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!

"Interpretations" debuts at Creative Spirit Art Gallery tonight

Creative Spirit Art Gallery and the Harwood Watson Dance Studio, located at 820A Lake Baldwin Lane in Baldwin Park, Florida will host an opening reception for “Interpretations” on September 11, 2009. The exhibition features the work of Jason Lee, Clair Strutt, and Chad Pollpeter. The reception will begin at 6pm and end at 9pm and is free. The show will run from September 11 through October 2.

All three artists interpret the world view in different ways, and will show all new works in this exhibition. The artists reside in Central Florida and have established careers, showing work throughout the southeast. This will be the first show of the three artists together, and promises to be an exciting event.

Chad Pollpeter, an FSU graduate, combines figure studies and symbolic elements such as the sphere to express universality, using an atmospheric surrealism to create ethereal, emotional statements. Work such as “Avoidance” and “Tug-O-War” express themes of conflict and alienation, and many of his themes are relevant to our time.

Florida native Jason Lee’s autodidactic approach to art blends a universal spirituality with a surrealist’s eye . His artwork, with titles like “Seat of Wisdom,” “Forgotten Magic,” and “Sea Dragon” trend his work towards the mystic. Lee’s organic integration of natural and human forms are powerful images that strongly suggest narrative, and an alternate universe.

Clair Strutt moved to Central Florida from New York, and studied fine art in college. She counts Freida Kahlo and Salvador Dali among her inspirations, and her landscape and figurative work has a strong emotional basis, while retaining a sense of humor about herself and her world. “Pay Attention,” a nude wearing a lampshade being ignored by her husband, is an example of Strutt’s lighthearted approach to life.

The Creative Spirit Gallery is a cooperative art gallery, and home to members of the Artist League of Orange County (ALOC) who collaborate to bring featured artists alongside the members’ art. For more information, contact Curator Brad Biggs of BiggsLee Artistic Services. BiggsLee provides artist representation, custom art placement, promotion, and curatorial services to regional artists, merchants, and galleries. You may contact Brad Biggs by telephone at 407-923-8085, or via email at bbiggs214@aol.com.

Final ALOC Meeting Before Summer Break

First Place, Shalini Tandon (batik)

2nd Place, Gayle Bell (oil)

3rd Place, Kitty Osburn (watercolor)

The final ALOC meeting before summer break was held today at Beardall Senior Center. Prior to enjoying a nice luncheon buffet, members got to show off one of their latest artistic creations in a members-only art competition. A secret ballot was drawn up and members voted on their three favorite artworks. It was hard choosing among all the beautiful and varied paintings, but above are the lucky winners.

Doris Smart circulated a petition signing up members interested in live model sketching once or twice a month. Depending on demand, the model will pose at Creative Spirit Art Gallery or the Beardall Senior Center. The fee will depend on how many people show up to sketch, so hopefully there will be a big demand to work on drawing skills that only a live model can provide.

The next ALOC meeting won't be until September 19th, but I'm guessing the long hot summer won't put a damper on our creative instincts. This blog is always available to showcase our members' efforts and announcements. Please contact me at gayle@gaylebell.com and I'll put you on this blog as a contributor so you can post your latest creations. Happy creating to all.