Using the humble and ancient materials of wood, plaster, and nature-found objects combined with a few modern additions, we will evoke the form of our own personal imagined Santos. No ordinary Santos of typical human form, our Santos will be creatures conjured up from under the mossy stones of our imagination appearing as birds with branch antlers, deer with leaf ears, a pug with a fish tail moustache, or a little girl sporting an elephant trunk. You will be guided through the steps and techniques required to construct a plaster and wood sculpture that you can later apply to any shape, form or concept. Even with the traditional Santos’ wooden cage-like form (which we will construct in the first part of class) there will be enough of a illusory twist to these creatures that they will surely elicit a few double takes from onlookers.
But no self-respecting Santos sculpture would be content standing as sculpture alone (though they would easily hold their own as just that)! Through the use of wire, metal mesh, nails, hooks and all sorts of found objects, we will alter the sculpture’s basic form to serve as a holder for jewelry, photos or any other object you can imagine worthy of being guarded by the quietest and most peculiar of all the Saints – Santos Holdos Illusi.
Supply List:
- 1 block of Styrofoam 6 or 8 inches square (approx. is fine)
- 1 ball of Styrofoam about the same size as your block. Again, approximate is fine. We will be carving and cutting away to create our substrate for the sculpture.
- 2 rolls of 4 inch plaster gauze.
- Hammer
- Heavy duty wire cutters
- Tin snips
- Needle nose pliers
- Found objects such as hooks, nails, wire, rusted out or new wire mesh, etc
- Any scavenged objects that could stand in as character detail additions (torn paper for leaves, peeled bark for elephant skin, driftwood as antlers etc)
- Acrylic paints in your favorite colors including raw umber, titanium white and black
- Artist brushes
Teacher will bring:
- All wood bases and lath for each student (pre-stained)
- Misc. tools and supplies for base assemblage and sculpture construction
