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sculpture (Hand-building) classes & workshops
4-Week Sculpture Workshop: Explorations in Realism; Beginner Faces
This new four-week workshop is the beginning of a Sculpture Series by Amy Stellato. This series starts with Faces, and Amy will begin by guiding you in learning how to sculpt basic facial features on a pre-thrown mug/planter pot form to create a caricature piece in the first week.
This playful approach provides a soft basis for getting started in face sculpting and keeps things fun and interesting while learning some basic shapes and details. Additionally, you'll be creating a fun & functional piece that gives you a jumping off place to delve into more realism (as well as a piece you can keep to remember where you started as your skills improve).
In the second class, you will be given another mug/pot form, and Amy will begin a more detailed breakdown of face sculpting: mapping out the face proportions and talking through different aspects of the face that she will guide you through. This gentle ramping-up of skills is a wonderful guided way to learn, explore, and practice the art of sculpting a face with detail and proportions that will create an excellent basis for the next part of the sculpting series which will be sculpting the whole head (expected to begin in January).
This part of the class is expected to take approximately two weeks, leaving the final week for glazing. Any additional time that is available in class will be used to talk through, and practice, additional expressions and facial features.
Practicing at home what you learn will be encouraged, and students may borrow practice clay to take home (to be brought back to the studio to be recycled or fired for an additional fee).
Amy's goal is to break down a process that is somewhat massive in technique into steps that students can follow in order to give them the confidence they need to continue to evolve, build up their skills, and enjoy their journey with clay. She believes that her approach will allow a student to stay open and creative (working with a caricature as well as learning more technical aspects of face sculpting) and give a solid foundation to the complete process of sculpting an entire head and bust.
Sundays, 6pm-9pm, Begins October 20th
- This class will run for four consecutive Sunday evenings.
- $225 is all inclusive (instruction, firing & glazing of the two pieces) - additionally, you will be provided with your own set of sculpting tools.
- If you choose to practice at home with the practice clay (available on request), you can bring it back to be recycled (no charge) or fire what you create for a reasonable firing fee.
About the instructor
Instructor: Amy Stellato (Co-Owner of Happy Life Pottery)
My goal is to create an environment where art feels accessible, and not exclusionary, and where my students feel supported to take on challenges with clay. Similar to the process of learning to cook for the first time, I often provide a "recipe" of sorts for my students starting out, with the goal of building up their confidence when they take on new, and challenging, projects.
Over the years, I have seen so many adults who enter our studio and are so hard on themselves--and if they can't pick up something immediately, they are tempted to give up before even giving themselves the chance to learn and grow. Clay is such a wonderful (and healing) medium that I really want to provide the best basis that I can for everyone to feel comfortable with it--whatever their skill level grows to be.
My style has always been to break down often challenging projects into manageable steps, beginning from my years of being an Operations Manager and carrying through to my instruction with clay. I try to take out any overwhelm that could potentially happen as someone is first learning a new skill and open the doors to an amazing world of clay work by providing them the confidence needed to continually challenge themselves. I enjoy seeing someone start out with hesitation and quickly impress themselves with what they're able to do and create.
In an often chaotic world, it is my joy to be able to facilitate this space and give such sanctuary to the heart and mind of those who come to us to get immersed within the process clay.
