Sculpture courses by Christine Baxter
Christine runs sculptures courses from her studio in rural Monmouthshire
Christine Baxter has been teaching sculpting for a number of years, both from her home in France and her studio in the UK. For this first time this year she will be running courses from her Monmouthshire studio. Her portrait bust and figure sculpting classes have been a huge success. Please see below for general information on the course and contact us for 2017 dates. For more information please call 01291 691186/ chrisbaxtersculptor@gmail.com
Gallery of images from previous courses run by Christine
PORTRAIT BUST COURSE
with Christine Baxter
Course details: As well as learning the fundamentals of sculpting, moulding and figurative design, you will create your very own cast stone bust to take away with you. All materials are included; you will have a stand, a turntable, an armature ready made, plenty of clay and some modelling tools. We will also have a model sit for us.
The aim of the course is to gain familiarity with clay as a modelling material, learn the use of traditional methods of measuring volume, shape and angles, and to achieve a likeness of the model. It is quite intensive, and you will find it totally absorbing. Modeling in clay from life observation is a discipline that improves your drawing skills, increases your awareness of gravity with the use of materials, develops your concepts of volume as well as helps to develop your critical aesthetic eye. I use traditional teaching skills that I learnt at Camberwell School of Art London in the early 80’s. I was lucky to be one of the last students of my generation to benefit from a formal teaching regime that had been developed over the previous 200 years and that is sadly now not taught in UK Art Schools.
We work direct from a model, using caliper gauges and plum lines. You will learn about the making of armatures, the limitations and possibilities of using clay and drawing in 3D with clay. I will give demonstrations on a piece that I will produce along side the class so you can see basic techniques that you will master. The second part of the course is the mould making and casting. This is an optional extra, some people are happy to have the piece cast for them, whilst others would like to learn this new skill so that they can cast their own pieces at home.
We will make a plaster two piece mould from your sculpture, then we shall cast ciment fondue into the mould. Then chip off the mould revealing your finished weatherproof sculpture. Lastly we will apply a patina.
The three day course is priced at £70 per day
Please contact us for dates
Casting is an additional 2 days (£70 each), which is optional. You may want Christine to cast the bust for you, (for £180) or you may not want to cast at all, you can decide this during the course! The courses start at 9am so you may want to arrive a little beforehand. There is ample parking on site.
The total cost for the 3 day course is £210 which includes all materials, model, tools as well as morning tea and
homemade cakes, a light lunch and afternoon coffee and biscuits.
Each Sculpting course has a limit of 6 students, and at the end of the 5 days, you will have your very own ciment fondue cast which is weatherproof and suitable for display in your garden. You do not need to bring anything with you, the only requirements is that you wear old clothes you don’t mind getting dust/plaster on – also if you can please let me know of any dietary requirements for your lunches before hand.