Extra Set of Hands

Workshops, both teaching, and attending, are an important and integral part of my art practice.  

photo by Gabe Rothwell
©2013RothwellCreativeCarborundum

I love the exchange of ideas and energy with everyone involved and as in last week's Marshall Bridge Welding Workshop with Stan Smokler. This year's two workshops mark Stan's 10th anniversary holding these workshops at his rustic and beautiful Kennett Square studio. 

An accomplished sculptor, a generous hands on teacher and the host with the most, including lunches, plenty of water, goggles, ear plugs, safety glasses, cool scarf or welding hat, and a t-shirt. 

He also makes sure we have all the help we need.  With 10 participants for each week, salvaged steel, and some pretty intimidating equipment, it was Stan's techs who were often our "go to" guys, our extra set of hands and the technical know how that kept us safe and out of trouble.

Artist and sculptor Dennis Beach has been helping out at Stan's workshops for years. Here he is giving me an extra set of hands.

photo by Gabe Rothwell
©2013RothwellCreativeCarborundum

By the end of each day I was physically exhausted but also energized, and had a hard time sleeping I was so excited at night. Now a week later, my one small burn on the top of my hand and  the cut I got on my index finger are healing, I am catching up on my sleep and bringing some new ideas into my studio.

Even my beloved Patagonia hat that I have had for 18 years and wore
while welding to keep my bandana on is finally clean again!
Here's to new beginnings!

Hot, Sweaty, and Having Fun.

Today was the final day of my Marshall Bridge Welding Workshop with Stan Smokler.  

The week was hot, we were sweating and we had incredible fun.

5 full days of welding in a picturesque setting along a creek with Stan's sculptures sprinkled on the banks,  all the materials we could find or salvage, all the tools- MIG and torch welders, a plasma cutter (my personal favorite), a forge and expert technical assistance from Stan and his techs that he brings to the workshop every year.... Dennis Beach, Kevin Bielicki, Bob Bickey and Jeffrey Bell. Artists in their own right, hardworking on our behalf and very accommodating for the fortunate 10 of us.

Yep, that's me!

There were coolers of ice cold water and a great lunch every day!  Today was sushi followed by a critique- which was really an opportunity for us to see each others work since most of the time we had our goggles on and our noses in our own work.

Welding builds up an appetite and it sure feels good to sit down!

Stan has another week of workshops coming up followed by an exhibition/ party of the works created open to the public.

Want to see what I made this week? Guess you'll have to come to the party!

Pop up Gallery in a Barn

Picture perfect spring weather, rolling hills, and a big barn with lots of character proved to be a great setting for the art work of 9 artists this past Saturday at Scarlet Thicket Farm, Kennett Square, PA. This pop up gallery has been an annual event for the past 3 years and from the attendance and the abundance

of red dots, it was a huge success- and a lot of fun.

Stan Smokler 

Peter Willard

more of Peter Willard from his Omen Series
acrylic on canvas 

Dennis Beach, who was also recently featured on Whyy Friday Arts

Morris Stroud
acrylic on paper from his recent trip
to Tanzania

Liked the paintings, and loved the entangled ropes

Paintings - Frances Roosevelt

 And then there was the bike parked in the barn with the lovely stripes and the beverage truck below...

and fiddling for some live music.

Spins

First Friday in Wilmington is a great opportunity to see what's going on around town.

Scott and I headed to the Delaware Museum of Natural History where Scott's squash buddy Halsey Spruance is Director and Stan Smokler had the opening for his exhibition Steel Currents. It was a very fun evening on many levels....Turns out that Stan the Man on the squash court is also Stan the Artist that I had heard about. Stan is a wonderful sculptor using found metals and objects that he transforms into organic forms that are unique beings unto themselves. The piece above is not in this show but has that lyrical and fluid sensability found in is work. Stan also teaches a week long summer welding workshop at his home studio in Landenberg, PA. Also, that night, we met a couple other accomplished sculptors Dennis Beach and Dave Meyer who assist during the week at the Stan's "Art Camp" (!)

What was really fun for me was going out to Buckleys for dinner and a local brew and talking about art with my new art buddies. It's always an adventure when you move somewhere new as we did a couple of years ago, but it is also a challenge (and yes an adventure) finding kindred spirits. I find that my studio time is that much richer when my time outside the studio is being fed by art and ideas.

Dennis recently sent me this link to her video on youtube that shows a piece currently on exhibition at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gGFykAAO7M