INSTRUCTOR: Alexandra Cantatore, Artisan
COURSE: Mixed Media
PROJECT: Artist’s Table, Half Scale (1:24)
Generations of painters have used tables similar to the one that will be created in this course. The wooden table consists of two folding trestles and a top on which all the essential items for an artist can be placed: brushes, various containers, paint pots, a box with small paint tubes and sketchbooks. To create all this, we will use metal modeling sheets, some small jewelry parts, but above all polyshrink.
Each student will be able to express their creativity by aging, dirtying and arranging the objects in a way that best represents their personality. The course is suitable for beginners, provided they have a certain amount of patience and manual dexterity, considering the small size of the objects being created. While not strictly necessary, having access to a NorthWest Short Line Chopper II would facilitate cutting the strips quickly and accurately. At the end of this course, students will see their patience rewarded with a small table that will charm everybody with its small details.
TIME: 24 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: Heat gun
SKILL LEVEL: All levels. Good eyesight (or magnification); patience and steady hands are helpful.
MATERIALS FEE: $45 to be collected at School
INSTRUCTOR: Linda den Besten, Artisan
COURSE: Furniture Making/Metal
PROJECT: Vintage Workshop Chair
This class is FULL.
This vintage workshop chair will stand out in your miniature workshop, a classical drawing room or maybe even in a contemporary kitchen! The seat will spin up and down, just like the real one.
This chair has more than 20 different parts. In order for the chair to be perfectly aligned, the students will be making and using a lot of jigs. They will be using a butane torch to solder all the parts. For the spinning part of the chair, they will learn how to thread wire and tube.
Other techniques in this fun class will be measuring with a caliper, bending wire, sawing and soldering. A little bit of woodworking and leatherwork will also be involved.
Different pieces of leather will be available for the look you desire! And, of course, the students will learn how to finish the soldered piece and prepare it for spray painting, to give it a tough finish!
TIME: 24 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: Flex shaft, drill press, lathe, jeweler’s torch
SKILL LEVEL: All levels. Some soldering and sawing experience is helpful. Good eyesight (or good magnification) and steady hand/eye coordination is a must.
MATERIALS FEE: $75 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Christine Hannon, Artisan
COURSE: Acrylic Painting
PROJECT: Orchids and Hummingbirds by
Martin Johnson Heade 1890
In this class, students will use artist grade acrylics and glazing mediums to recreate an elegant botanical rainforest landscape by Victorian painter Martin Johnson Heade. We will paint in a traditional manner using glazes over a well drafted underpainting. Using thin layers of glaze, students will create the luminosity and realism of the varied natural surfaces and atmospheric perspective. Art history, brushwork, color mixing, surface prep, design transfer and appropriate framing will all be covered. The finished 2" x 2.5" painting will be framed in a John Hodgson gilt frame.
TIME: 24 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate/advanced. Must have color mixing and traditional fine art painting experience.
MATERIALS FEE: $120 to be collected at School
INSTRUCTOR: Phyllis Hawkes, Fellow
COURSE: Traditional Oil Painting
PROJECT: Still Life with Fruit, Roses, Goblet,
and a Bird by Adalbert Schaffer
This class is FULL.
Paint this exquisite still life by Adalbert Schaffer done in 1850. Schaffer was a German/Hungarian artist associated with the Academic Art Movement. Born in 1815 and dying in 1871, he painted Still Life exclusively. Little or nothing more is known about his life.
This piece was created in 1850 and is an exquisite example of his style showing the characteristic attention to detail. It is a lush assemblage of grapes and peaches with the addition of two blooming roses. Included is an ornate ceremonial cup, which shows the sense of opulence befitting the era. A small bird, captured in mid-flight, adds a dynamic element to the otherwise serene composition.
In this class students will learn traditional oil painting techniques, including layering, glazing, brush handling, color mixing, shading and blending plus instruction on painting a shiny object. Our painting will be 1 7/8" x 2 3/8" plus frame on a gessoed board. Students will approach the work in a step-by-step fashion, starting from transferring the image and initial color blocking to adding levels of detail each day. Students will be amazed at the results this technique produces. Included in the materials fee are 3 miniature brushes to keep, a step-by-step illustrated booklet with photos taken as the instructor painted the prototype, and a miniature gilt frame by John Hodgson.
TIME: 24 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: All levels. Some experience with brush handling and working with paint is helpful.
MATERIALS FEE: $135 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Tine Krijnen, Fellow
COURSE: Bookbinding
PROJECT: Alice in Wonderland A Pop-Up Book
You will create a pop-up book with 10 scenes with different ways of sliding and creating pop-up effects. It seems impossible but with inspiring guidance, written instructions with clear photos plus the instruction videos on a screen, everyone will be successful.
After a general explanation, the students start with the first scene. They cut and fold on three practice pages per scene. When they are confident of the process, they will edit the real strip. The instructional video showing the cutting and folding is a big help.
The book is sewn and bound in a colored leather cover. For the picture I choose red. It features an illustration on the front.
The spine of the cover has two ribs. Between the ribs a tooled title shield, in a different color leather, is glued. The tooling of the title “Alice” will also be done by the students. Students can opt for a paper cover without the gold tooled title, and deduct $5 from the material fee.
TIME: 24 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: All skill levels. Cutting out the small pop-up parts of the paper requires good hand and eye coordination.
MATERIALS FEE: $43 to be collected at School
INSTRUCTOR: Tine Krijnen, Fellow
COURSE: Bookbinding
PROJECT: All About Bookbinding, Tooling and
Gold Edging
This class is FULL.
The binding process of miniature books is essentially the same as for a normal size book. The writing and binding of books existed in the 1st century. For lovers of miniature books, it is a challenge to learn and perfect the different techniques developed over the centuries. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced miniature bookbinder, various techniques can be learned in this class.
The student will decide to fill their bookshelves with beautiful blank books, with wonderful gold tooled covers, or learn to sew a pile of offset printed signatures together to turn them into a leatherbound book. You may choose from several available titles. Tooling gold or silver on covers will be part of this class. The student will learn to use heated tools to apply decorative elements or titles to the ultra-thin leather used for the covers. Students will work at their own pace on their chosen books, receiving personal coaching and instruction.
For the hand-sewn book there will be a choice of 5 titles. The Tulip Book (1637), Short Lessons in Bookbinding (1658), the World Atlas, (including Mappe Monde) (1700), How Bristol won Le Mans (a book about the Le Mans race in 1954), Vergilius Maronis (1735), a book in Latin.
Really advanced students can try Coptic binding. That means the pages are sewn on ropes, after which the ropes are threaded through the wooden front—and back cover parts. The title available for this option is the Travel Sketchbook of Rembrandt (1633)
If time permits gold edging can be applied to the student’s book for an additional $21.
TIME: 24 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: All levels.
MATERIALS FEE: $46 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Iulia Chin Lee, Artisan
COURSE: Turning Wooden Vases, Hollowing
and Gilding
PROJECT: Turned Gilded Vase
This class is FULL.
This class is ideal for both intermediate and advanced students. However, a beginner should not be discouraged. The instructor always coaches each individual in the class. The main techniques targeted are fundamental turning techniques, creating desired forms, bowl-hollowing, vase-hollowing, tenon/mortise joining, and gilding. The beginner will learn how to properly use tools to cut different shapes and turn desired forms to create artistic vases. The intermediate and advanced students will concentrate on developing more advanced techniques required to create not only artistic but also unique art work. The mortise and tenon joint is another main focus in this class. This precise, multi-purpose application will allow students to seamlessly transform individual pieces into one beautiful final product.
Joining pieces in turning is a natural progression from the basic turning technique to a more advanced level, which will allow more intricate designs and effects. This will be accomplished through the utilization of turned mortise/tenon joints. Students will be instructed on the proper use of specialized hollowing tools, made by Harmony Water, which will be provided in the class with an option to purchase.
Lastly, we will focus on gilding. Students will learn how to prepare the surface of their turnings, how to apply sizing and how to gild. Vases will be made out of maple with mahogany, cherry, maple and exotic woods. This class is aimed more toward the intermediate level. Prior wood-turning experience is a plus. Students need to have their own turning tools in class.
TIME: 24 hours.
POWER TOOLS: Lathe
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate and advanced, beginners welcome
MATERIALS FEE: $65 to be collected at School
INSTRUCTOR: Marie-Louise Markhorst, Artisan
COURSE: Metalwork
PROJECT: Brass Bed Warmer and Candle Holder
A bed warmer was a common household item in countries with cold winters, especially in Europe. It consisted of a metal container, usually fitted with a handle, and shaped somewhat like a modern frying pan, with a solid or finely perforated lid. The bed warmer would be filled with embers and placed under the covers of a bed, to warm it up or dry it out before use. Bed warmers have been in use since the 15th century and were common until the early 20th century.
Students will make a bed warmer out of thin brass sheet. This bed warmer consists of a pan with an opening lid. Students will learn to form the pan and the lid. The lid will be adorned with a pattern of their own design. Then the lid will be attached to the pan with a hinge. Students will learn how to make this hinge. The hinge will be soldered with a torch. The pan will be polished. Then a wooden handle, provided by the instructor, can be attached to the bedwarmer.
The candle holder is also made of brass sheet. Students will learn how to form the base of the candle holder, and will form the handle out of brass wire. The parts will be soldered with a soldering torch.
TIME: 24 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: Drill press, jeweler’s torch
SKILL LEVEL: All levels. However, you need to be able to use a jeweler’s saw, and have good eyesight.
MATERIALS FEE: $100 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Marcia McClain, Artisan
COURSE: Textiles
PROJECT: Chaise Lounge
The chaise is a very traditional item of furniture often found in a bedroom, lady’s dressing room, or casual living area. It was very popular in the 1930s and is still found in homes today. The project’s formal or informal look will be subject to the student’s choice of fabrics. The instructor will help students select a fabric prior to Guild School from a very large selection. The throw and pillow will also be part of the project’s accessories.
TIME: 24 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: Sewing machine for the pillow
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner
MATERIALS FEE: $50 to be collected at School
INSTRUCTOR: Mark Murphy, Fellow
COURSE: Furniture Construction
PROJECT: Banister-back Chair
This class is FULL.
This is a wonderfully delicate early 18th Century Connecticut banister-back arm chair with a soft, worn, painted surface and a woven rush seat. The main focus of the class will be lathe work. Students should become very proficient with “fine tuning” their turning skills. When you have finished turning the four back banister pieces you will split them to form the flat surface of the chair back. Students will also learn how to do the mortise and tenon joints for the scrolled top crest and lower back rail. When the construction of the chair is completed, students will learn the instructor’s painting and aging techniques to give it a nice worn patina. Students will then learn how to weave the rush seat (this process will most likely be completed at home).
TIME: 24 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: Lathe, table saw, shaper, scroll saw
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner and intermediate. This class is designed for a beginner to learn basic turning, mortise and tenon joinery and seat weaving skills; or for an intermediate student to really perfect these skills.
MATERIALS FEE: $55 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Mark Murphy, Fellow
COURSE: Furniture Construction
PROJECT: Queen Anne Tea Table
This class is FULL.
This is a very pleasing tray-top tea table from Litchfield County, Connecticut (circa 1750). It has a wonderful double scalloped apron and very graceful Queen Anne legs. There will be various techniques taught in this course: mortise and tenon joinery, scroll work on the apron, moldings for the tray top, and cutting and shaping of the cabriole legs to give them their very graceful form. When the construction of the table is complete, students will learn the instructor’s finishing and aging techniques. Because of time constraints some of the finishing may need to be completed at home
TIME: 24 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: Table saw, scroll saw, shaper
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner and Intermediate. This class is designed for a beginner student to learn basic joinery and shaping techniques or for an intermediate student to perfect these skills. Perfecting the hand-shaping of the cabriole legs is the most challenging part of this course.
MATERIALS FEE: $55 to be collected at School
INSTRUCTOR: Mary Grady O’Brien, Fellow
COURSE: Folk Art Painting with Oils
PROJECT: Gifts for the Bride
Over the years, the bride’s box has survived as a true family treasure. Here we have two boxes; both share exactly the same pattern, yet each box has a very distinct look. One is obviously more newly decorated and colorful, while the second version has the soft faded appearance of an artfully decorated antique. The student will decide which version has the most appeal for them. Will you go home with a colorful reproduction or a cherished antique?
The bonus piece is an ivory bread tray decorated with delicate rose buds. This little gem originated in the state of Maine and often referred to as “the bride’s bread tray.” Most students will finish but I prefer that you absorb the process, and work at your own pace even if you finish some detail work at home.
TIME: 24 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: All levels.
MATERIALS FEE: $110 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Pat Richards, Fellow
COURSE: Mixed Media
PROJECT: Filled Haberdashery Cabinet
This class is FULL.
Haberdashery is a rather old-fashioned term for a shop that might sell any type of item related to fabric or clothing construction. This class will be divided each day into two areas of concentration, during the first half of class you will construct a basic display unit that you may customize to display a variety of items. The second half of the class will focus on making the boxes, reels and other display items to fill the unit and store.
The display unit will be made with very basic construction techniques suitable for any level of skill. You should be able to complete one display unit in class and numerous accessories for displaying on/in that unit, and have the ability to make more at home should you wish to create a larger display or store at a later date. These pieces will fit nicely into a deep shadow box, as shown in the prototype, or in other vignettes or boxes, but that will not be part of this class.
TIME: 24 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: Table saw
SKILL LEVEL: All levels
MATERIALS FEE: $40 to be collected at School
INSTRUCTOR: Kim Stewart, Artisan
COURSE: Wicker Construction—Weaving
PROJECT: Wicker Victorian Pram
The main focus of this class will be weaving the pram and incorporating a woven diamond pattern into the front of the pram.
We will begin by preparing the wooden base (drilling holes to support wires) and wires. Using waxed linen thread, the students will weave and shape the body of the pram. The umbrella is woven freeform in the round and shaped over a dome.
The students will learn how to shape wire for the handle support and drill holes into the wooden turned handle so that it can be attached to the underside of the base. They will paint the undercarriage and wheels, assemble the axel and wheels, then attach them to the underside of the pram base. The students will finish by making tufted cushions for the inside of the pram and embellishing the umbrella.
TIME: 24 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: Drill press
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner
MATERIALS FEE: $60 to be collected at school