Tony Natsoulas Workshop

Fun! It was an all day Saturday workshop put on by the California Consultancy for Arts Education. Tony is too cute! I remember him from TB-9 almost 30 years ago - I remember the same smile, a head of dark curls, a quick, slight body. He looks a bit different now, but he's AWESOME! He loves what he does, he's funny, he's happy. Here he is doing his demonstration. Then it was our turn to play!

We used a really groggy clay that Tony uses. It was great. Stayed moist, lots of body, strong clay. Amy and I split a 20# block. Then we made a rough oval shape, and the first exercise was making a face with our eyes closed for 5 minutes! After that, we flattened our clay on the ground and made a form out of crumpled newspaper and started our own masks. The rest of the time, that's what we did! Interspersed was a slide show of Tony's work. A short independent film in the works about Tony, information of the resources from CCAE.

Everyone's was so different! They handed out some people pictures to use, but I didn't use one. I just started shaping. I did a basic face. Then I picked it up and dropped it a few times. Tony does this to add character, and I liked that idea! Be beat up by life a little bit for wisdom. Hopefully! Then I added a crown. My idea was a flower holder. So I made a hole in the top of his head to hold flowers. Put a flower behind one ear. So he can be in touch with his feminine side. lol! Then I added a cat. I liked the doing the cat! I was thinking of Gabbi's cat. Put the cat in the crown. The cat is my favorite part.

Back to what I really do, here is a pendant I made from gift cabs from another Tony and from Brian. The boulder opal is from Tony, the bottom is petrified palm by Brian. I really like how it turned out. Wrapping the bottom with claws in that style was alot of work! First time trying it, and I like the result. It's sitting on a slab from Idaho Tony, and I think it'll be my permenant photography slab! It's perfect. Minimizes shadow and a nice light, nuetral background!

Both clay and wrapping had the same process for me: not knowing how it was going to turn out and trying to trust the process. :)

It's tempting to play more with clay. There was a lamp at Bob Arneson's house, when Nick and I went there for lunch one day, eons ago in Benecia. It was his head - all white and puntured with holes, about the size of a quarter, with a light bulb inside! I want to do a take-off on that. I'd love to do some figurative piece that doubles as a lamp!

Maybe I will play with clay again. More cats, though.

Slabbing and 2-cab pendants!

Idaho Tony is the slabbing guru! He answers any question, he's way cool, and doesn't get moody! And generous, steady as a rock, and gives good hugs! With his advice, Mabel is slabbing great!! Here are pics:

Here are better pics in daylight of earlier slabs. It's storming right now!

And I've been playing with wrapping two cabs instead of one. It's more challenging, thus more interesting for me. And I like combining stones. Here's my favorite try, of labradorite and chyrsocolla: