Damien teaches traditional methods of making sculpture & drawing. The tuition is individually based within a small class environment & therefore is free from the restraints of a curriculum.

Life Study

The Life Study is of utmost importance & infinite interest to both the developing & experienced sculptor. Whilst being challenging, the study is also enjoyable & fascinating.

A live nude model is the focus of the study, serving essentially as a natural form which is ever variable. The student learns to think like a sculptor - to see beyond surface appearances & instead conceptualise the figure as an abstract form, becoming aware of its proportions, spacial displacement, component parts & internal rhythms. While external appearances have some bearing, the emphasis is placed on expressing the essence of the figure, relating to its' unique character & pose.

The study commences with drawing while finding a suitable pose. Armatures are made if necessary, & 'drawing in clay" begins. The study then continues for several sessions with the model & then sculpturised, or simply finished when the model is no longer present. The clay sculpture may then undergo the process of mould making & casting.

Workshop Class

The student is encouraged to progress in learning to 'see' whilst developing the necessary skills to bring form to the idea. This is to say that the art & the craft are learned hand-in-hand & are inseperable in practise. Through this process the student learns about 'Truth to Material' - how an idea can be transformed into a particular medium & vice versa, largely determining the sculptural 'idiom' within the broader language.

The focus of the classes is learning about form, both figurative & abstract, through making studies & the development of ideas.

Technical methods covered are:

• drawing
• armatures
• clay modelling & use of tools
• plaster waste mould making
• plaster & cement casting
• repairs & refinements
• colouring & finishing

Some relevant Art History is also learned osmotically through discussion of examples during classes.

The learning is facilitated at each step in each process through discussion, demonstration, & handouts.