This class is designed for sculptors and other makers. It will deal with the many ways you can use molds to make and reproduce objects and forms. Some methods will be familiar to you, and some you will never have seen before. It will be a grand overview of techniques and materials you can replicate in your studio. We’ll talk about plaster molds, one of the most versatile and economical types of molds. Alginate molds are perfect for making safe molds of hands and faces and give incredible detail. Moulage molds are a more economical alternative to alginate. Rubber molds, the real workhorses of molds, allow you to mold intricate objects and can be used to cast plaster, wax, resin, etc. Sand molds allow you to cast metal in a simple backyard foundry. These can be simple one-piece molds or complicated multi-piece molds. We’ll cover chemically bonded molds and green sand molds. Then there are metal molds, found-object molds, and more. Time will be devoted to showing how large and small sculptures are made in a variety of materials: stone, concrete, bronze, etc. This class will lean even more toward metal-casting molds than previous classes, and the instructor will talk more about home foundry set-ups. The instructor will also discuss strategies to help you decide which type of mold is right for which kind of object.

NOTE: There will be a lot of information given out, so bring a pad to draw on and take notes. Students will be emailed the private address of the class in Pennington a week before the class begins.