POWERTEX WORKSHOP with Marsha DeBroske

On Saturday 08-14-2010, Marsha DeBroske - sculptor, painter, teacher - led a "Powertex Workshop" for ALOC members at the Creative Spirit Art Gallery, in Orlando, FL. Eleven members participated, we learned a lot, and we had a blast!
    
What is Powertex? It is a fabric hardener that will adhere to everything but plastic, is AP approved for non-toxicity, and gives a very professional look to your sculpture when dry. Other extras can enhance the final effect, such as ColorTricks powders, and StoneArt.

Marsha is a great teacher; she gave us an unbelievable amount of attention, answered many questions, and made sure we all went home with a finished piece.

Here are pictures of our trip to Powertex land. These are the 5 steps we followed to complete our sculptures:
Step #1:  For a human shape, cut 3 electrical wires to a certain size, & twist them in order to create a body with 2 legs, 2 arms, a head, and shoulders. For other shapes, just make sure you strenghten the "backbone/spine" with extra wire.

 Step #2:  Build your sculpture with foil. Cover each foil layer with masking tape, and keep building until desired form is achieved.

Step #3:  Cover the entire piece with Masking tape - be patient!

 Step #4:  Dip pre-cut strips of fabric in the gooey Powertex - [Powertex comes in 5 colors: Bronze, Ivory, Transparent, Lead, and Terra Cotta. We played with Bronze.] - and cover the Masking-taped form throughout. Add hair and clothing as desired, also dipped in the Powertex.

In mid-afternoon, the U.S. Powertex representative Regine Dossche and her daughter Valerie  demonstrated more interesting possibilities for Powertex when mixed with StoneArt, and other cool products. Visit http://powertexcreations.com/index.html for more information.

Step #5:  With a brush, paint on iridescent-colored powders [we used Bronsgold and Terragreen ColorTricks] for highlights in your sculpture. Voila!

Marsha - THANKS for a wonderful day of fellowship and art-making. You are an absolute gem, a joy to be around, and we have learned to play a great deal with Powertex. Readers: please take time to visit the website of this very talented artist: http://www.marshadebroske.com/.

Who knows? Maybe we'll do a show with our Powertex creations! With patience and imagination, we all came up with interesting creations: a bird, a horse, a sunbather, a mermaid, an angel and many more ideas! Doris is interested in creating a cat next...

Doris - THANKS so much for pulling this workshop together. We all know it was a lot of work, and you made it happen. You're the best!

Grant Workshop for Artists at Crealde

August 28
10th Annual Free Grant Workshop
for Individual Artists
Crealdé’s Executive Director Peter Schreyer, an internationally exhibited artist and past grant review panelist on the state and local level, will conduct this free workshop to inform artists about grant opportunities from the State of Florida, United Arts, and other organizations.  Register on-line or call 407-671-1886 to register.