MetalClay Arts Conservatory

**Now available with CLOSED CAPTIONING**

MetalClay Arts Conservatory's digital library is a focused study for the cultivation of metal clay artistry delivered to the comfort of your home or studio. "Scratch-foam® Textures & Introduction to Kinetic Metal Clay" is the first in the Conservatory's Weekend Workshop Series. This program was developed to span two days, teaching you a whole arsenal of techniques that you can utilize in your own practice. It not only covers working the wet and dry metal clay, but also creating custom texture plates and stencils, embedding milled metals, soldering, torch firing, kiln programing, easy high contrast patina finishing, kinetic connections, repairing rough textures, making matching custom ear wires, an introduction to carbon firing, folding a custom sized firing container, and more. All presented with optional technique variations that you can taylor it to fit your own individual style. It features 30 separate demo videos and sections, downloadable stencils and artwork, over 90 pages of step by step class handouts and support PDFs (embedded with live hyperlinks so you don't ever have to wonder what a particular tool is or where it’s available.) Everything is streamlined and easily accessible from multiple devices.

What is Scratch-foam®? It's a soft sided, easily customizable, texture plate material for creating an endless assortment of impressions for your metal clay designs. Don't have Scratch-foam®? Try experimenting on other styrofoam surfaces, while nothing I've tried works quite the same as Scratch-foam®, it can result in some interesting and unique textures, and may be enough for you to get going with. We'll begin with all the different working and texturing tools to used on Scratch-foam®, apply that on a pair of simple dangle earrings then move to a progressive variation that turns them into unique kinetic ear ornaments.

Technique retention is a huge issue, and after years of travel teaching, I've found it is the most frequent problem. How many times have you been to a live workshop and found yourself chasing techniques in a notebook only to miss the demonstration all together? Couldn't make out what was being demoed between the crush of eager onlookers? Lost a technique entirely by the time you get back to your own studio? Maybe it's been impossible to get to a class or take enough days off to even attend. While nothing can replace the benefits of live interaction with an instructor, this platform has enabled me to develop a whole new way of distance learning that extends beyond some of the limitations of other workshops.

It's allowed me to leave NOTHING out, every step, every technique is now available in up close detail. Each demo video is viewable as many times as you like and shot in first person, so you can see what it really looks like if it were YOUR hands working. The videos are typically less than 10 minutes, so even if you only have a few minutes a day to yourself, you can attend, at YOUR pace. With enrollment, you get one entire year to complete the course, including email technique support from me directly! If you're looking for a deeper creative exploration, "Additional Excercies" or further practice oppurtunities are available in many of the steps.

While independent learning can sometimes be an isolating experience, the Conservatory's new online learning platform has discussion areas for each step to ask questions, share photos and videos with other students, connect with artists from all over the world, brainstorm ideas, and engage in a unique creative community.

This Weekend Workshop, taught live, over two days would cost at least $350 in any teaching studio or school, but is now available, for a fraction of the cost.

Sign up, join in, but don't miss out on this new frontier of artistic growth.

Sincerely,

Wanaree Tanner

MetalClay Arts Conservatory was conceived and founded by internationally published, award winning artist and metal clay innovator, Wanaree Tanner, to illuminate the practical and creative processes as well as the individual‘s artistic expression. The Conservatory features both online continuing education courses on metal clay ranging from Project Workbooks to Comprehensive Courses as well as one-on-one private sessions or study programs with Wanaree at her studio located in secluded rural Illinois. The courses and programs are filled not only with technical training and skill application, but also design development and artistic styling. For more on her work and more on the Metal Clay Arts Conservatory please visit her website at WWW.METALCLAYARTSCONSERVATORY.COM