Adrian Arleo Workshop

Enriching The Figure - 2008

Perhaps a better title would be "All I know, I set before you"!

Having worked with the human form for more than 25 years, I've figured out a few problem solving techniques and a lot of dos and don'ts. This two-day workshop will be chockfull of demonstrations for coil building the figure, and various surface finishes, both low-fired and non-fired . Anatomical perfection will not be addressed; rather, the demonstrations will focus on building techniques: how to use a base and rod for building tall standing figures, how to begin a seated figure, how to make a head and facial features, how to keep forms from slumping, caving in or cracking. If you've had a recurring technical problem, bring it up and we'll try to remedy it.

The second half of the workshop will be about developing surface textures and experimenting with different tools and found objects. I'll share the low-fire glazes that I use, and discuss application techniques. Layering of Terra sigillata is another surface finish we'll look at. Non-fired paints can add amazing richness to ceramic forms; wax encaustic and casein (milk paint) are favorites that will be demonstrated as well.

Class size 35. All levels welcome.

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Artist talk w/slides

August 15, 2008, 7:00 pm
Free to the public

Two day workshop

Demonstration August 16-17, 2008
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

This workshop has passed and is no longer available. Check out some of our Upcoming Workshops

Adrian Arleo Bio

Adrian Arleo is a studio artist living in Lolo, Montana. She studied Art and Anthropology at Pitzer College (B.A. in 1979) and received her MFA in ceramics from Rhode Island School of Design in 1986. Her sculpture is exhibited nationally and internationally, and is in numerous public and private collections. In 1991 and 1992, Adrian received 2nd place and recognition awards from the Virginia A. Groot Foundation, and in 1995, was awarded a Montana Arts Council Individual Fellowship. Most recently, her work has been featured in American Craft magazine, Dec.'06/Jan.'07, 500 Animals in Clay, and The Figure in Clay; Contemporary Sculpting Techniques by Master Artists, published by Lark Books, and Ceramics; Art and Perception, magazine issue #62, 2005.

Adrian Arleo Artist Statement

For over fifteen years, I've been creating sculpture that combines human and animal imagery in a variety of ways. Some of these works elude to a relationship of understanding or connection between the human and animal realms. In others, the human figures possess animal faces, limbs, or other features in a way that reveals something hidden about the character or primal nature of the person.

Because these themes have been integral to my work for a long time, I was stunned when, about eight years ago, I first encountered "Ba" at an exhibit of Ancient Egyptian Art in Phoenix, Arizona. Though there was no information about the meaning or significance of the piece, the 2000 year old wooden sculpture of a bird with a human face and arms was immediately familiar. The image stuck in my mind.

Last year, at the Hermitage Museum in Las Vegas (of all places), I came upon another Ba, was again struck by its familiarity, and this time felt compelled to find out what the figure signified to the Egyptians. Though scholars and Egyptologists have differing opinions on the exact meaning, the Ba figure, generally speaking, represents the non-physical aspect of a human being, as in the soul or personality. Ba seems to be the hidden part of a person with the ability to leave and return to the body.

This interpretation of human/bird imagery was surprisingly consistent with my own work. Ba seems to be one of those images that does not belong to a particular culture or place: it crops up from time to time throughout history, and my studio seems to have become another "portal" for it. Many people have responded to the Ba pieces by saying that the image is oddly familiar to them as well.

The Honey Comb sculptures are another variation on blending the human form with elements from nature. What appeals to me about the quality of this material is its appearance of simultaneously growing and deteriorating. I also like the way the wax approximates the material created by bees, enabling the work to be visual, tactile, and appealing to the sense of smell, like fresh honeycomb. On the flip side, the work might suggest the swarming, stinging insects that create this beautiful material. As with many things in life, beauty and the grotesque can cohabitate.

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Adrian Arleo Workshop

Enriching The Figure - 2008

Adrian Arleo Bio

Adrian Arleo Artist Statement

Adrian Arleo Resume