A super workshop by Peter Vermandere
Being able to use different kinds of techniques is very important to me. Transforming ideas into forms must not be withheld by technical limitations. I came across an announcement by Peter Vermandere about a casting workshop in his studio in Antwerp and immediately decided to take part. In Idar Oberstein some other participants of the International Summer Academia told me that they learned a lot at Peters workshop there. So a booked a room for a week in a hotel and took the train to Antwerp very early in the morning on a Monday. The workshop was beyond my expectations and a real eye opener. Peter demonstrated a lot of techniques and gave lot of room to experiment. The classic lost-wax-technique needs a kiln and a melting furnace and they are not cheap . The other techniques can easily be done at a studio at home which is a big bonus, because you can work with them almost right away at home. For me the sand casting and heat resistant silicone moulds gave lot's of room to experiment and brought back the zoomorphic figures. The first sculptures I made were animal inspired figures, but in time I made more and more abstract pieces. Maybe the fact that my daughter studies biology and started an internship at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels is part of the zoomorphic figures too. I found out that I am a story teller and that I can not translate al my idea's in jewellery and that I am more of a sculptor than I thought. After five days and with a lot of food for thoughts, inspiration and happy memories I went home to Maastricht accompanied by a delicious cake by Delrey to please my loved ones who stayed at home.
Thanks to all the other participants and Peter and Daisy for their inspiration, insights and good company.
The video shows the first silicone mould and pewter cast. In the middle the pieces of all the participants just before casting and on the left my results of a weeks work.