2024 Nature Week: July 29 - August 2

Workshop enrollment happens on a first-come, first-served basis. Many fill to capacity quickly and have waitlists months in advance. It’s best to register as early as possible – don’t delay! Registrations for onsite workshops should be made no later than 15 days ahead of the workshop start date so that we can include you when we’re making workshop determinations, ordering materials, etc. Touchstone’s onsite workshop determinations (running vs cancelling) are made 14 days in advance of their scheduled start dates, primarily based on the number of participants registered at that time.

• A processing fee of $25 will be added to 2-5 day onsite workshops.
• All workshop participants must be at least 18 years of age, unless otherwise noted.
• Remember: Materials and studio fees are separate from tuition fees and are to be paid in full once finalized (typically two weeks prior to the workshop).

To view a full listing of the Terms and Conditions as part of your enrollment, download the 2024 Participant Guide. Please review our updated Health & Safety Guidelines* and Cancellation Policy* prior to registering for any workshop.

*Subject to change based on health regulations and best practices. Registered participants will be notified if changes are made.

This workshop will explore how metal can be transformed to reflect the natural world through a combination of basic blacksmithing and metal fabrication techniques. There will be an emphasis on working the material through the use of heat – in particular, the oxy-acetylene torch – to create organic movement. We will discuss nature as inspiration, the process of designing for fabrication, and finished surface treatments to complete your final sculpture. All skill levels are welcome, prior blacksmithing or metal fabrication experience will be beneficial.

Focusing on glazing and surface techniques, you will be pushed to consider glazing and mark making as part of the overall composition of a pot instead of a way to simply finish a piece. Participants will be encouraged to think about color of a glaze as well as deeper design elements that will compound and elevate each piece. Learn to use opacity, texture, mark making, line weight & quality, glaze application, and various methods of achieving different types of surfaces to their advantage. Each participant will bring simple bisqued forms (10-15 pieces) to practice glazing and mark making on. This workshop will culminate in a firing with participants walking away with examples of many methods of resist, mark making, and application.

Observation is the key to all drawing, and here is your opportunity to learn to look and, most importantly, see the natural world up close. You’ll create a sketchbook of forest finds depicted in the medium of your choice: graphite, Micron pen, watercolor…. or all three. Working with a botanical artist, make notes, sketches, preliminary drawings, or finished painted passages. Write down your observations and build a beautiful sketchbook that can be the basis for an ongoing practice.

Explore the basics of various weaving and basketry techniques using metal materials such as copper, nickel, steel, and silver. Participants will create a series of small woven technicals, with the week’s efforts culminating in a final project that will take the form of an object, adornment, or a mixture of both. Experimentation is a key part of this workshop. You will be encouraged to play!

Join this weeklong adventure and learn to build a base for mosaics while gaining an understanding of abstract concepts for creating an organic abstract using glass, beads, and more! Organic refers to natural items, and participants will spend time in nature to find objects to include. You will learn to identify movement and embrace it, then move on to exploring color and tone in a wonderful backyard bird mosaic portrait. You will learn to identify light, medium, and dark as you create mosaic tesserae using David’s shard techniques to create feathers, fur, and grasses.