Rachel Sager
September 9 – 11, 2016
In this 2 1/2-day intensive, Rachel Sager, The Forager Mosaicist, will share her secrets of hunting and gathering for native stone in the landscape and identifying usable materials in the field. How does a mosaicist get from a hunk of raw geology to the piles of tiny tesserae that make up a composition?
You will be encouraged to “see” the local geology with newly perceptive eyes, make decisions on what is worthy to bring to the studio, wash, categorize, and observe. Breaking down the raw material with hammer and hardie will be a crucial part of the process and students are expected to bring these tools. Special attention will be paid to the character of particular stones, how they cut with the hammer and how to exploit their strengths
Rachel will discuss the rules of andamento as well as the how and why of breaking them. Laying the newly formed tesserae into their thin-set bed will be the final, satisfying step into building a relationship with a stone. Discussion and application of high-quality thin-set mortar will also be discussed, as well its key role as part of the composition.
This contemplative but also highly focused workshop will ask you to explore both intuition and technique. Rachel firmly believes that both are necessary for meaningful art. Please note that due to the abbreviated length of the class, your focus will be on building relationships with the materials, and not necessarily leaving with a finished mosaic. Rachel will suggest that you treat your 12″ x 12″ substrate as a testing ground for future work.
Note: the hammer and hardie are a key element to appreciating this workshop. Rachel highly encourages you to purchase these tools in advance of class so she can get you started with what she hopes will be a life-long love affair with them. You can use her Sager discount at www.dimosaico.com
*Camp Bella Soul can provide the logs in which you will set your hardies.
On-site Lodging
Rooms range from $65 to $85 per night. All rooms are conveniently located near the studio which is open 24 hours. Come early, stay longer or arrive the morning of class. Enjoy the private beach and full use of canoes, kayaks, paddleboard and floats in your spare time. A deposit of $100 is needed to reserve your room.
Food is not included with lodging so bring a cooler packed with your favorite fixings. Two full kitchens are waiting for you as are local grocery stores if you prefer to shop when you arrive. Fresh produce from local farms is also available nearby, as are restaurants. Contact Nancy Maloney 978.882.3390 with questions.
Registration and Cancellation Policy
A deposit of $100 will reserve your spot in class. The remainder of payments are due at the close of registration on August 25, 2016. Cancellation Policy- If you must cancel a full refund will be returned if four weeks before class. If cancelling within two weeks you will forfeit your deposit(s).
