Summer Skills 2023 Booklet

Summer Skills art workshops

The Learning Connexion’s hands-on summer workshop experience:

The Learning Connexion is proud to once more present Summer Skills. This two-week event in January 2023 will take your creativity to new levels. Through a series of specialised boutique classes, run by experts in their fields and utilising our unique natural environment and resources, you’ll have a chance to supercharge your skills – and create your own new personalised works.

Summer Skills is about hands-on creativity, tapping into the history of the craft and creating your own unique piece of art. Whether it’s through painting, leathercraft, fashion design, photography, sculpting or jewellery, this is a rare chance to learn some wonderful oldschool techniques with a contemporary twist of creativity. Enjoy a safe, hands-on, few days of fun guided by experienced tutors. Make a treasure you’ll value for a lifetime and create a summer memory you’ll want to share with friends and family.

Sculpt a figure

with tutor Javier Murcia

An accomplished figurative and portrait sculptor, Javier Murcia pushes human anatomy to its outer limits while elevating the grace, strength and potential energy of the human form.

Javier Murcia has international experience of 20 years working in film and art industries, including five years at Weta Workshop.

Workshop Description:

Here’s a great opportunity to work with a professional figurative sculptor and a life-model to learn how to capture the human form in clay.

Each day you will break the body into simple geometric parts and learn how the body’s mechanics shape the pose.

Javier’s passion for his subject is energising, and through watching him sculpt you will form vital connections in your own work. This workshop is designed for beginning or experienced sculptors looking to improve their figure fundamentals with personalised guidance.

Take away a clay figure, the skills to do the same again and the memory of a wonderful fun-filled week.

What to bring:

• Clay modelling tools.

• Spray bottle.

• A packed lunch and snacks.

Photography Intro to darkroom

with tutor Diane Stoppard

Diane Stoppard, born in Taranaki, is a photographer. Diane is involved as an exhibitor, curator, Pinhole artist, Obscura creator and the Project Leader of Whangarei’s Camera Obscura Sculpture. Her current pinhole work includes photograms and explores the impact of colonialism on the land in Aotearoa.

Workshop Description:

In this workshop, students will gain an understanding of the basics of light, exposure, camera-less image making and the wet process of black and white photographic printing. Students will learn about the components required in making an analogue image through creating photograms. Photograms, made in the darkroom, involve using objects as masks on photographic paper and light.

By varying the exposure and translucence of the objects they learn a new visual language and camera-less image making. This helps to understand values in light and composition. The students will become competent and safe in the darkroom environment and gain an understanding of enlargers and the black and white paper development process.

An introduction to Camera Obscura / Pinhole cameras and their place in history. Through the construction of, and using their own pinhole camera, the students will gain a deeper understanding of light, exposure and composition. This is the first camera – no viewfinder – no digital feedback.

Important Information tlc.ac.nz

Wed 25 – Fri 27 JAN

What to bring:

• An apron/old shirt to wear in the darkroom.

• Pencil and scissors.

• A light-proof tin/box for conversion to a pinhole camera (maximum dimension 25cm – try the op shop).

• Personal objects for photograms – translucent objects, leaves, anything with an interesting. shadow or translucent pattern.

• A packed lunch and snacks.

art workshops

Dancing with paint

with tutor Gary Freemantle

Gary Freemantle is a painter with expert knowledge in all paint media.

His practice is multifaceted in style, interest and approach. Gary has exhibited in major public and private galleries throughout New Zealand, and also has experience in contemporary art gallery management and exhibition organisation.

Workshop Description:

In this two-day painting workshop we will have a party with the paint, your brush dancing to music with expressive gestures. You will create paintings full of vitality; deepening your knowledge of colour and spontaneous expression. A purposeful exploratory approach will be central. You will have the luxury of space to go on your own journey and discover yourself anew.

With an emphasis on intuitive approaches, both figurative and abstract, this transformative workshop suits all individual levels of skill and experience. All are welcome!

Important Information

Sat 28 & Sun 29 JAN

9.30AM – 4.30PM $240.00

tlc.ac.nz

What to bring:

• A quantity of acrylic paint.

• Brushes.

• Supports: Hardboard panels, canvas boards, or heavy paper.

• Pen, pencils and drawing pad.

• A packed lunch and snacks.

Art of fashion

with tutor Jerome Taylor

Jerome Taylor is a high-end streetwear designer based in Wellington, New Zealand.

Jerome created Not For You Clothing in 2017 after completing his diploma at NZ Fashion Tech/ Whitecliffe. The label empowers its clients to take on life’s challenges by providing designer streetwear that commands attention.

Workshop Description:

In this class students will bring a garment of their choice to work on – preferably a denim jacket, denim jeans, hoodie or t-shirt. After looking over mood boards, a brain storm session will allow each person to come up with ideas they would like to create using the following techniques: patchwork, hand sewing, hand painting, hand distressing, burning/singing of fabrics, screen printing, bleaching and the dyeing process of fabric.

What to bring:

• Bring a garment to work on such as a denim jacket, denim jeans, hoodie or t-shirt.

• A packed lunch and snacks.

What to wear:

• Ideally wear clothing you don’t mind getting dirty as we are working with paint etc.

Leathercraft secrets

with tutor Tim Mills

Tim has been working with leather since 1974, when he made his first leather belt.

Tim enjoys teaching others, and feels a real responsibility and joy in spreading the skills, knowledge and skills base of leathercraft within the New Zealand cottage industry.

Workshop Description:

Tim will guide you from designing your own project, from learning the important basics of leatherwork, to final completion of your individual project. You will leave the workshop, not only armed with the skills to continue leathercraft under your own steam, but also with a quality leather item to show off to your friends and family.

You will learn:

• Introduction to Leather

• Designing your project

• Template making

The basics:

• Stitching, gluing, riveting, domes, attachments, skiving, edge bevelling and finishing, hand-tool use.

• Safe cutting of leather

• Decoration: including tooling, carving, stitching, pyrography.

• Dyeing: including spirit-based dyes, acrylic paints

• Construction using rivets, waxed thread, leather lacing

• Conditioning/care of your leather project

• Moulding leather using cold and hot water process

Important Information

Tues 17 & Wed 18 JAN

9.30AM – 4.30PM $320.00

tlc.ac.nz

What to bring:

• All materials and tools will be provided. If you have any other leather, new or pre-loved that you wish to upcycle or use, bring it along. Your tutor will appraise the durability and quality of the leather before using.

• A packed lunch and snacks.

Resin jewellery workshop

with tutor Macarena Bernal

Visual artist Macarena Bernal is renowned for her mindfully designed, handcrafted contemporary jewellery. Maca chooses Art Jewellery for its wearability-inducing interactivity. She is best known for her work Links, pioneered in 2015. In her work, Maca explores alternative ideas of value in jewellery.

Born in Chile, Maca has been based in New Zealand since 2012. She has studied jewellery in both Chile and New Zealand, including a Master’s Degree from the Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin School of Arts in 2018.

Workshop Description:

Explore the awesomeness of resin! Learn how to make your own utterly unique resin jewellery in this two-day workshop. All levels of experience are welcome. Curious attitude essential, all materials included.

Day one will be all about mould making. Learn to make your own customised silicone moulds and cast clear resin copies in them overnight.

Day two will be a masterclass on pigment mixing and casting techniques to achieve the most diverse results. Finally we will affix jewellery findings to your resin components making them wearable jewellery to take home and treasure for life.

Make several finished pieces of resin jewellery, with the tutor’s guidance, and take all extra components to continue making at home.

Important Information

Sat 28 & Sun 29 JAN

9.30AM – 4.30PM

$450.00

The Learning Connexion

tlc.ac.nz

What to bring:

• Apron or clothes covering

• A variety of small objects that can be copied for jewellery (buttons, crystals, shells, etc)

• A packed lunch and snacks