Take a walk on the dark side and join a Día de los Muertos (Day of the dead) celebration with the Black Sheep Artist! Observed annually throughout Mexico (and many other places too). This macabre holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support them on their spiritual journey. The unique food, activities, and art that surrounds the celebration is simply astonishing and I am totally inspired and enthralled by all of it! Drawing inspiration from the rich and colorful traditions of the holiday, as well as a bit of so-called "Goth" style, we will transform a "thrift store rescue” porcelain doll into a beautiful tribute to those who have gone before us. Don't be scared...it's just a doll.
     In this playful and energetic doll-altering workshop, students will learn: how to deconstruct a discarded porcelain doll down to its blank basic form and modify it to achieve more natural poses; a quick and easy way to dye different types of fabrics for "spooktacular" effects; how to paint a doll's face with traditional Mexican Day of the Dead designs (or something non-traditional); how to accessorize your ghost girl like a boss, and some light-hearted discussion on why it is important to distinguish between glam-goth-gorgeous and horrifying-Halloween-hokey. We’ll also build a decorative stand to pose and display your delightfully decomposing debutante…
Hey, just because you’re dead, doesn’t mean you can’t look fabulous, right?
 

Materials Fee $30 paid at beginning of class includes:

• DoD design example sheets
• instruction booklet
• wood base, dowel, and all hardware for stand
• all the black and white paint you can use
• a fancy new marabou wig for your dolly
• fabric dyes and darkeners
• glue, tape, wire
• terrifying trims & freaky fabrics
• beads, buttons & jewelry bits
• and lots of other creepy cool stuff and nonsense for your living dead girl!
 

To complete the project, students MUST come to class with the following supplies:

• one porcelain doll with the clothes still on it
• some good scissors
• a few different sizes paintbrushes including a very fine tipped one
• any of your favorite beads, buttons, old jewelry, fabrics & ribbons (in addition to your kits, we'll have a "share table" to swap other supplies you bring with your fellow students)
• any other spooky props or accessories you may have lying around.

For more artist info visit Black Sheep Artist Studio or email
thomasashmanart@ yahoo.com.