Scratching the Surface
with Stephanie Lee
2-Day Workshop, July 30-31, 2016

Location: Studio CRESCENDOh

207 N. Broadway St., Suite L, Santa Ana, CA 92701

[email protected]

"Marks individualize a person, as they adorn, pierce, and augment bodies and clothes. They also bring people together in their tribe. As rituals developed with singing, dancing, and mark making, so did trust, confidence, and togetherness. People are born with the need to express themselves. Mark making is a community act as people take the mundane and make it special, imbuing objects with significance. Artists today, can be seen as the continued link of a deeper connection to makers in all human history. They are the storytellers of each civilization, the recorders of history, the carvers of the signs that proclaim we existed and we left out mark." —Pat Gulliett

Is there a potent, artistic voice in you desiring to leave her mark on this world?

Let's embark on this 2-day journey with the intention to listen for that voice and in the process, honor and tune in to the unique expression that wants to come through your art. This expression may be a bold and clear message or it may be a collection of seemingly nonsensical marks that surge up from a place of curiosity and response.

In this workshop, we will explore color and shape, light and shadow, form and obscurity, and story-telling through imagery. We will start with creating studies in texture and various rich and interesting surfaces ready to receive paint. We will work wide and close, comparing large, sweeping strokes and small, restrained movements.

The focus will be on experimenting with many surface-altering techniques to respectively isolate and obscure according to the impulses and curiosity that rise to the surface. All these dynamic elements will be finished with luminous layers of encaustic medium as we explore various tools to create rich impasto surfaces and a crisp-edged, dreamlike quality to work that cannot be achieved with a brush and collage alone. We'll scratch the surface of our pieces to explore the various ways the materials relate and respond to the surfaces.

Even if these scratches and marks don't "make sense," they are real and honest and the most potent mark you can leave on the world, regardless of the reach or level of impact, is one of honesty.

"I have a simple philosophy: Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Scratch where it itches." —Alice Roosevelt Longworth

SCHEDULE:

• Arrive & Settle: 9:00 :: Time for students to arrive, settle in, and grab a cup of coffee.
• Class Segment A: 9:30-12:00 :: Class time with Stephanie who will demonstrate and guide the 1st part of class.
• Lunch & Stroll: 12:00 PM :: You can choose to brown bag it or take a stroll to one of the many hip and artsy eateries in the historic Artist's Village in Santa, like C4 Deli, Chapter One, Black Market Bakery, Boldo, 4th Street Market, Cafe Calacas, and The Gypsy Den.
• Class Segment B: 1:30-4:30 PM :: Class time with Stephanie who will guide the 2nd part of class.
• Show & Tell, Clean-Up & Depart: 4:30-5:00 PM

STUDENTS SHOULD BRING:

• Basic supplies: scissors, craft knife, pencil, apron, rags
• 3-5 substrates of your choice (8x10 inches or larger, whatever you're most comfortable traveling with or shipping). These can be cradled wood, artist boards, plywood (rough is great), et. No plank wood, particle board, or canvas board.
• 5-8 small substrates of your choice. These may be 4-inch square canvas boards or pieces of plywood, etc. They do not have to be cradled.
• Your favorite brand of acrylic paints, including Titanium White, a vivid red, yellow, and blue (your choice), and raw umber
• Small bottle of soft, regular or heavy gel medium of your choice and brush to apply it
• A variety of inexpensive artist brushes including: fine-tip, filbert, wider brush (2 icnhes or so) and an angle brush. Also bring whatever brushes you most like to work with.
• Various tools for scratching, scraping and creating texture, such as awl, old pencils, hair combs, etc. Look around your house!
• Various photocopied (laser) images in a mix of black and white, and color. Black and white images are fine on cheap copy paper, made at a library or on an older machine. Just don't use inkjet home printer images. Bring at least two self-portriat photographs.
• Found objects to incorporate into the encaustic medium

OPTIONAL FOR STUDENTS TO BRING:

• Collage papers and ephemera
• Heat gun or hair dryer
• Baby wipes
• Brayer

NOTES:

• Stephanie will have a limited number of original art items on hand for those interested in purchasing her art.
• Due to limited class size, the spot for this class is transferable but payment is non-refundable. Please read about this policy in our Studio Policies.

STUDIO POLICIES:
Please read class policies for Studio CRESCENDOh here. By purchasing this class, you are agreeing to abide by the class policies.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Learn more about Stephanie Lee and her work here.

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