36-2019 – Alessandro Gallo – Tip Toland – Sculpting from life

For the first time, Tip and Alex will teach their processes and methods in a workshop to make representational sculpture. The focus will be on techniques used to hand building the figure in solid clay and on painting it realistically after it is fired.

Every day Tip and Alex will demonstrate on different aspects of the figure. Throughout the immersive two weeks every participant will be encouraged to work on two projects. The goal for every participant will be to make one small piece during the first three days to be fired and painted in the last three and a medium sized piece in between.
As a start students will be asked to make a mask (Tip will focus and demonstrate the human face and Alex an animal) or copy an object at hand ( a shoe, bag, cloth, fruit and so on, that can be next to the sculpture at all times for reference).
The piece or pieces made (depending on the speed and confidence of the maker) will be fired during the middle of the workshop and will provide a ‘canvas’ for painting and finishing practice during the last three days.

The mask project is ideal to dive into the deep end without being too precious or invested and being able to focus on the process rather than on the final result. After breaking the ice we’ll focus on a more challenging piece that will be specific to every individual. Self-tailored projects will be encouraged and supported, offering instruction and suggestions at all times. At every stage we will reinforce and consolidate the concepts learned during the first three days.
The workshop will cover the following topics involved with each stage and the precautions to take during the making.
– Concept and narrative
– Reference preparation
– Hand building solid using a pipe armature.
– Roughing in clay, identifying main shapes, planes and volumes
– Defining progressively the piece in all its parts
– Cutting the solid piece in sections.
– Hollowing and reassembling.
– Sculpting and Refining
– Details
– Firing
– Post firing, glues and tools
– Painting and finishing techniques

Part one: Day 1-3 Small sculpture to be finished and fired.
Part two: Day 4-9 Medium piece to be prepared for bisque firing
Part three: Day 10-14 Painting and finishing the small sculpture created in the first days.

Tip Toland was born outside of Philadelphia and now lives in Vaughn, Washington. She received her MFA from Montana State University in 1981. In 1986 she received a visual arts Fellowship grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. She was awarded first-place in 2005 for the Virginia Groot Foundation grant. Tip is a full-time studio artist and a part-time instructor in the Seattle area. In addition, she conducts workshops across the United States, Europe and the middle east. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally. She is currently represented by Traver gallery In Seattle. Her work is represented in both private and public collections, including the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian, Kohler Art Center, The Museum of Art and Design and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
www.tiptoland.com

Alessandro Gallo was born in 1974 in Genoa, Italy and is now based in Helena, Montana. After studying Law at the University of Genoa, Gallo moved to London where he studied at Saint Martin’s College of Art and at Chelsea School of Art and Design. Gallo has shown internationally and his work was featured in the 54th Venice Biennale in 2011. In 2012, he was awarded a first place grant from the Virginia A. Groot Foundation. In 2014 and 2016 he had solo shows at the Jonathan Levine Gallery in New York. www.alessandrogallo.net