In this one-day workshop students will learn to sculpt the form of a dog out of clay with ACP Artist-in-Residence Victor E. Bell. Students will learn the basic hand building techniques involved in making a successful ceramic dog sculpture, including decorating their creations with underglazes. The workshop will begin with a short demonstration followed by a guided practice.
To learn more about Victor E. Bell's Spring Artist-in-Residence Project, please visit here https://artscouncilofprinceton.org/victor-e-bell/
Having grown up in Princeton, I was lucky enough to experience the magic of the Arts Council and the community from an early age. My parents were both inspirational to me in their passions for creation, from my artist mother and my inventor father. I graduated from Rowan University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in MIS. During my last semester, I took one ceramics class but did not plan on ever doing it again. I work for my family’s small business and until recently, I did not consider myself to be much of an artist.
About 3 years, ago I got my hands back into clay and I am so grateful. I started taking beginner ceramics classes at the Arts Council where I found a passion for sculpting dogs. After getting a solid foundation of skills, I started practicing at a studio in New York City on 46th and 10th called Mud Matters. Early on, my goal was to somehow have my clay sculptures help rescue dogs.
Why dogs? In 2018, my family rescued two dogs and they changed our lives. The unconditional love that a dog teaches us is truly otherworldly. This feeling of spiritual protection is what I am trying to capture in my sculptures. Similar to how a gargoyle protects a space by scaring off bad spirits, my gargoyle-esque creatures bring forth the same feeling of safety which a dog provides.
The art serves functionally as a vessel for love. The feeling when you look at a dog and your emotions overflow you can put into these forms. Through creating with my own emotions for my dogs, my hope is these whimsical beasts can inspire others to create with their hands, hearts, and minds.