Sacred Objects: Handmade Brushes and Incantation Bowls
an online live workshop experience
What: Sacred Objects: Handmade Brushes and Incantation Bowls
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays 1pm CST; November 10th, 12th, 17th and 19th
Where: The privacy of your own home or studio via an exclusive Facebook Group for this workshop
Cost: $100 per participant - register below
In Sacred Objects, we will approach the art of creating handmade bowls and brushes with reverence to the connection between all that the artist contains within them and how the work of their hands becomes a sacred offering - a sublime experience of making.
In the course of this workshop, we will create two styles of handmade brushes, one using the participants own hair or that of a loved one, and the other from natural and found materials. While the focus of the workshop is not about the art of mark-making, several exercises will be included to help orient the participant to approaching that art form. As one becomes more connected to the writing instrument they've created with their own hands, the instrument becomes an extension of one's own soul.
In addition to the brushes we will be creating, we will be making our very own Incantation Bowls. You may also refer to them as Meditation Bowls. Inspired by Sue Monk Kidds latest novel, The Book Of Longings, where a key component of the story was the gift of an incantation bowl to the main character in which she inscribed the words of a prayer for what she most longed for inside. As a meditation practice, those words would be sung or chanted as the fingers traced the words inside the bowl. A way of setting intentions, containing longings too big to be spoken to another, or simply holding the gratitude one wants to remember to hold onto in difficult times.
As an art form, Sacred Objects will equip you to approach your work with a 3D sculptural sensibility and with a reverence for the simple object to become a spiritual symbol or meditational tool.
Each bowl and brush crafted during the course of this workshop will be an expression of the artist, not a mere copy of the teacher.
The technical information covered will include:
- crafting brushes in a sturdy manner
- creating bowls and adorning them
- with materials such as:
- plaster cloth
- paper clay
- natural and found materials
- ephemera
- fabric
- paint
- ink
- Encaustic Wax
The beauty of the online live format versus the on location in person workshops I teach is in the ability to slow down and give each demo the time and attention it deserves between lessons. The private group for participants becomes a meeting place to connect and share ideas, thoughts, images, and questions with each other and myself. Having these conversations between lessons in that group format serves to further ignite and inspire the participants imagination.
The private group is where I will present each lesson live. Each one will be approximately 2.5 hours long and will include discussion as well as extensive demonstrations, plus ideas and alternatives to approach ones own work. These live lessons will be recorded and remain available for review as often as desired. The group will remain open for one month after the last lesson. At that time, the participants will be given a link and a password to download each of the four videos, plus one pre-recorded bonus video, to save to their own computers for a lifetime of continued review.
Supplies for this workshop:
Bowl:
Oblong container for water, such as a shoe storage container
Balloons to use as form - in size and shape of your choice
rolling pin or pasta machine
For the brushes:
driftwood, dry branch, or similar size found object for brush handle
lock of hair approximately the width of a large finger at least 2" long
dry grasses, leaves, interesting plant materials
and/or: old broom, paintbrush, or other sources of bristles to repurpose
hemp cord
variety of fibers, yarns, string, floss, etc for alternative brush tips and/or adorning brush
Scotch tape
Black India ink
Black fine point permanent marker - can be a sharpie or any other brand you prefer to write with
Scissors
Needle nose pliers
ruler
Drill with standard bits
Sandpaper-several pieces in fine to course grits
Optional- these items will be used or discussed in the demos. You may choose to have them available or wait to view the class to determine what you'd like to gather:
small handsaw or hacksaw
decorative molds, embossing stamps, rubber stamps, etc
stencils
scraps of fabric
feathers
rubber bands
beads, embellishments, found objects, etc.
Paper/ephemera
color ink and/or watercolor paints
encaustic wax
electric fryer or crockpot for melting wax
Encaustic grade (natural bristles) paint brush 1.5" - 2"
R&F Pigment sticks
Heat gun or torch
alternative to an encaustic finish: liquid varnish from the hardware store
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