxy. Make a couple of brush bundles, pull out a previously made one--a la TV cooking shows--to set in a handle.
Then I hand out squirrel tails, scissors, wax paper and tip molds--cake decorating tips set in a weighted film can--and everybody works on making their own brush or brushes, while I circulate and trouble-shoot. This group was a bit more skilled than average--nobody glued the wrong end of the hair bundle, for instance--the biggest problem we had was slip knots slipping before we could tighten the second knot.
Once everyone's brushes are assembled, I break out water pots and brush stroke paper--a water reactive surface that's black when wet, but dries grey again--so they can see what their new brushes are capable of.
This usually takes about two hours.
This time, though, I had a third hour to fill. So we let them practice with their new brushes on real pottery, either bisque they brought themselves, my unused demo bowls, or abandoned pots destined for the Lonely Craft sale. I waxed up the base, and dipped them, then they drew with black stain and their new brushes, colored in with my oxide and stain kit and brushes. Everybody had great fun, and turned out some really nice designs.
Jessie was inspired to try her hand at her own version of a fox and raven.
Becca glazed both inside and out on her bowl, using skills she learned from the Chinese Brush-Painting workshop.
Whitney painted tiny flowers, and Anna a very dapper chipmunk. Michelle brought her own bisque and painted quite a nice dark-eyed junco, but escaped before I could get a picture.
All in all, an excellent addition to the workshop. I'll have to keep it in mind for next time.
Did my first workshop at the UO Craft Center this afternoon. Turnout was small, but enthusiastic: five students, at least three of whom knew (or had purchased) my work at Saturday Market. It was a three-hour workshop, an hour longer than usual. The first part, I talk about my glazing and decorating techniques, and demonstrate, glazing and painting a few bowls. Taking suggestions from the crowd, as usual--this time, a fox, squirrel, hummingbird and giraffe.
Then I demonstrate making the actual brushes I use to draw with: fox squirrel tail, set in bamboo handles with epoxy. Make a couple of brush bundles, pull out a previously made one--a la TV cooking shows--to set in a handle.
Then I hand out squirrel tails, scissors, wax paper and tip molds--cake decorating tips set in a weighted film can--and everybody works on making their own brush or brushes, while I circulate and trouble-shoot. This group was a bit more skilled than average--nobody glued the wrong end of the hair bundle, for instance--the biggest problem we had was slip knots slipping before we could tighten the second knot.
Once everyone's brushes are assembled, I break out water pots and brush stroke paper--a water reactive surface that's black when wet, but dries grey again--so they can see what their new brushes are capable of.
This usually takes about two hours.
This time, though, I had a third hour to fill. So we let them practice with their new brushes on real pottery, either bisque they brought themselves, my unused demo bowls, or abandoned pots destined for the Lonely Craft sale. I waxed up the base, and dipped them, then they drew with black stain and their new brushes, colored in with my oxide and stain kit and brushes. Everybody had great fun, and turned out some really nice designs.
Jessie was inspired to try her hand at her own version of a fox and raven.
Becca glazed both inside and out on her bowl, using skills she learned from the Chinese Brush-Painting workshop.
Whitney painted tiny flowers, and Anna a very dapper chipmunk. Michelle brought her own bisque and painted quite a nice dark-eyed junco, but escaped before I could get a picture.
All in all, an excellent addition to the workshop. I'll have to keep it in mind for next time.
Looks like there are still five spaces available in my Brushmaking and Decorating workshop at the UO Craft Center. It's happening this Friday, April 19, from 2-5 pm, and you can register Workshopping
Feb. 9th, 2024 07:29 pmOur last responsibilities as visiting artists were to each present a two-hour workshop. Denise's was publicized as "Sketchbook Workshop," mine as "Clay Workshop."
Neither was completely accurate. Denise was presenting on making your own sketchbook using artist's paper, card stock and the Coptic Stitch bookbinding technique. I, of course, was teaching brush-making and ceramic decorating techniques. Both were quite full: I had fifteen students, Denise had twenty-five, including my college color theory and watercolor prof. We both also had ten students from the Decorah Iowa High School Art Club.
As usual, I took requests from the audience for the decorating demo. This time's "stump the painter" champions: stingray and harpy eagle. Considering I painted the eagle from memory while the requestor looked for an image on her phone, I think I did pretty well.
Neither was completely accurate. Denise was presenting on making your own sketchbook using artist's paper, card stock and the Coptic Stitch bookbinding technique. I, of course, was teaching brush-making and ceramic decorating techniques. Both were quite full: I had fifteen students, Denise had twenty-five, including my college color theory and watercolor prof. We both also had ten students from the Decorah Iowa High School Art Club.
As usual, I took requests from the audience for the decorating demo. This time's "stump the painter" champions: stingray and harpy eagle. Considering I painted the eagle from memory while the requestor looked for an image on her phone, I think I did pretty well.
