Introduction

Stories are everywhere. Some are cultural, familial or personal.  Some are abstract and can exist without language. Through visual story telling, our intent is to bring a few of these narratives out from wherever we find them, into our artwork.

Tecniques

We will spend our first week in the clay studio, using Terracotta clay, handbuidling with slabs and embellishing what we make with colored slips and stains.   As a mater of fact, visual story telling implies decoration, drawing and making signs, therefore we will trainwith some sketching and drawing. Furthermore, instruction on making wall pieces and simple slab pots will be offered. Our base during the second week will be a Villa in the quiet countryside. We will have time for a few hours of sketching, painting and drawing, alongside excursions to the surrounding Chianti area and to Sienna.

Teaching method

“How best shall I finish this piece to enhance its form & express my personal aesthetic”?   We can address this question by exploring some of the techniques and design ideas demonstrated, like brush painting, resists, inlay, stencilling & sgraffito.  You will develop your work according to your personal aesthetic… be it exuberant or minimalistic, subtle or wildly colourful, abstract or filled with imagery.

Logistics

During Visual Story Telling we will have time for specific exercises in an inspiring setting. Those are designed to open artistic options, build skills, and find new ways to approach our subject matter. The creative activity will be interspersed with storytelling, excursions, fine food and wines.
This workshop is open to Art lovers with all levels of experience.  It is well suited to potters who want to explore colour, and to painters who just want to get their hands in some clay. A freshly prepared meal on the working days and lodging are included in the cost.

IN THIS COURSE, 2 SPOTS WITHOUT LODGING ARE STILL AVAILABLE! For booking and information about the cost please contact info@lameridiana.fi.it

The artist

Jan Edwards became a Studio Potter after an education in Fine Arts and she has been making pots for forty years. Her home and studio are in Portland Oregon.  There she makes unique, useful pots, custom dinnerware, decorative Tiles, and Drawings in Clay for the walls.   She regularly teaches ceramics at the Community College and the City Art Center. She loves to travel, teaching workshops, especially about putting line, pattern and colour on clay work. www.clayjan.com