Two full days of hand carving technique and stone carving lore introduce the beginner to reductive art-making and three-dimensional thinking. Use of the Studio’s tools and a moderate piece of Vermont marble are included in the fee. Discussions of safe studio practices and stone and tool sourcing help make this two-day course an excellent initiation to the craft of stone sculpture.
Have you ever wanted to carve in alabaster but felt that the idea was a bit daunting? Beginners will discuss how to simplify the challenges of working with a piece of stone. Participants will be taught how to use basic stone carving tools and techniques to create a simple and elegant sculpture from a moderate piece of alabaster provided by the Studio. Safe stone carving practices plus stone and tool sources will round out the weekend and leave you wanting to come back for more.
If you ever thought you would like to utilize the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center as your own studio, this is your chance! This week will be ideal for anyone who has taken a workshop during the CSSC’s history and would like to finish a piece or start a new one. This will also be a terrific opportunity to reconnect with other artists and recapture the magic of earlier experiences. Technical support and knowledgeable advice from our teaching staff will be available throughout the week, and studio space may be reserved either indoors or out. Participants are encouraged to bring images of their own work to share.
Two full days of hand carving technique and stone carving lore introduce the beginner to reductive art-making and three-dimensional thinking. Use of the Studio’s tools and a moderate piece of Vermont marble are included in the fee. Discussions of safe studio practices and stone and tool sourcing help make this two-day course an excellent initiation to the craft of stone sculpture.
Stone carving by its nature is an engaged, sensual activity. From finding and choosing the raw block to the constant touching, shaping and questioning. We stand back and walk around, looking to see our form and shape reflecting idea. With our eyes and hands the stone goes through stages of rock, rough block, tooled marks, suggestive form and onto polished surface. We will focus on manipulation of form and tool use. All levels of stone carving experience are welcome.
This workshop is designed to take the mystery out of making molds from a wide variety of materials. Techniques for safely taking rubber molds from stone and wood originals will be covered as well as taking waste molds from your clay originals. There will be extensive question and answer sessions along with some hands on work. Participants may bring their original artwork in for consultation.
The possibilities with steel are endless and participants are free to explore any aspect of the medium they choose, from hollow form sculpture to blacksmithing, furniture design, tool building or a combination of all of the above. With all the available resources to forge or fabricate steel- MIG and torch welding, plasma cutting, hammer & anvil- any idea can come to life. Exploration of all sizes for steel sculpture will be encouraged. With extensive open air studio space sculptors can build intricate parts in the shop and combine them outside to explore larger works.
Expand basic skills or develop ideas through the use of stone or wood. This workshop provides all participants an opportunity to explore traditional carving techniques and/or alternative approaches to creating sculpture. The instructor encourages personal approaches to art making, individualized critiques and group discussions to provide the participant with a heightened studio experience. All work will revolve around self-determined goals.
This workshop is centered on low-tech/high-skill methods in wood. In an era of economic instability it is imperative that we keep making, but we should do so in a sustainable fashion—by skillfully using inexpensive tools that already exist (and in this case, have for multiple generations). Each participant will be issued a fully stocked, personal toolbox for the duration of the workshop, and there will be demonstrations on the selection, use, care, sharpening, and repair of these tools. There will also be an opportunity for participants to purchase the same types of tools in an optional trip to a local market.
The fundamentals of both carving and turning (concentric carving) will be uniquely taught with the revival of pre-industrial machines and techniques working both with dry and green wood. Carving and riving (splitting) will be taught using axe, adz, handsaw, froe, chisel, gouge, slick, and rasp. For turning, participants can learn how to form both spindle and bowl forms using spring-pole and bow-powered lathes in large and small formats. Green wood will be shaped using shaving horses, drawknives and spoke-shaves.
The session also features guided discussions on contemporary and historical artists, craftspeople, and designers that have employed such traditional methods in their work. Additionally, the old-school content of the class will be complemented by an investigation of some local edible plants, natural drinks, and even the construction of a lashed yurt sweat lodge. Experimentation and collaboration will be encouraged as students work to create their own engaging art, craft, or design.
Participants will explore and practice different approaches to working, carving and composing with marble and granite. Daily discussions and artist presentations dealing with the abstract in sculpture and its relationship to the environment will be the focus of this workshop. The idea or concept shapes the stone and the environment by means of the technical effort, which can best facilitate the making of a sculpture.
Pour molten iron! In this workshop you’ll learn the fundamentals of iron casting, from making the form from clay to pouring the metal. You’ll learn multiple techniques for making molds, how to run a traditional cupola furnace, the theory behind melting iron, and how to make your own iron-melting furnace. Each participant will produce three (3) iron sculptures and be given the opportunity to be directly involved in the pours
Learn to look - and translate what you see into solid form. In three sessions with a live model participants will explore relief modeling, the seated figure in three dimensions and portraiture. Processes for making clay sculpture permanent (firing, waste molds, dry and coat with sealant) will be reviewed. There will be opportunities for technical questions and answers throughout the session.
Each class begins with a lecture/survey of dynamic images of human constructions over 35,000 years - from effigy mounds, to barrows, pyramids, temples, shrines and other holy architectures, alongside structures of state and commerce to reveal the work of the human ego, as it is guided by our collective stories of culture, politics, belief and faith.With this as background, we will work in the second part of each class to create “architectures” (sculptural forms) from our own personal and group intentions, dreams, meanings and stories.
The instructor will teach her methods of structure building to support papier-mâché. Participants will learn a variety of ways to create armatures and underlying supports of various materials to create 3-D objects out of paper. Paper selection, glues and various materials including foam core, aluminum foil, wrapping with tape and surface treatments will be discussed. These techniques will be demonstrated. Participants will have time to explore materials and create small objects. Handouts for obtaining materials and outline of techniques will be provided.
This course explores the process of carving a figure in stone from start to finish. Topics covered will include transfer of a drawing or maquette to a block of stone, roughing out planes, structural imperatives, carving and finishing techniques, and basic anatomy, gesture and proportion. Participants must bring a well-developed drawing or maquette that they would like to carve in stone.
A visionary approach to making art, using all materials - sculptural materials, found objects, collage, paper, canvas, paint, etc. As artists we are inspired continually by the world around us and by all we imagine. This workshop presents an opportunity to move with purpose from our inspirations and ideas to completed works of art. Each participant will focus on a discovery of his/her individual process. We will experiment with ways of bringing structure, depth and body to our initial impulses. We glean from a variety of resources such as the imagery in poetry, in our dreams, in our own writing and sketchbooks, and in the rich world of our experience. The goal is to enhance and expand our artistry, to create meaningful works of art that align with all we wish to create and express as artists.
Slate is often overlooked as a potential carving material due to its association with more utilitarian uses such as roofing, gravestones, tile, or - going back a few years -blackboards. In fact, slate has wonderful tight grain that accepts fine detail and can be worked up to a matte shine. Its relative softness allows ease of carving with standard fire-sharpened steel hand tools and very quickly with carbide air-powered ones. The flat nature of slate makes it an ideal media for relief carvings; think what the Egyptians did with incised line and shallow cutting!
We will go over basic Roman V-cut lettering, proportioning, Gilding and some Celtic knot work design.The workshop will concentrate on proper tool usage (traditional and pneumatic), a brief tool-making demonstration, and techniques for translating a drawing or calligraphy onto stone. Open to all skill levels. Please bring ideas, text samples or sketches.
Whether it is in the shadows of the most holy vaulted Gothic cathedrals or faces hiding in the foliage; we have been carving these creatures as an acknowledgement that their kind might exist and to forget is at our own peril. These silent ones embody the ‘other’ that lurks at the edge where the rational, comfortable, controllable ends…
We will explore both 3-D and relief imagery (individuals choice), drawing and laying out our design, transferring to stone and proper tool usage from traditional hand carving to pneumatic and diamond abrasives and a brief tool-making demonstration. There will be a variety of stones to work from: Danby marble, Fairhaven slate, Indiana limestone among others. Please bring sketches or ideas to work from.
Learn about the wonderful world of molten bronze. Participants will produce three bronzes using a different method for each. Techniques demonstrated will be: Lost wax - make your own wax original the first day of class, to be cast in ceramic shell. Green sand casting - each participant will make a 3”x5” plaque, to be cast using cope and drag green sand casting. Experimental resin-bonded sand-cutting, drilling and gluing sections of bonded sand together, then casting the negative spaces, resulting in a unique assortment of unknown forms and shapes. In keeping with tradition, the workshop will culminate with a blast from the shop cannon!
Technological evolution and development have a profound influence on the ways that sculptors create new ideas and sculptures. Man-made diamonds, motorized power tools and other advances have opened new possibilities for the three-dimensional artist.
Tools and techniques demonstrated will include:
Hydraulic stone-cutting chain saw; dry and wet diamond cutting and polishing; truck-mounted knuckle-crane use; coring and hole making (one-quarter to ten inch diameters); joining and laminating stone to stone, metals and glass using pins and/or adhesives; brazing to repair carbide tipped tools and other unique applications.
Also, many materials once considered esoteric are now readily available. The instructor will show how to make oil base clay (plasticine) and silicone molds from inexpensive local department store products. Time will be allowed for participants to develop and make their own stone and related media sculpture.
The making of a sculpture maquette or small-scale model is a vital tool for helping to visualize a larger scale artwork.This weekend course will explore numerous inexpensive techniques for creating 3-D visualizations, including clay, direct plaster and wire, cardboard and hot glue.Students will be able to create their own maquette in preparation for a larger stone carving or other larger scale project.This course is a must for anyone interested in creating larger scale sculptures.Both figurative and abstract sculpture ideas will be covered. Examples of maquettes will be available as well.
Using a combination of modern and ancient techniques you will learn how to carve figurative, wildlife and organic pieces in less than half the time it takes to carve “in the round”. Your creation will be more faithful to your original concept and much easier to execute.Participants should bring a hacksaw and an idea (maquette or photograph) they wish to explore.
Relief carving can be described as "carving pictures in stone". The process of relief carving involves removing material from a flat stone panel in such a way that an object appears to rise out of the stone. Relief carving also overcomes the logistical challenges that normally accompany traditional 3D work. We will explore both the traditional method as well as laminating your carving onto a background stone. The laminating process allows you to “paint with stone.Participants should bring sketches or photographs of their ideas.
A week long, soft stone carving workshop for beginners to explore the wonders and colors of alabaster or other easy-to-carve stones, creating an artistic sculptural expression. Learn how to use basic hand tools for creative design. Instruction in direct and indirect carving, modeling, stone selection, tools, safety, sculpturing techniques, finishing and mounting. Instructor and peer critique and dialogue. An excellent introduction to the world of stone carving by an instructor with over 40 years experience. Use of tools and a moderate piece of stone are included in the fee.
Join us for seven days of intensive carving in the heart of the historic West Rutland marble quarries. Often called “carving camp,” the symposium provides a supportive community environment for creating sculpture of all sizes in stone as well as other materials.
The Carving Studio and Sculpture Center is equipped with forklifts, compressed air, electricity and water. Participants will bring their own tools and vendors will be on site to demonstrate and sell tools and equipment throughout the session. Native Vermont marble and granite, as well as some imported stone, is available.
The emphasis for the week is long, concentrated work hours with hands on support of experienced professional sculptors. All of the sculptor facilitators work with stone in innovative ways and offer a wide range of aesthetic and technical skills. In addition to demonstrations, they will be available for individualized consultations and group discussions.
Evening communal dinners and artist slide presentations complete the working day.Facilitators: Rick Rothrock, Eric David Laxman, Don Ramey…
The variety of techniques and media available to today's sculptor makes the range of possibilities for mold making and casting an exciting adventure. This workshop will explore everything from the most traditional technique of relief casting with plaster to the more sophisticated process of building two-part rubber molds for works in the round.
With the flexible mold, we are able to realize complex forms that would not be possible with the rigid mold, and these new materials lend themselves to the further production of "multiples." Multiples enable us to make variations on an original or in a repeated installation. Plaster is the most traditional and efficient way to instant gratification but we will also experiment with a range of non-traditional materials and add-mixes to create our own customized casting compound that can be finished in various patina effects.
Modern humans continue to exert their self-proclaimed "intelligence" on the Earth to create more and more efficient forms and complex operations. Yet, this "progress" is not without its problems. Fortunately, there exist balancing forces of the heart, traditionally “feminine” qualities, that are urgently needed to guide the human mind and our willful actions, if we are to create a sustainable future - one of health, justice, joy and well-being for all species. We will explore all this and do a hands-on project in each class to design and create forms symbolic of our preferred future world. (workshop runs 10 a.m. - 3 pm each day)
Mosaic sculpture can be monumental and suitable for the outdoors yet surprisingly lightweight. Participants will learn how to carve their sculptural armature from foam, adding reinforcement when necessary, how to prepare and use various cements, concrete and fiberglass mesh. Resources for design and display, as well as tools for shaping and carving foam and concrete will be presented. We’ll be finishing with a basic mosaic technique using primarily recycled stained glass and found objects. The workshop will include lectures, demonstrations and hands-on work time.
Learn how to carve granite or enhance technical skills for carving this stone. Through group demonstrations & individualized attention, students will explore their own forms & share the conceptual basis for each work through class discussions. Splitting, blocking the form, surface awareness and finishing techniques are essential hands-on learning for this durable outdoor material. Shared evening experiences will be used to broaden one’s awareness of contemporary issues surrounding the world of sculpture through presentations, readings and open discussions.
Pour molten iron! In this workshop you’ll learn the fundamentals of iron casting, from making the form from clay to pouring the metal. You’ll learn multiple techniques for making molds, how to run a traditional cupola furnace, the theory behind melting iron, and how to make your own iron-melting furnace. Each participant will produce an iron sculpture and be given the opportunity to be directly involved in the pours.
Two full days of hand carving technique and stone carving lore introduce the beginner to reductive art-making and three-dimensional thinking. Use of the Studio’s tools and a moderate piece of Vermont marble are included in the fee. Discussions of safe studio practices and stone and tool sourcing help make this two-day course an excellent initiation to the craft of stone sculpture.
In this workshop participants will learn the fundamentals of gas, arc, and MIG welding, oxy-fuel cutting, bending, and forging, and surface treatments of steel. Participants will acquire a working technique of welding that can be immediately applied to art making. Additionally, an ongoing discussion of the history of sculpture and the origins of welded sculpture will inform the class and serve as a point of departure. Participants will investigate a range of contemporary sculptural concepts, from the individual objects to installation, site-specific work, and public sculpture. The class will take advantage of the environment the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center offers - its large resource of scrap steel, and the open-air studio to work freely in various sizes. While experimentation and collaboration will be encouraged, the objective of the five-day course is to enable the participant to confidently execute basic welding techniques to construct sculptural objects.
This course will be focused on the techniques used to carve stone animals. The entire process from subject and stone selection to final surface finishes will be covered. Instruction will be given on various approaches such as direct stone carving and the use of templates. The where, when and how of using hand and power tools will be discussed and demonstrated. The course is open to students of all abilities. Ideally participants will bring numerous photographs of their subject matter. Advanced students should feel free to bring a maquette or even partially finished pieces.
Throughout history stone has been the preferred material for public buildings, memorials, and ornaments, chosen because it would endure the test of time. In this class we will explore how stone is quarried, shaped and carved. Current and historic methods of working stone will be discusses and demonstrated. All skill levels are welcome.
The figure in clay may serve as a departure point for carving or a finished model to be fired or cast in other materials. Ms. Gowell shares her experience as a professional sculptor through frequent discussions and critiques, with an emphasis on modeling technique. Life models are used throughout the course to aid in the teaching of proportion and basic anatomy. Gestural sketches and more analytical studies are produced from direct observation of the figure and structural and anatomical emphasis informs the portrait.
Using hammer and anvil at the forge in this hands-on, three-day workshop, participants will learn traditional iron-working techniques through a progressive series of projects. The seemingly unyielding medium of iron can be skillfully transformed when heated. Hammered, twisted, carved and reshaped, the material will become floral, animal and other decorative ironwork. Safety, history, tool making, finishing, joinery and design considerations are among topics covered. Participants will gain skills to go beyond basic craft to create personal expressive work.
The primary goal of this workshop is to educate attendees regarding all aspects of stone preservation procedures. The workshop will consist of one day of gravestone and monument conservation at the historic Pleasant Street Cemetery in West Rutland and one day of stone conservation treatments performed outdoors on the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center collection.
The gravestones to be conserved will represent many common preservation techniques, based on conditions most often found in historic burying grounds. An in depth demonstration of appropriate stone cleaning assessment, materials and techniques will be conducted, and performed by the group. A folder with printed information will be provided to further inform students, regarding the conservation treatments and materials employed throughout the workshop. Questions, interaction and group discussion are encouraged. Participants are welcome to bring along photographs of stone-works they have concerns or questions regarding.
Consider this as a crash course in how to document your work with digital photography.Don will demonstrate the simplest strategies and techniques, utilizing DSLR’s and Point and Shoot cameras with only one light source and light modifiers devised from commonly available materials.A brief summary of digital workflow and file management as well as preparing imagery for the web will also be presented.
If you ever thought you would like to utilize the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center as your own studio, this is your chance! This week will be ideal for anyone who has taken a workshop during the Studio’s history and would like to finish a piece or start a new one. This will also be a terrific opportunity to reconnect with other artists and recapture the magic of earlier experiences. Tech support and knowledgeable advice from our teaching staff will be available throughout the week, and studio space may be reserved either indoors or out. Participants are encouraged to bring slides of their own work to share.
Two full days of hand carving technique and stone carving lore introduce the beginner to reductive art-making and three-dimensional thinking. Use of the Studio’s tools and a moderate piece of Vermont marble are included in the fee. Discussions of safe studio practices and stone and tool sourcing help make this two-day course an excellent initiation to the craft of stone sculpture.
THE CARVING
STUDIO & SCULPTURE CENTER Instruction, Resources, and Inspiration
for Three-Dimensional Art of All Kinds
Offering Stone Carving for Beginners,
Advanced Sculpture Classes Workspace Rental,
Artist Residency Programs, Sculpture Gallery
and Garden
P: (802)
438-2097