Plaster Coffers
Thursday 9:00 - 4:30 $135 Stephanie Lee
Student Level: All
Type of Workshop: Process and Project
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I had a box when I was little where I kept my “special things”. Usually things found along the ditch bank on the walk home from school. Stones, dragonfly wings, dried mint that mom would brew for tea. I’d get a love note from dad and tuck it in the box. An award from school. Photos. My first crocheted granny square. All tucked in the box. It was the one place exempt from the rules of keeping a tidy room. An entire tornado of collecting could fit in that box and remain sacred to others. I set my girls up with the same thing – a “special box”. The contents evolve as we do, but the space remains sacred still.
In this workshop we will create our own sacred coffer, or box, to keep our treasures in (or journals or remote controls or…?) We will use humble and easily accessible materials to build a box which will be strengthened with plaster, treated with paint and finished with luxurious beeswax. I will guide you through the mechanics of making one, large hinged box or compartmentalized box with lift-lid and many variations in between. This will be a functional work of art that will bring a whole new level of “specialness” to your sacred collections.
Supplies provided by the instructor: Plaster, Misc tools and supplies
Supply List:
- Corrugated cardboard – enough for a lid and bottom and four sides. If you want to precut the pieces to your desired size ahead of time, feel free. I will have some extra on hand if you are a little short.
- 3-5 rolls of 4-inch plaster gauze (found at craft and hobby stores. The wider gauze works great too.)
- Artist paint brushes including a 2” wide one
- Acrylic paints in various colors including titanium white and raw umber
- Scissors
- Craft knife
- 2-3 rags. This is important because we will have lots of plaster mess going on!
- Awl
- Large plastic bag
- Heat gun or hair dryer
Optional Supplies:
Chipboard decorative cutouts as seen here
Long strips of ribbon to tie the box closed or for a ribbon hinge
2+ inch wide strip of fabric or leather if you want to use that for a hinge.
3 dimensional objects to adorn your box with
Collage items, paper ephemera
Small amount of gel medium (put some in a film container to save space. Remember film?)
Knobs or pulls to serve as a handle for the lid and/or feet for your box
Questions? Email Stephanie at stephanielee@q.com
Website: www.stephanieleestudio.com