Shrines
& Icons
Students will use personal imagery and collected
objects to create small reliquaries;
suggestive and intimate spaces housing objects and symbols of meaning,
be they spiritual or secular. Lots of group interaction as we discuss
the "why" as well as the "how". This special workshop will cover in
detail many methods of assembly as we put unusual and unlike
materials together. Bring those things that you've been
saving for something special and make a shrine worthy of them.
2008 UPDATE: I have been working overtime trying to correct outdated links and fix a few bits and pieces on this supply list, so please be sure to check back by mid-February for the updated list. Thanks for your patience! -KL
IDEAS FOR RAW MATERIAL TO BRING:
(NOTE: This part is just a list of possibilities, NOT a requirements
list. Don't overload yourself with stuff, as air travel is becoming
more and more restrictive. Pick a few shoeboxes worth of things
to pack, and that should be plenty to choose from!)
Please find the REQUIRED TOOLS list below this section.
Ideas for the housing:
broken
box cameras or appliances
small scraps of wood or small readymade found boxes
cigar boxes
tin cans
medicine or candy tins
small wooden or metal drawers
clock cases
jewelry boxes
hand mirrors
old picture frames
ETC.
ETC.
ETC.
Ideas for the guts:
glass
scraps
acrylic paint
eating utensils
electronics / machine parts
personal effects or memorabilia
letters
documents
postcards
maps
photos
stamps
fabrics
buttons
keys
record albums
audio cassettes
eyeglasses or magnifying glasses
medical tools
dental tools
interesting old pencils or pens
toys
dominoes
dice
game pieces
artifacts: religious or secular
bones
feathers
leaves
acorns
insects
straw
stones
eggshell
bark
teeth
fossils
pressed flowers
screws
washers
hinges
hooks
nails
x-rays
keys
ETC.
ETC.
ETC.
ETC.
ETC.
Get the picture?
The list could go on forever, because nothing you bring CAN'T be used!
It's really a list to perhaps spark some inspiration on your end for what to pack. Any small objects that you find interesting for any ole reason should be brought.
RESOURCES FOR OBJECTS:
thrift /
junk / antique shops
scrap metal yards
flea markets
garage sales
auctions
antique / ephemera fairs
hardware stores
art / craft supply stores
FREESOURCES FOR OBJECTS:
roadsides
parking lots
beaches
woods (bush to the Commonwealthers!)
abandoned buildings
dumps
dumpsters (only for the strong-stomached)
caves
eaves
attics
neighbors' attics
friends' eaves...
REQUIRED TOOLS:
The tools below are things you will be certainly using in the workshop, and to avoid having to wait for a communal tool to become available, you should plan on getting them for the class:
• Hand
drill. A cordless, variable-speed hand drill is perfect
and will be one of the most useful tools in your home, trust me!
Here is one for $30 that
fits the bill: <http://toolprice.com/product/1292L> Be
sure to charge up the battery before getting to the class! For those who don't
want to get the electric drill, Fiskars
makes a good and very inexpensive one (like under $15!): <http://www.yourartsncrafts.com/fiskarsmanualdrill.html> It
isn't as versatile, but it will work in a pinch.
• a
regular hammer (of the kind everyone has sitting around in the tool drawer)
• standard-sized hacksaw (if you know someone else going, you can share
with some friends, so not everyone needs one)
• a regular pair of utility pliers
• jewelry pliers: a round-nose, flat-nose, side cutter (if you
don't have any jewelry pliers, here's an inexpensive well-made set
of four:
<http://www.gesswein.com/catalog/catalog.cfm?cat=2&sub=3&subsub=63&catalog=1&CFID=119556&CFTOKEN=8296871>
and click on the link that says 'Valueline Pliers, set of 4')
• a small jewelry plier with a serrated edge on the inside (gripping
edge)
• drill bits (any standard hardware-store set of 'high-speed
steel' drill bits)
• extra 1/16" drill bit
• roll of 're-bar tie wire' (found for under $5 in hardware stores
in the construction materials section, near the cinder block and chain-link
fencing. IMPORTANT: make sure it is steel or iron wire, NOT galvanized!) Note:
You don't need to bring the whole roll, just spool off perhaps 10 feet of wire
and that will be fine. If someone is driving to the workshop and doesn't mind
bringing a roll to share, please do!
• small bench vise (under a 4" jaw...most hardware stores have a few sizes)...there's
a very small one displayed here: <http://jasmeetinternational.com/106.htm>
• 1 small bottle each of JO SONJA'S water-based VARNISHES:
Here's what they look like: <http://www.josonjas.com/mediums/varn_matte_sat_gloss/varn_matte_sat_gloss.htm> Available
at most craft-supply stores like Michael's, etc.
• * DAP
brand KWIK-SEAL Kitchen & Bath caulk- CLEAR:
Available at Home Depot and other hardware stores...here's what it looks like: <http://www.dap.com/retail/retail_detail.cfm?catid=1&subcatid=2&prodhdrid=7>
• jeweller's
saw (get one ideally with a 5" to 8" 'throat'...Gesswein has a 4.75" saw
frame that will do it: <http://www.gesswein.com/catalog/catalog.cfm?cat=2&sub=9&subsub=12&catalog=1&CFID=119556&CFTOKEN=8296871> and
click on 187-1200 Flat Saw Frame 4 3/4")
• saw blades (get two sizes): <http://www.gesswein.com/catalog/catalog.cfm?cat=2&sub=9&subsub=3&catalog=1&CFID=119556&CFTOKEN=8296871>,
1 dz. of the 1 size (#185-0100) and 1 dz. of 2/0 size (#185-0020)
SUGGESTED TOOLS:
The tools below are not required for the class;
they're helpful, so don't run out and buy them all. They would
facilitate you to go in many directions with your work. Bring what you
have, and call the workshop venue to check and see if they have
some of these things on hand. Some studios are very well equipped, and
some rely on students bringing what they need.
• files
• tweezers
• mini drill bits (there is a 13-bit set from Gesswein here: <http://www.gesswein.com/catalog/catalog.cfm?cat=2&sub=13&subsub=4&catalog=1&CFID=119556&CFTOKEN=8296871> and
scroll down to #155-2038 Blue Ribbon HS Twist Drills, Set of 13 and
Metal Index Case)
• screwdrivers
• Tin snips (Wiss makes the most commonly found
one...you can see what they look like here: <http://www.tools-plus.com/kle1102s.html>
• circle / geometric templates
• sandpaper
• paint brushes / paints
...And
any tools particular to a media you are conversant in...if you're a book artist, bring materials for binding, etc., painters
bring your paints and sketchbooks...and those who've never ventured
out into creative waters bring some junk and an open mind!
I look forward to a wild ride of exchange and creation with you all!
Please email me with any questions you might have that this page didn't address.
See you there! Keith
