If interested in coordinating a workshop at your clay facility, here are some basic classes that can be offered.
Classes are focussed around these objectives:
3 DAY: Heads up workshop
The workshop is open to all levels of experience and to those who want to improve their hand building skills. Students will explore their ability to develop forms that represent the human embodiment of complex emotions.
Exploration to play:
Experimentation is important to artists who want to improve their
work. This workshop will offer several ways to help you open up to thinking about the development of work through form, technique and idea. Slab and pinch methods of building will be taught as a way to create expressive head sculptures.
1 WEEK: Building the Upper Body Workshop:
The workshop is open to all levels of experience. For those who want to develop a more natural pose and expression in the upper portion of the body. Simple slab used to build simple forms and learning about the use of proportion to express your intent.
the number of forms created will depend on your skill level. Underglaze application will be the focus of surface decoration..
2 WEEK: Simple Mold Making for the figure. The workshop is open to intermediate level sculptors who have a good grasp on the form but want to learn more about casting forms to increase their production and ability to have more options for multiples in their work. Participants will create simple head form and torso or full figure dependent on skill level. The class will include one and 2 part press molds. Participants will make at least 2 molds.
3 DAY SURFACE TECHNIQUE WORKSHOP
The workshop is open to all levels . Participants will be introduced to a variety of surface treatments. Demonstration will show a variety of surface treatments. Participants will be given time to experiment with the many options. Students may bring their
own pieces to practice demonstrated techniques. Bring the clay body you use or use the clay provided. Slab, greenware and bisque fired tiles needed.
The following techniques can be demonstrated: Note that not all of these techniques can be covered in a 3 day workshop. 1 to 2 week options are available.
1.Linoleum surface stamping:
Making stamp from easy cut lino like plates is a great way to add surface texture that picks up subtleties in glaze.
2. Positive/ Negative paper stencils/ slip and underglaze
3. Using wax and glaze applications for more surface per firing.
4. Printmaking on clay
5. Encaustic Surfaces (post firing)
6. Paint and graphite post firing surfaces
Melisa Cadell lives in Western North Carolina with her family. She has been sculpting since 1998 with clay, paper, moving sculpture and steel. Recently she has been experimenting with found plastics and bioplastics. Melisa is most fascinated with what
can be relayed in a single thought working out new ways to communicate with her audience.
Cadell holds a BFA from the University of North Texas and an MFA from East Tennessee State
University. In addition to teaching workshops around the United States, Cadell has taught at
East Tennessee State University and Appalachian State University. She currently teaches high
school art in NC. Her work has been exhibited nationally and featured in publications such as
American Style magazine, Ceramics: Art & Perception and 500 Figures in Clay,Het Grove K Book, and Mastering Sculpture-The Figure in Clay.
Melisa Cadell works in multiple mediums and explores the complicated thoughts that drive humans behavior. Her clay work is most notably characterized by its willingness to question beliefs and actions of the contemporary world.
Ceramics Arts Daily: DVD: http://ceramicartsdaily.org/bookstore/figure-sculpting-in-clay-with-melisa-cadell/ a quick look into sculptural procedures to build basic form. This video is intended to show an overview and concentrates the focus on structure and ideas rather than final finished forms.
Classes are focussed around these objectives:
- Learn simple hand building techniques and surface design
- -Develop understanding of what guides your practice and to help your work communicate layers of more complexity.
- -Discover free writing as a way of creating new ideas for work
- -Introduction to surface considerations for 2D surfaces and sculptural forms
3 DAY: Heads up workshop
The workshop is open to all levels of experience and to those who want to improve their hand building skills. Students will explore their ability to develop forms that represent the human embodiment of complex emotions.
Exploration to play:
Experimentation is important to artists who want to improve their
work. This workshop will offer several ways to help you open up to thinking about the development of work through form, technique and idea. Slab and pinch methods of building will be taught as a way to create expressive head sculptures.
1 WEEK: Building the Upper Body Workshop:
The workshop is open to all levels of experience. For those who want to develop a more natural pose and expression in the upper portion of the body. Simple slab used to build simple forms and learning about the use of proportion to express your intent.
the number of forms created will depend on your skill level. Underglaze application will be the focus of surface decoration..
2 WEEK: Simple Mold Making for the figure. The workshop is open to intermediate level sculptors who have a good grasp on the form but want to learn more about casting forms to increase their production and ability to have more options for multiples in their work. Participants will create simple head form and torso or full figure dependent on skill level. The class will include one and 2 part press molds. Participants will make at least 2 molds.
3 DAY SURFACE TECHNIQUE WORKSHOP
The workshop is open to all levels . Participants will be introduced to a variety of surface treatments. Demonstration will show a variety of surface treatments. Participants will be given time to experiment with the many options. Students may bring their
own pieces to practice demonstrated techniques. Bring the clay body you use or use the clay provided. Slab, greenware and bisque fired tiles needed.
The following techniques can be demonstrated: Note that not all of these techniques can be covered in a 3 day workshop. 1 to 2 week options are available.
1.Linoleum surface stamping:
Making stamp from easy cut lino like plates is a great way to add surface texture that picks up subtleties in glaze.
2. Positive/ Negative paper stencils/ slip and underglaze
3. Using wax and glaze applications for more surface per firing.
- Wax over underglaze with glaze washes leather hard
- Embedding texture over underglaze with wax and/ or glaze application/ removal to create surface fluid and sometimes complex textural elements.
4. Printmaking on clay
- Pour method of making slabs printmaking on clay
- Pulling wet slabs ( lead paint affect)
- Wet slab to wet slab
- EZ Screen Silk screen/
- Gelli plates
5. Encaustic Surfaces (post firing)
- Using encaustic to build sculptural surfaces (color and texture
- As sealant for post fired surfaces
6. Paint and graphite post firing surfaces
- Household paints with washes and graphite application
- Graphite dust applications
- Watercolor pencil applications
Melisa Cadell lives in Western North Carolina with her family. She has been sculpting since 1998 with clay, paper, moving sculpture and steel. Recently she has been experimenting with found plastics and bioplastics. Melisa is most fascinated with what
can be relayed in a single thought working out new ways to communicate with her audience.
Cadell holds a BFA from the University of North Texas and an MFA from East Tennessee State
University. In addition to teaching workshops around the United States, Cadell has taught at
East Tennessee State University and Appalachian State University. She currently teaches high
school art in NC. Her work has been exhibited nationally and featured in publications such as
American Style magazine, Ceramics: Art & Perception and 500 Figures in Clay,Het Grove K Book, and Mastering Sculpture-The Figure in Clay.
Melisa Cadell works in multiple mediums and explores the complicated thoughts that drive humans behavior. Her clay work is most notably characterized by its willingness to question beliefs and actions of the contemporary world.
Ceramics Arts Daily: DVD: http://ceramicartsdaily.org/bookstore/figure-sculpting-in-clay-with-melisa-cadell/ a quick look into sculptural procedures to build basic form. This video is intended to show an overview and concentrates the focus on structure and ideas rather than final finished forms.
