The 'Traditional Split-oak Basketry" class taught by Mary Ann and Bill Smith
The Folk School offered an abundance of classes this week, all vastly different in subject and even more diverse in personages present. Classes ranged from Repoussé Blacksmithing to Split Oak Basketry to Painting/Drawing and more.
Mindy Gardner teaches repoussé techniques.
Folk School host Marisa works on a white oak basket.
Although it may sound more like a chore or a social gathering, Woodburning is a truly intricate art form. Students transfer drawings to create elaborate patterns, words, and images onto a wood bowl or wood form. Delicate fairies, serene cabin scenes, and proud tigers (all bearing striking resemblance to the original picture) are surrounded by articulate poems or cute inspirational phrases.
On the first day of class, woodburning students learned how to use various woodburning tips by creating this sampler.
As the week progressed students worked on individual projects.
Silver and stones, silver and stones. The Jewelry class this week focused on using sterling silver to engrave designs onto beads, as well as a variety of other decorative applications like gold foil.
Focused concentration in the jewelry studio
Weaving is a craft that encourages creativity and individuality, and the students in this week’s class are exercising the full lengths of their artistic freedoms. Some choose to incorporate feathers, others fluffy material, and others still silky Egyptian-like thread into their weaving. All to achieve a finished wall decoration that is both artistic and fashionable in its own way.
This student wove feathers into a unique wall hanging.
The country of Italy is renowned worldwide for its culture, history, and above all, food. And this week the cuisines and delicacies of northern Italy come to Brasstown for students to experience. Culinary pupils use small metal horn- shaped contraptions to wrap around pastry for an ice cream cone. Others are preparing sauces, and much more. And of course the best part about the class is the frequent and delectable samples.
Wrapping pastry into a cone-shaped vessel
Other classes this week included Clay Pottery, Doll Making, Service Knitting, Mountain Dulcimer, Nature Photography, Printmaking and Book Arts, and Woodturning.
In the "Print it! Book it" class students made prints and beautiful books to showcase their work.
A student's Fair Isle knitting graph and swatch
Written By: Taylor Bello, Summer Intern from Murphy High School
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
It was an awe inspiring week. Can’t wait to go back in January.
Thank you so much for posting these weekly updates! The photos and descriptions are great and they’ve really made me excited for my own first trip to the Folk School in December. :-)