Saints Preserve Us, a Santos Monday 9:00 - 4:30 $135  
  Tory Brokenshire    


Student Level: All
Type of Workshop: Process and Project, most students will be able to finish the figure in the classroom

 

 

 

Often dressed in the most beautiful gowns and wearing golden crowns, the Santos image has been made for centuries. We will strip away the religious aspects of the Santos and put a personal and modern twist on it. In this class we will create a beautiful unique assemblage sculpture using a variety of materials.

We start with basic sculpting techniques in clay creating the head for our piece, developing a sculpture with both emotion and character. Painting and staining your Santos gives it an antique and folk-art quality.

Creative construction will start as the heads are baking. Explore a multitude of ways to join your body parts, resulting in a one of a kind art piece.

Kit fee of $10 payable to Instructor at class time includes:

  • wood base: 2”x 4”x 10” or supplies so your Santos can be hung on the wall
  • supplies for attaching the body parts
  • tie wire
  • assorted doweling (for the head)
  • two part epox
  • tin foil
  • assorted hardware –nails, bolts, screws, washers, wing nuts, etc
  • use of large tools and hand tools, i.e., drills, dremel tool, jig saw
  • use of clay oven

*I will be bringing a bin of assorted assemblage body parts that will be for sale in case you want to change or in the event something does not work out.

*I will work with you before class, online and with photos to help you collect pieces you might want to incorporate into your assemblage sculpture. See contact info below.

Students should bring:

  • One porcelain doll 15” tall with hands. We will be using the head and the hands if you wish - old and worn is fine, the head will be covered. I often find mine at the Good Will or Salvation Army paying between $4 and $7.
  • Clay: 10 oz of Sculpey Original – white
  • Golden Acrylics or high quality paints, 1 oz each of - Titan Buff, Quinacridone/Nickel Azo Gold, Burnt Umber and Titanium White
  • Assortment of paint brushes including detail brush for the eyes and mouth, ½” flat to paint the face
  • 1 or 2 clean up rags or old toweling
  • Body, Arm and Leg parts:
  • The body - Anything made from wood in a rectangular shape. The size should be approximately 8 to 12 inches long. Remember we will need to attach head, arms and legs to it. An old wooden shoe form, wood clamp, a narrow wood box, an interesting piece of turned wood at least as big around as a coffee mug. I have used an old tin for the body but you will need to make sure that it can be opened so you can attach your other body parts.
  • The arms - Can be 8” to 10” made from long wooden spoons, chair rungs, old paint brushes, well worn garden tools - I have made them with no arms but opting for wings, you can have both if you wish. Wonderful old 4” paint brushes could make nice wings.
  • The legs - 15” to 18” can be made from handles from a croquet mallet, stair rails, old turned table legs. Or you may forgo legs and use a part of a well worn newel post attaching head, arms or wings to the post. When choosing your legs try not to have them come to a point on the foot end of the piece because we need to use a large screw to mount it to the base unless you wish your piece to hang on the wall.

    All of the measurements are in relationship to each other or if you want to have a very long legged Santos, this will be your choice. Visit my blog and view my assemblage Santos for further ideas coppercrowstudio.blogspot.com

    I will provide the base: A piece of 2”x 6”x10” wood to mount your finished assemblage piece on. If you would like to mount it on something else that’s great. I have mounted some of my Santos on old phone boxes, the top of an oak round piano stool. The taller and heavier your Santos the bigger and more stable of a base you will need. If you wish to leave your base at home and mount it later we can prepare it for that.

Note: Bring your sack lunch if you want to stay in the room to play and ask questions, I will be eating in the room.

Questions? Email Tory at coppercrowstudio@msn.com
Website: coppercrowstudio.blogspot.com