Mark-making with Handmade Tools with MARYLOU WAKEFIELD

Description

Mark-Making with Handmade Tools (2-day: Aug 6-7, 2022)

Instructor: MARYLOU WAKEFIELD

To begin, students will be introduced to the art of making their own hand made brushes and mark making tools. Materials for the tools will come from things foraged in the wild* – forests, lanes, meadows, ocean shorelines or lakeside. Once the materials have been gathered, students will turn them into mark making tools using jute, string, linen thread, wool, wire, and anything else they choose.

Once students have created a selection of tools, they will begin to experiment with different kinds of gestural marks. Students will be shown a collection of hand made tools and given guidance about how to make their own tools. The instructor will demonstrate some mark making techniques using a variety of inks – sumi ink, india ink, walnut ink and acrylic ink. From there, students will experiment on their own. These unique marks can stand alone or, be used in conjunction with other art forms such as hand lettering, painting, or printmaking. Marks can be an effective way of conveying emotion in ways that conventional tools may not.

* IMPORTANT Care must be taken to not remove any wild botanical materials from protected areas, parks or land that is privately owned. Please respect the land and the plants that grow on it.

Registration Details

To register for "Mark-making with Handmade Tools" please click HERE.

Tuition includes a material fee and your daily lunch and snacks. Accommodation packages are available if you want to stay on campus and include dinner and breakfast.

Suppy List

Student Supply List:

Paper - Students should bring a selection of papers to experiment with. Any kind of inexpensive drawing paper and any other type of paper they wish to experiment with. Mulberry and rice paper will be available to use in class and is included in your materials fee. Should you wish to have more to experiment with that the amount allotted, you are welcome to bring more of your own.

Ink – Students should bring one black ink such as India ink (black) or sumi ink (black). Coloured inks will be available to use in class and usage is included in your materials fee.

Botanicals materials– Students should bring a variety of dried botanical materials they have collected from wild areas. These materials will be made into hand-made brushes/tools that  will be dipped into ink. Some botanical materials will be provided.

Binding material – To bind the botanical materials together into a brush, students will need a selection of jute, cotton string, linen thread, copper wire, wool or whatever the student wants to use. The idea is to create a tool that’s unique to you.

Ink containers – Students should bring at least one wide mouthed, flat-bottomed container that can hold ink and a second container to hold water.

Optional – Masking fluid, old hair dryer (MISSA will have some available to use, especially for those travelling.)

Miscellaneous supplies - Scissors, paper towel, artist tape, pens, pencils, ruler

The Student Supply list is also available on the MISSA website. Click HERE.