Step back in time and try your hand at the skills of the Victorian era, when craftsmanship was honored and working with your hands was a way to connect with the world around you. We offer single workshops for those who want to get a feel for a specific craft, and take home their creation ~ or you can take a series of classes and study the craft in more detail.
We currently offer workshops and classes in blacksmithing, stained glass work, lapidary, wood turning, and ceramics. More classes are being added. In a two hour workshop you can make a nail or hook in the blacksmith shop, or a pen in the lathe room. You can cut, polish and wire wrap a stone in the lapidary shop. In the stained glass studio you can make and take home a small stained glass window hanging. Or, in our ceramics studio, you can polish and glaze a ceramic sculpture.
The more in-depth classes of 4 sessions, offer you a chance to take on a more detailed project and refine your skills as you learn more about how things are made. More involved projects can be tackled, including designing and making your own creation, be it a larger stained glass hanging, a detailed ceramic sculpture, a turned bowl or plate, or a bracelet or necklace set with stones.
Glass work and puppet-making classes are being offered during the summer months! Polly Coombs, a glass blower with 15 years experience will be teaching how to make glass beads. And Mark Dupre, with 35 years experience as a puppet maker and puppeteer will instruct you on making your own hand help puppet. Sign up quickly as these are going to fill up!
Please call us at (707)444-3437 to ask questions and enroll, or email us at blueoxvillage@gmail.com.
Mark Dupre started as an apprentice in 1978 with the Berkeley Repertory Theater. He has been a working professional puppeteer since 1985. In his workshops students will learn the overall design process of puppet making. You will create your own puppet from half inch foam.The felting and finishing layered process will complete your puppet.
Polly Toombs has been working with glass since 2004. Her primary focus has been stained glass and lampwork. She specializes in beads, marbles and sculptures as well as custom stained glass for houses. In these workshops students will learn the basics of glass shaping, taking a glass rod and create your own sculpture.
Chuck Ellsworth, a master sign painter and gilder (gold leafing) who began apprenticing at age twelve with a third generation Chicago sign painter. Lynnie Horrigan is a sign painter and gilder who has been apprenticing with Chuck. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Scenographic Design.This workshop will cover basic letter form, brush care and maintenance. Students will take home a practice template.
Daniel Willson is our newest instructor, his focus is ceramic and slip casting. Slip casting is the process of pouring liquid slip clay into molds that are too detailed to make on a ceramics spinning wheel. In this workshop students will pour the slip into a mold of their choice ~ we have hundreds ~ then release the item from the mold. After glazing (painting) the item it will be fired. (Items can be picked up after firing.)
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