Teaching


Failure in the studio most often leads to success on the next project; so there's plenty of room to fall down and then get back up. Students work hard in the sculpture studios and they also laugh a lot. There's something pretty fantastic about working in the studio with other people that are, on any given day, either completely frustrated with their project or beyond thrilled that something worked! The sculpture studio is a space that hums with a collaborative work ethic and the freedom to learn while having fun. During my time as a sculpture professor I have assigned many projects that have challenged students both technically and conceptually. Some projects are successful and others are not, some projects are never assigned again, and some become old friends. Here are a few brief descriptions of those “old friends”. 

Corrugated board tools– students are asked to re-create a tool from the studio at 10x the scale using only corrugated board and glue, often times the tools actually have moving parts!

Plaster– students mix and cast their own plaster blocks and then use hammers and chisels to create 3-D forms.

Multiples– use or fabricate at least 100 of something

Foundry– students use oil clay to create 3-D forms; then make two part resin-bonded sand molds that are then filled with molten aluminum. Pour days might very well be the best days in the studio!

The Group Installation– different parameters for different classes, always a challenge!