Perfectly Imperfect Figure
October 2 - 7, 2022
Diana Farfán · dianafarfan.com
Workshop at a glance
Explore hand-building techniques to construct the figure by components using an armature.
Techniques
- Hand-building figure using an armature, slabs, pinch, and hollow out methods
- Construction of the figure by parts to assemble
- Giving meaning and intentionality to the disproportion
Materials
- Wooden board, metal bar, and newspaper for the armature
- Stoneware clay
- Clay tools
- Wooden skewers
Outcomes
- A completed sculpture and some partially completed heads
- A building method to create a sculpture on your own
- Decorative techniques for final finishes
- Firing instructions for home or studio
Artist Bio
Diana Farfán is a full-time ceramic sculptor based in Greenville, South Carolina and teaches ceramics at Wofford College in Spartanburg. She has an MFA in ceramic sculpture from the University of South Carolina. She has exhibited her work at various art venues and has been invited as an artist in residency nationally and abroad. Farfán is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics, and she creates dramatic-poetic narratives through her figurative sculpture, coated with a layer of humor about social, political, and environmental issues.
Arrowmont Connections
Workshop Description
This workshop focuses on hand-building the figure using anatomical references while playing with the body’s proportions to accentuate meaning and communicate a story. Students will begin by casting a plaster mold of a head to practice facial gestures, and gradually the figure will be built from the bottom to the top using a homemade armature. Participants will work with image references and modeling the anatomy of hands, feet, and body parts assembling components—a proper construction method, especially for those with limited kiln capacity desiring to scale up or those looking for shipping practicality. The class will also cover surface treatments with underglazes and glazes. Open to all levels, however basic hand-building experience will speed up the process.
COURSE FEE: $690 · materials list
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