Coil-Building Animal Imagery in Ceramic Sculpture
Zoom Workshop with Adrian Arleo
February 17 - 18, 2024
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This remote hands-on intensive workshop will be held over the weekend of February 17th and 18th and will be chock-full of useful information on coil-building a medium-size animal figure. Participants are free to choose the type of animal they’d like to create, and whether it will be seated, standing, or reclined. Adrian will show different approaches for all three options.
Demonstrations will cover coil-building techniques, and will address simple anatomy, problem solving solutions with internal supports, sectioning, and cutting/darting, as well as creative approaches to surface textures and finishes. The techniques covered will be applicable for larger-scale sculpture. Time-lapsed video and slide presentations will convey large amounts of information in a condensed format, and will be enriched by live demonstrations addressing key details and participants’ needs. During the various demonstrations, students are welcome to ask questions. The days will consist of a morning session (10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Pacific Time) and an after noon session (2 p.m. - 4 p.m.) with a two hour break in the middle (12 p.m. - 2 p.m.) for working in your own studio. Adrian will be available for help during the break.
One of the most challenging aspects of coil-building any kind of sculptural form is figuring out where and how to begin; it’s critical to create a strong foundation in order to prevent slumping, leaning and cracking. Adrian will give individual feedback and suggestions to help participants with technical issues as well as general anatomical concerns. This course is designed for students with some clay experience, and is limited to 12 participants.
Workshop fee is $300. A $75 non-refundable deposit is due at time of registration in order to hold your spot. Payment in full is due at least 8 days before the workshop. Please email Adrian for arranging payment.
Tentative Schedule
Saturday, February 17, 2024
10 a.m. - 12 p.m. (Pacific Time)
12 p.m. - 2 p.m.: Work Break
2 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Check in with participants on their pieces, give feedback and demonstrations.
sunday, February 18, 2024
10 a.m. - 12 p.m. (Pacific Time): Check in with participants on their pieces, give feedback.
12 p.m. - 2 p.m.: Work Break
2 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Check in with participants on their pieces, give feedback.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
ADRIAN ARLEO has spent the last 30 years living outside Missoula, Montana, with her family and a menagerie of animals. She works full time as a ceramic sculptor, and says this about her work: “For 40 years, my sculpture has combined human, animal and natural imagery to create a kind of emotional and poetic power. Often there's a suggestion of a vital interconnection between the human and non-human realms; the imagery arises from associations, concerns and obsessions that are at once intimate and universal. The work frequently references mythology and archetypes in addressing our vulnerability amid changing personal, environmental and political realities.”
She studied Art and Anthropology at Pitzer College (B.A. 1983) and received her M.F.A. in ceramics from Rhode Island School of Design in 1986. Adrian was an Artist in Residence at Oregon College of Art and Craft in 1986-87, at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in 1987-88, and in 2012 was an invited artist for the Jordan Schnitzer Printmaking Residency, also at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. Adrian’s work is exhibited nationally and internationally, and is in numerous public and private collections. She received awards from the Virginia A. Groot Foundation in 1991 and 1992, and in 1995 was awarded a Montana Arts Council Individual Fellowship. Her work has been widely published in books, magazines and online, and she is a frequent workshop instructor across the U.S. and abroad.