The Art of Polishing: Wood & Stone Makers

From forest to river bed, wood and stone are two of nature’s most beautiful materials — and with the right techniques, you can bring out a sparkling soul in them that most people never see. This 3-hour workshop is designed for those who are already in the process of making, diving deep into the polishing and finishing stages that transform a shaped piece into something truly refined.
Whether you’re carving a wooden bowl, shaping a stone pendant, or working on any small-scale sculpture in either material, this workshop will meet you exactly where you are in your process — giving you the practical skills, the hands-on experience, and the eye to finish your work beautifully.
What You’ll Learn
∙ How to build a sanding progression from coarse to ultra-fine grits (60 through 3000) and why each stage matters
∙ How to read your material — identifying scratches, uneven surfaces, and when you’re truly ready to move to the next grit
∙ The differences between finishing wood and stone, and how to adapt your technique accordingly
∙ Oils, waxes, and compounds: which finishing products suit your specific material and desired result
∙ How to avoid the most common polishing mistakes — and how to recover when things go wrong
What to Bring
∙ Your own small-scale wood or stone object, at whatever stage it’s currently at
∙ Sandpaper in as many grits as you have, from 60 up to 3000
What We Provide
∙ Small wood and stone samples for practice
∙ Finishing oils, waxes, and polishing compounds

Open to sculptors with any level of experience

Introduction to Simple Mold Making and Casting in Silicone

This course provides visual artists and sculptors with a hands-on introduction to silicone mold making and casting — one of the most versatile techniques for reproducing three-dimensional forms. You will learn to work directly with platinum-cure silicone to create flexible molds of original objects or sculptures, not intricate ones, and then cast them using materials such as resins, plaster, and/ or white cement, depending on your preference.
By the end of the course, you will have the fundamental skills to incorporate mold making into your studio practice. Whether to edit your work, explore multiples, or experiment with material transformation as part of your creative process.


Additional Information:
What to Bring (Materials List)
- Molding: Mold Star 16 Fast (Smooth-On)
- Casting depends on your preference: Smooth-Cast™ 326 (Clear Amber resin), Plaster, or White Cement
- Sculpted Clay (Sulfur-free)
- Mixing Sticks
- Mixing Containers
- Vinyl or Rubber Gloves (NO LATEX)
What we provide
-Ease Release™ 200

Open to all levels

Sculpture: Beyond the Portrait

This class is open to both beginner students and experienced portrait artists who want to develop a more nuanced facial awareness.

Working 3/4 to full scale in water-based clay from a live model, participants will gain an understanding of the structure that evokes feelings and emotions.
The course will explore the syntax and notes, including the push and pull of forms, beauty, youth, age, contours, and line, which will be incorporated and studied.
The history of the face in artistic and sculptural contexts will also be discussed.

The finished and dried works can be kiln-fired at an added cost.

Open to all Levels

Color Intensive Workshop

In this 3-day workshop, students will learn techniques for mixing colors, from highly saturated colors to more muted colors and everything else in between. This will improve students' understanding of color mixing and structured mixing workflow, which will add clarity to their own painting process.
We will be creating color combinations as a resource that students can refer to when doing their own paintings. We will also analyze how certain artists throughout history used color to express harmony and vitality. Students will come away mastering basic understanding of color mixing and its inherent visual impact.

All painting mediums are welcome.

Open to all Levels

This class is open to both beginner students and experienced portrait artists who want to develop a more nuanced facial awareness. Working 3/4 to full scale in water-based clay from a live model, participants will gain an understanding of the structure that evokes feelings and emotions. The course will explore the syntax and notes, including the push and pull of forms, beauty, youth, age, contours, and line, which will be incorporated and studied. The history of the face in artistic and sculptural contexts will also be discussed.

The finished and dried works can be kiln-fired at an added cost.

Open to all Levels

Exploring Pastels

n this class students will learn to use pastels and explore this versatile and exciting medium. General formal artistic qualities such as composition, color theory and tonal values will be addressed, as well properties specific to pastel such as blending, layering, mark making and texture. We will have a model to work from every other week, and on non- model class days students will investigate subjects and themes such as still-life, landscape, portraiture and abstraction while learning the fundamentals of working with pastels. All levels of experience are welcome.

Open to all Levels