Monthly Archives: August 2021

Creative Circle Power – want to join?

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I’ve just returned from Taos, New Mexico and a wonderful teaching experience at the Taos Ceramics Center. For two Saturdays, I worked with eight students who inspired each other with their generosity, support, and insights. It reminded me strongly that the power of a group of artists is almost infinite.

Sharing and discussing one’s art is a slippery subject, kind of like trying to nail Jello to a wall. But we know what we love when we see it, even if we can’t describe in words our instant connection to a painting, a sculpture, or, in the case of our workshop, an earthenware Santo.

But when an artist creates within in a group environment, a certain magic happens – conversation flows, ideas emerge, support abounds. This is what Michelle Belto and I have experienced during the first two twelve-week terms of our virtual artist’s residency program called The Enso Circle. 

If you apply to The Enso Circle and are accepted, you will have access to workshop sessions, a private online library of resources, regular Zoom critiques and group discussions, and presentations with guest artists. During the three months there will be opportunities to share your work in process, troubleshoot stuck points, get positive and supportive feedback, and meet one on one with Lyn and/or Michelle. The residency will culminate in a shared online exhibition and catalogue.

Here is a link to the exhibition catalog from the Spring Residency. You can see the amazing variety of media and creative levels. One thing these residents had in common was a commitment to twelve weeks of guided support  toward a self-described goal.

We are now in the tenth week of the second residency with twelve new artists, all of whom are successfully completing their goals and ready to show their work in a new Summer Exhibition Catalog.

Michelle and I would like you to consider joining us in The Enso Circle for the fall term. There is a limit of twelve residents and each person must apply for admission. If you think this might be right for you, please go to our Enso Circle Website and read more about it. You can apply right from our webpage.

And if you’re not sure, we will happily put you in touch with a current or past Enso Circle Resident Artist who can tell you more about it from their standpoint. Remember, applications are coming in and we are closing that window on October 8th. You are invited to join us.

Now, I can’t wait to tell you more about my great experience in Taos, and a follow-up workshop I’m planning called Shards and Santos — with Paper Clay.

Thanks for being in MY creative circle. When creative people support each other, magic happens. Here’s a photo of my friend, artist Linda Rael, and me after productive a day in the Taos workshop. See those smiles? Happiness is the power of the circle!

♥Lyn, glad to be back home

 

 

 

 

Shards and Santos, Clay and Collage

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Happiness is teaching in Taos!

A week from tomorrow, I’ll be at the Taos Ceramics Center working with students in my Shards and Santos Workshop. The class takes place on two consecutive Saturdays – here’s a description.

In this workshop, we will create personal assemblages inspired by these iconic figures of Santos. In the first class, we will construct handmade textured slab-based clay components such as heads, bodies, and enhancements. We will also learn to make hand-crafted clay press molds. These components will be fired once.

Here are some examples of assorted assemblage components that I’m taking with me – honestly, working in assemblage is just like working in collage, only a bit more dimensional:

Continuing the workshop description —

The next week, we will build our figure, incorporating found objects such as bones and shells and bleached twigs into the final assemblage and perhaps include cherished objects and hidden words. We will explore the limitless possibilities of cold finishes, such as metallics and beeswax, to enhance the surfaces of the unglazed earthenware.

These santos, below, are in progress, and I’ll use them to show how the components are put together.

Since we will not be glazing and re-firing the shard components, I’ve been experimenting with cold finishes for fired clay for the last couple of weeks.

One of the most successful combinations I’ve discovered is Pearl Ex powder by Jacquard mixed with Gamblin Cold Wax Medium.  You can control the translucency and the color saturation, then buff the wax finish. It’s exciting to see how well it works on bisqueware.

 

Another technique I’m playing with is tube acrylic paint mixed with a bit of cornstarch to dull the finish.

In the sample below, the acrylic mixture mimics the look of Gilder’s Paste at about half the cost and with less potential toxicity.

This kind of experimentation is part of the fun of planning a workshop. And then I get to share with new people!

I’m grateful to the Taos Ceramics Center for inviting me – and at this writing, there’s just one spot left, so if you need a quick get-away, come on up to the mountains of New Mexico!