Here it is mid-January 2023 and I'm already thinking about the beach. Well, not really. I've actually just returned from a 5 day figure sculpting workshop given by Rick Casali at his studio in Maryland and I thought that a little Speedo action would help me maintain as much sculptural detail as possible, while making the piece family friendly, so the beach theme emerged.
I have to say that arriving at Rick's studio is a real treat. His many portrait and figurative sculptures align the walls and tops of his furniture. It's quick to see that he's also an avid and excellent portrait painter.
I like Rick's style of thinking and teaching in geometric terms and of using a number of analogies as he tries to get a point across. He's always quick to credit his own teachers and mentors with the various techniques he passes on. There wasn't a lot of measuring in class with the exception of knowing that a body is about 7.5 times of the size of the head and that the pubic bone is about the half way part of the body, the elbows are near the waist, etc., That's because Rick has a good eye and encourages students to develop theirs'. He also knows his anatomy like the back of his hand and tends to use his hands rather than his tools most of the time, as the hand is the quickest route to the brain's perception.
As students, we had the added bonus of having some of Rick's former art classmates in the class, although they tended to go in early diverging directions from Rick when they were in college. That was an advantage to the class because of the humor that flew back and forth betwixt and between them and Rick the entire time.
As always, learning anatomy tends to tire my brain about as much as the 6 hours of daily sculpting, but hopefully I'm continuing to further internalize the structure of the body while developing some muscle [no pun intended] memory that can hopefully help me remember how to get where I want to go.
I didn't think about taking photos of the group gatherings while I was there, I guess because I was simply too busy enjoying myself, but there was good conversation, food, and drink amongst us all on several occasions.
Needless to say, one can't go to the Maryland/DC area without enjoying some crab cakes and some of the surrounding area. Hope you enjoy the pics.
Shrimp and avocado toast for lunch at Pirate's Cove in Galesville, Maryland. The sauce had great spices...lemon, parsley, mint maybe?
Really good crab cakes from Michael's in Edgewater, Maryland.
A beautiful view from National Harbor. On the opposite side of the water, there is a lit-up ferris wheel that reflects in the water.
And lastly, just outside of Easton, Maryland, sits a quaint, historical, and beautiful town on the water's edge. Wish I could remember the name of it. One of our classmates was kind enough to give my roommate and me a tour of the area and we all enjoyed a nice lunch before the long drive home to Nashville.
As always, a sculpting workshop that's out of town offers not only a getaway and an opportunity to see a new places, to try new foods, and to make new acquaintances, and maybe even develop friendships. I was glad to be able to get to know a fellow Tennessee sculptor a little more as we shared our Airbnb and I got to introduce her to another sculptor friend who lives outside of DC. We shared a meal and since that time, my D.C. friend and I are already planning our next workshop.
By the way, if you sculpt or are interested in learning more about sculpting, Rick Casali has a Patreon page which he updates with new sculpting topics on about a monthly basis. It's $10 that's well spent each month, I think.
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