. . . a new series of monthly workshops inspired by Encantos and the quiet, meaningful objects that shape a creative life
After writing about stepping back from Painting with Fire, I found myself reflecting on the arc of my own work—what has remained constant over the years, even as materials and methods have shifted.
But it was during my recent exhibition, Encantos, that something became especially clear to me.
As I worked on that body of clay, collage, and assemblage pieces—objects that felt both ancient and immediate—I began to recognize a deeper thread running through everything I make. There was a sense of connection to the past, to shared human symbols, to small, sacred objects that carry meaning across time and culture.
In that moment, I understood something I hadn’t fully named before.
Much of what I’ve created as a collagist and assemblage artist are, in essence, objects of devotion.
Not in a strictly religious sense, but in a deeply human one—a devotion to process, to memory, to meaning, and to the quiet relationship between the artist and the work.
That realization has led me to a new series of upcoming workshops.
I am designing a collection of twelve self-paced, three-hour workshops to be released approximately once a month on my Teachable site. The series is called, simply, OBJECTS OF DEVOTION.
We begin with: The Keeper of Fragments: A Devotional Archive Figure
These wall-mounted studio guardians combine elements of spirit dolls and boxes, layered collage, clay sculpture, and assemblage—brought together in a simplified, accessible way.
It is designed to help you focus on what you are truly devoted to in your art practice: your colors, your words, your meaningful fragments—the pieces that mark your journey.
This is a figure that not only watches over your space, but holds what you cannot throw away.
I’ve had a wonderful time creating the prototype and filming its emergence. It’s almost ready for prime time. It takes a little from the spirit dolls, the boxes, the Wanderers, the Neo-Santos, and adds the meaningful fragments from your personal creative practice.
The next workshop in the series will be: The Listening Vessel: Holding What Emerges in Stillness
Available in late May, this workshop invites you to create a small hand-formed vessel using plaster, paper, and natural materials—an object shaped as much by listening as by making.
Through simple, intuitive processes, you’ll build a form that gathers texture, memory, and meaning, allowing the materials to guide you as much as your hands do.
This vessel becomes a place of pause—a way of holding what is subtle, unspoken, and still emerging.
As with all Objects of Devotion, the focus is on simplicity, presence, and personal meaning. Each piece will be uniquely yours—a quiet companion in your creative space.
Other upcoming workshops will reflect my devotion to shrines and altars, talismans, Santos, pods and vessels, and narrative Ex-Votos. I look forward to announcing the entire series.
Ultimately, this series called Objects of Devotion is about recognizing and building what resonates most deeply with your unique self—your own devotion to art-making which calls you back, again and again, to your creative practice.
Each workshop is both process-based and object-centered. We will create something tangible—something we can hold, share, revisit, and reinterpret over time.
These objects become metaphors of meaning, reflecting both your past and your present.
The workshops emphasize:
- Simple forms explored through mixed-media techniques
- Materials that are accessible and chosen with respect for the natural world
- Processes that can be adapted and expanded into your own artistic language
Each workshop is affordably priced at $27 and is downloadable for you to keep.
You don’t need to commit to the entire series—simply choose the ones that resonate with you.
The first workshop, The Keeper of Fragments: A Devotional Archive Figure, will be available next week.
If you would like to be on the list to be the first to know about new workshops, just click here.
I’m so looking forward to sharing this with you!!!