If you're reading this, it means you've managed to sustain a level of functionality that I envy as you are actually checking *and* reading emails successfully! Yeehaw! As a result, I am coming to you with an appeal: help me get these workshops filled so I can keep the lights on for the next few months!
If you've already signed up for either Juicy or Aquaresin, that's great! Thank you so much! If you can think of a friend or colleague who you would like to take the class with, please get in touch with them to sign up asap! And if you are planning on signing up, but have not done so yet, please do! There are ongoing lags with mail service as well as production that mean you will want to start gathering up your materials as quickly as you can!
I'm in a bit of a pickle because people are not enrolling in ZOOM workshops as they were last summer and fall, and it has become harder and harder to successfully promote things online and be truly effective. We have gone so far beyond pandemic-lockdown saturation point that promotion slips into the ether faster than any of us can keep up. Absolutely understandable as I can only barely overcome the urge to hide under the covers with my seed catalogs. There's just too much going on to effectively break through all the terrible news and chaos to make a connection with people, and over compensating by posting more and more only contributes to that sense of being overwhelmed, which becomes counterproductive.
ZOOM workshops have become a vital source of income for me at the moment, as is the case with most artists right now. These two upcoming workshops I've got planned with Pocosin Arts are pretty much my best hope of making it through the end of winter and spring without running into some scary territory. I'm hoping some one-on-one connections with people could help overcome the internet cacophony, bridge the enrollment gap, and help me find the prospective students who will be most excited about the materials being addressed. Even if you can't afford to buy work right now, and you don't have the money to take a workshop, helping connect these workshop opportunities with people in your lives who would genuinely enjoy taking them would be really helpful. You can read more about each one below, and if any special someone comes to mind, pretty please let them know about what I'm cooking up. Hopefully they will appreciate the diversion and chance to play with new materials as much as I will appreciate having them on board!
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This workshop is all about clear resin as a surface treatment. Specifically, Envirotex-lite is a clear, glossy, polymer compound developed for home hobby use. I've developed this process of multiple layers and embedding/painting/carving in between, over the past 15 years. It's probably the first thing people associate with my work. It's a great way to get tantalizing finishes that are also extremely durable, especially for jewelry. A lot of people do resin casting, but my layering method is an entirely different avenue for you to stroll down with your goo work! I've got a lot of tips, tricks, and safety measures to boot! |
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Aquaresin happens to have a misleading name. It's an opaque composite resin, so it is not transparent whatsoever! The "aqua" reference is due to it's being water-based, and as a result, a very safe material that can replace other composites (that can often be toxic and require heavy duty safety equipment). This material is a great way to make sculptural pieces as well as wearable objects using found materials, and things that might otherwise be too ephemeral. It's like a ceramic shell you can paint on, but with the option to change the color or embed additional materials. It has so much potential, and I really hope more people incorporate this into their practice! I've come up with ways to use it while ditching the fiberglass additive, making it even safer and more comfortable for home studio use.
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Though things seem especially dire right now, I continue to have faith in my art practice, and the value of art and artists within communities as both agents of change and means of connection. All of you who are makers and collectors, thank you for being a part of that. And as always, thank you for keeping tabs on me, rooting me on, and helping me find homes for my little goo babies (and hopefully students for these workshops!) I don't know how I would have survived 2020 without all of you. I hope you're doing well, staying safe and cozy, and taking care of yourself too during this difficult time. After an especially horrifying week, I'm grateful to have a community of artists and enthusiasts to lean on.
xoxo
Jillian
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