Cloth & Clay: Bringing Faces to Life

With Leslie O’Leary

Two Day Class
Sunday, August 30th – 9:00am to 4:00pm
Monday, August 31st – 9:00am to 4:00pm

Description
Leslie is well known for her distinctive clay faces overlaid with fabric. In this two-day workshop, she shares this approachable technique, guiding students through the expressive marriage of clay and cloth. Each participant receives two molded clay face fronts and a curated selection of fabrics to create finished, expressive faces with color. Emphasis is placed on skillful material handling and techniques that support subtle expression and refined results.

What will happen each day of the course?
Day 1: Focuses on fabric application and form-detailing.
Day 2: Brings the faces fully alive through shading and eye painting.

Media Category: Fabric
Course Format: Technique
Skill level: All levels welcome. Basic use and understanding of fabric and paints.

What will Students learn from this course?
Learn:
• Fabric-over-clay face techniques
• Preparing molded clay face fronts
• Selecting and layering fabric for expression
• Securing cloth while preserving form
• Shading and coloring fabric-overlaid faces
• Painting eyes to bring focus and life
Project:
• Two finished fabric-overlaid clay faces with color

Supplies the teacher will provide: All paints and chalks will be provided for use in class • Backdrop protection sheets for paints and glue • Water cups.
Supply Kit Fee (required): $40.00. The teacher will collect payment during class.
– Includes: Two molded face forms • three selections of hand-dyed fabric: cotton knit, woven cotton, and vintage silk • use of paints, pencils, and chalks • outline handout sheets.
Students must bring: Sharp pencil and eraser (a fabric eraser works best) • Alene’s white Tacky Glue (gold bottle-the newer, the better!) • ½” small, flat, stiff brush for applying glue (suggested—#8 or #10 flat) • Small Paint brushes: such as 4/0 round • Black and a brown colored pencil- sharp. Stanford/Berol brand works great • Chenille Needle for defining • Soft rubber-tipped manicure stick (if you have one) • Fabric scissors—any size • Small, sharp fabric scissors • Small palette for glue and paint • Washcloth/studio rag for wiping brush and hands, or paper towels • Black, brown, or auburn sewing thread for eyebrows and a sewing needle • Scrapbooking chalks: Decorator Chalks, Pebbles Classic Colors or Pastels (these are getting harder to find, I will have mine that you are welcome to use!)
Class Size: Minimum 4, Maximum 12.

Hand-Felted Animal Head

With Deborah C Pope

Two Day Class
Sunday, August 30th – 9:00am to 4:00pm
Monday, August 31st – 9:00am to 4:00pm

Description
This is your opportunity to learn Deborah’s unique approach to sculptural felt making. We will combine traditional wet felting techniques with the use of contemporary needle sculpting. The artist will guide you through her step-by-step process to create your own captivating animal head.

What will happen each day of the course?
Day 1: Will be devoted to establishing the basic form of the animal head and wet felting it.
Day 2: Will concentrate on sculpting and refining the features. In addition, Deborah will demonstrate how she makes life-like animal eyes and flat felt to be used in making anthropomorphic hands.

Media Category: Fiber Art
Course Format: Full project
Skill level: Intermediate. It is helpful if students have basic wet felt-making experience, and basic sculpting, and sewing skills.

What will Students learn from this course?
Students will learn Deborah’s unique sculpting technique for making a lifelike animal head from animal fibers as well as tutorials on eye making and hand making tips.

Supplies the teacher will provide: Use of Deborah’s felt-making equipment and paint for eyes • artist brushes to be used on eyes • glue, glue brushes • wire for ears if needed • floral tape • wire cutters • acrylic gloss polyurethane
Supply Kit Fee (required): $30.00. The teacher will collect payment during class.
– Includes: Use of instructor’s supplies • Polyfil batting • stuffing wool • merino wool • specialty fibers (alpaca, camel if needed) • felting needles (2) • instruction booklet • and paperclay eye forms.
Printed materials provided: Instruction booklet
Students must bring: Reference photos of the animal head you wish to create (skull view, multiple views of animal head) • two old bath size towels • a pair of small, sharp embroidery scissors • chalks or pastels for facial coloring • one synthetic flat artist’s brush • Sakura Pigma Micro .05 pens for details (1 brown, 1 black).
Class Size: Minimum 4, Maximum 10.

Make a Complete Doll: Prince

With Ankie Daanen

Three Day Class
Sunday, August 30th – 9:00am to 4:00pm
Monday, August 31st – 9:00am to 4:00pm
Tuesday, September 1st – 9:00am to 4:00pm

Description
Ankie will guide you through sculpting a face, legs, custom high heels, and hands. You’ll also learn how to paint and varnish each body part, assemble the 25″ tall doll, and dress it from head to toe—creating stockings, pants, a top, a collar, and added embellishments.

What will happen each day of the course?
Day 1: We will start sculpting all the parts.
Day 2: We will paint everything.
Day 3: We will assemble the body and costume the doll. Everybody goes home with a finished doll.

Media Category: Air Dry Clay
Course Format: Full project
Skill level: All levels welcome. No special skills required.

What will Students learn from this course?
The students will learn how to sculpt a face, hands, and long legs with high heels.
How to paint and varnish all body parts, how to assemble the body, and how to costume the complete doll.

Supplies the teacher will provide: Ankie will bring all the tools needed to sculpt the doll.
Printed materials provided: none
Supply Kit Fee (required): $50.00. The teacher will collect the kit fee one month before class.
– Includes: Everything needed to make the doll: baseforms for head, hands, and legs • wire • body shape • styrofoam • complete costume as shown on the example doll.
Students must bring: One package of Creative Paperclay • a small bottle of Fast Grab Tacky glue • a pair of sharp scissors • needles and pins • sewing thread: brown and cream • an apron.
Class Size: Minimum 4, Maximum 8.

Patience and Fortitude : Making Your Own BJD!

With Meagan Lillich and Pat Lillich

Three Day Class
Sunday, August 30th – 9:00am to 4:00pm
Monday, August 31st – 9:00am to 4:00pm
Tuesday, September 1st – 9:00am to 4:00pm

Description
Exploring Asian Style Ball Jointed Doll making in Premier Airdry Clay. Students will learn to make different joints while sculpting a 16-inch fashion doll inspired BJD. Includes working from reference and discussions about developing your own personal style.

What will happen each day of the course?
Day 1: Go over the course kit and handouts. Sculpt the lower torso, upper torso, and upper legs. Dry pieces in toaster ovens.
Day 2: Discuss different joints. Sculpt upper and lower arms and lower legs. Add clay as needed to the pieces sculpted on Monday, start sanding and refining.
Day 3: Finishing the doll : refining pieces, sanding, coating, and discussing painting. Stringing the doll and working on fitting joints and refining the doll’s motion.

Media Category: Air Dry Clay
Course Format: Full project
Skill level: Intermediate. Basic sculpting skills.

What will Students learn from this course?
You will sculpt and assemble a complete, fully jointed doll, gain knowledge and experience on how to sculpt and joint this style of doll, and learn to work with Premier clay.

Supplies the teacher will provide: Baby powder • aluminum foil • paper towels • measuring tapes • small modeling tools • dremels • ball bits • drill bits • gesso and gofun • exacto blades • paint brushes • toothpicks • sanding blocks or foam • hemostats • pencils
Printed materials provided: Step-by-step how-to guide with supply resources, and a document showing more jointing types.
Supply Kit Fee (required): $50.00. The teacher will collect the kit fee one month before class.
– Includes: 2 pkgs Premier clay • printed resin head, hands, feet and joints • premier or flumo joints • sandpaper • dowels • spray bottles • s-hooks • elastic • wire • white glue • eyes • faux fur wig • stand • ziplock bags
Students can bring: If you have any small modeling tools you prefer, please bring them. If possible, bringing Dremels with ball bits, 1/8″ and 1/4″ drill bits, and hemostats would be appreciated.
Class Size: Minimum 2, Maximum 6.