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.