Workshops can be customized or extended for any number of days to include opening with a slide show, hand’s on work, larger sectional works, specific hands on guidance and development, glazing, firing, kiln building, etc.
Contact Tony for a more detailed description & quote based on your needs.
Artisan Brush Making Workshop
Mastering Traditional Brush Making
Embark on a journey into the artistry of traditional brush making with artist educator Tony Ferguson in this immersive workshop. Uncover the time-honored and modern techniques of crafting brushes using natural materials like deer tail, horsehair, and hemp, as Tony shares his expertise and passion for this age-old craft.
During the workshop, participants will delve into the fascinating world of brush making, exploring the unique properties of various materials and learning the intricate methods that bring them to life. Tony will guide you through the process, from selecting the finest natural fibers to shaping and assembling them into distinctive brushes.
The highlight of the workshop lies in creating your own collection of special effects brushes, each tailored for different creative purposes. Discover the secrets behind crafting brushes that produce mesmerizing textures, patterns, and strokes. Tony will provide insights into the art of brush design, allowing participants to customize their tools for specific artistic applications.
At the end of the workshop, you'll not only gain a deep understanding of traditional brush making but also take home a set of personalized brushes to enrich your artistic toolbox. These unique tools will empower you to elevate your creative expression, adding a touch of tradition and craftsmanship to your artistic endeavors.
Join us for Mastering Traditional Brush Making with Tony Ferguson, where the ageless art of brush making meets contemporary creativity. Unleash your artistic potential and leave with the skills and brushes to make your mark in the world of visual expression.
Selling Artwork Online Workshop
A primer for anyone wanting to sell artwork online
In this workshop you will learn what it takes to start or improve your selling online. Some of the topics that are demonstrated and covered are:
Digital Photography Basics - Set up, Lighting, Shooting Settings
Editing for the Web and Print
Packaging/Shipping/Insuring Art Work
Pricing Work
Payment Gateways/CMS's - Paypal, Stripe, Square, etc.
Overview of Selling Communities such as Amazon, Etsy, Houzz, Ebay, ArtStorefronts
Website Design, Development, Maintenance
Wordpress, Shopify, Software, Templates, etc.
Hiring a Web Designer
Etsy Walk through - How to set up an Etsy site
Mailing lists - Mailchimp, Constant Contact
Promotion and Social Media Marketing - Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter
If there's an area you would like covered, let me know.
**BRING a sample of one of your artworks under 24”.
Tony has been selling online since 1999.
Pottery Workshop
Throwing and forming techniques
In this workshop, Tony will demonstrate throwing and forming techniques on the wheel covering a variety of forms such as chawan/tea bowls, rice bowls, plates, mizusashi/covered jars, vases, guinomis/yunomis/cups, mugs, baskets, handle making, etc.
Tony will address throwing tricks that emphasize technique over strength for centering, throwing plates, platters and more.
Sculpture Workshop
Hand forming techniques
In this workshop, Tony will demonstrate clay body augmentation, hand building, slump and forming techniques for building ceramic sculptures using stoneware or porcelain. Coil, slab, molding, paddling (Korean Onggi), using internal supports and other techniques will be demonstrated in building various forms.
Raku Firing Workshop
Firing techniques
In this Raku firing workshop, Tony will lead the group firing raku works in his portable raku kiln(s). Firing methods, trick and tips for reduction effects will also be discussed and demonstrated using natural materials.
Raku Kiln Building Workshop
Building techniques with ceramic fiber and other space age materials
In this Raku kiln building workshop, Tony will lead the group in building a small fiber raku kiln for the small studio. Individuals may at their option purchase an additional raku kiln kit and build their kiln along with the class.
Anagama Kiln Building Workshop
Traditional old school building techniques with high fire brick and mortar and minimal hand tools.
In this Anagama kiln building workshop, Tony will lead the group in building an anagama kiln. Contact Tony for information about the kind of wood kiln you would like to build.
Tile Workshop
Slab machine/hand wire slab forming techniques
In this workshop, Tony will demonstrate hand building, slump and forming techniques for building ceramic tiles including drying techniques for even, uniform tiles.
Participants’ Art work from workshops
Photography Workshop
Photo Shoot/Image Editing
In this workshop, participants will leave with the knowledge of how to document 2D/3D Art work with continuous lighting. This includes how to set up professional backgrounds and lighting while gaining understanding on various camera setting tweaks with digital SLR’s and mobile phones. This workshop will emphasize the digital media and cover the techniques necessary for creating successful digital images for print, exhibitions, Zapplication, art fairs, documentation, grant applications, catalogs and the web. Tony will do a side by side comparison of a digital SLR and a mobile phone demonstrating the strengths and weaknesses of both and what you can do to get the best images of your work.
The first part of the workshop Tony will shoot participants’ artwork while the second part of the workshop Tony will demonstrate digital editing techniques on participant's work and give a slide show covering related issues. Tony will also discuss some commercial products/packages available for professionally photographing your artwork for 2D/3D artists. He will also share with you the editing tricks necessary when photographing your work with a mobile phone for specifically selling online. He will also cover on the cheap lighting set-ups, tweaks and tricks to make your photos look great whatever you may be using. He will also make recommendations across a variety of budget ranges if you are considering new equipment.
Note: Participants are welcome to bring one to three art works (less than 24” in height in either direction). If the host or participants would like to arrange to schedule more pictures taken of their artwork where they would receive their images on disk or download after editing, please contact Tony for a pre or post workshop photo shoot. The workshop can also be extended where participants can bring more work, their computers, and we can get more into all aspects of photography and editing.