Reaching the global market via internet

A problem and virtues of art is that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder (I have heard somewhere that beauty is in the eyes of the beer-holder). In this case, art that is popular in one place is not popular somewhere else. Joel, my teacher, has moved from the west coast of British Colombia, where organically shaped sculptures are greatly appreciated, to Montreal, where design minimalism, sharp angles and geometrical shapes are in demand. With the internet and specifically ebay, we are launching an experiment to find out how to reach buyers and find out how much they are willing to pay for it. The test product are clay plates that are organically shaped and was inspiration for a whole series of organic art. This design brings a feel of nature in to an area that are mostly stark lines and color. As part of my apprenticeship, reaching the target clientele is important for the continuation of the sculpting lifestyle. Creating art that is profitable and attaining that profit is the main measure of success for the professional sculptor. This is another lesson that is not taught in class!

Creating tiles from plaster molds

After blending rehydrated waste clay from the past years' classes with a concrete hand mixer, the plaster molds are filled and left to dry. The other materials used are colored drystone, which is a type of very hard plaster. This was done outdoors, which made cleanup easy with the use of a garden hose. It also allowed us to enjoy the warm weather after a long Montreal winter. The making of tiles consists of sculpting a tile, making a mold, and casting a replica. After seeing my mistakes on my earlier attempts I found out that this is trickier than it seems. ‘Mistakes are opportunities for learning’, says Joel, and when it became time for creating my own tile I kept those lessons in mind.

First things first

Lesson: build your sculpting areas
We worked together to create a project specific worksite. The focus is on making an outdoor deck, work bench and countertop with sink for the creation of tiles. For rainy days, as well as projects that require a more cleaner environment, the studio is used. We upgraded the sculpting platforms to have heavy-duty wheels, and shortened them to the appropriate height. In fact, before sculpting, many preparations need to be done. More importantly, efficiency of time and resources should be emphasised. That means reusing waste material as much as possible. Even discarded clay bits and pieces are recovered. This is the logical aspect of a creative enterprise.

Introduction

My name is Ronielle, and this year I took 4 neo-classical sculpting course with a private sculpting teacher named Joel A. Prevost (http://joelaprevost.com). Joel's realistic technique of rendering the human body in clay, and unique teaching style, combined with small group classes of 3 to 6 students and the underground studio well-lit with skylights, I was convinced to take my first class. Although the class was primarily taught in french, Joel is is fully bilingual. The courses themselves were either 3 hours every week for a month, or intensive weekend long sessions. I took both types, and enjoyed the different experience they both offered. After a few of his classes, Joel offered me an apprenticeship position, where would learn much more about sculpting than in a regular class setting. Agreeing, this blog is for those wishing to know the everyday life of a sculptor's apprentice.