NW Designer Craftsman Symposium

Breathing Baskets

This workshop will encourage participants to explore visual ideas suggested through openwork textile structures-knotted netting and knotless netting. Reserving openings for air and the importance of what is not there will be built into conceptually based quick studies and studio exploration.

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Copper Tides Basketry Workshop

In this designer basketry workshop, you will blend natural barks--willow, cedar, cherry, or birch along with strips of copper. Weave, and interweave shapely sculptural forms.
Yours may be a vessel, may be foaming up the wall, may be surging or settled. All outcomes unknown, all input a discovery.

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Creating Pate de Verre Forms

After watching a demo on how to make glass sculptural work from tiny pieces of fractured glass (pate de verre), students will make their own 6" glass sculptural form. Glass will be colored with permanent glass powders and embellished with other glass frit, stringer, confetti, etc. Students will arrange to pick up their finished fused pieces at the Schack the following week or pay to have the work shipped to their homes.

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Cut it Through!

Paper cutting, from historical roots to the contemporary art scene, demonstrates its multi-facets. Simple techniques: cutting, stenciling, modeling_ permit to create large installations and intimate works. During this intensive class of serious fun, participants will discover the incredible variety of applications of this art form from fine arts to public art commissions.

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Developing Your Visual Language Through Experimentation and Model Making

In this class we will focus on discovering and exploring each individuals unique voice. Through image presentations, discussion, demonstrations, and time to make, we will aim to find what is important, personal, and resonate to you in what you create.

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Figuring Out

During this hands-on workshop, participants will create a unique figurative sculpture Kensuke will demonstrate his hollow-forming hand building techniques to construct a Head and full figure using basic ceramics technique.

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Flame-working to Fusing Crossover

Combine flame-working and glass fusing to bring your work to a new level. Learn to make design elements in the torch that will produce fused glass that really stands out. After
warming up with demos in the flame studio, students will "cross-over" to the warm shop, designing and firing projects using flame-worked elements.

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Glass & Mixed Media: The Altered Book

Mixed Media/Glass Sculpture course will focus on the serendipity of  mixed media and embrace the happy discoveries of glass + found objects.  We'll examine a variety of joining methods,  as well as incorporating  imagery, text, concept, and narrative.

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Mining Historic Textiles as a Route to the Future

Textiles embody the creative vision of cultures that produced them. They can also be extraordinary sources of inspiration for artists who envision the past differently than historians. This class will explore several strategies for probing provocative textiles in Gerhardt Knodel's personal collection.

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Personal Adornment & the Narrative Object

This workshop will explore a wide range of concepts applicable to personal adornment and the narrative object. Working with both traditional and alternative materials - silver, copper, wire, recycled materials, and found objects - participants will fashion objects of personal importance, expression, and adornment.

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Sculpture: Paper & Acrylic

There's so much to be discovered simply by manipulating paper!
Learn how paper & acrylics can be combined to create 3D sculptural forms or simply add more dimension within your flat work. It all begins with the creation of color, pattern and texture on paper, using methods combining acrylic paints, mediums and gels. 

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Skagit & Snohomish County Studio, Gallery & Museum Bus Tour

Join fellow artists, art patrons and collectors for a day of exploring art and the beauty of the surrounding countryside. Arrangements for studio tours are in the works, galleries and museums in La Conner, Bow/Edison and Mt Vernon will be interspersed. Getting on and off a bus is the main requirement of this splendid day of art and conviviality. A lunch stop will be scheduled mid-day. Bring your own or go to an area restaurant.

All Are Welcome!

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