My Old Man at the Frouds Faerie Character Workshop

Back in February, I saw an FB post that Wendy and Toby Froud will be holding a faerie character workshop in Portland. Portland! That's only a three-hour drive from here so you can just imagine my excitement.

Wendy is the woman behind Yoda. Yoda responsible for, she is. Wendy is the fabricator, having sculpted the great Jedi Master. She also worked with Jim Henson (creator of The Muppets) in "The Labyrinth" and "Dark Crystal". Both oh so lovely films!

Toby is her son and he also played the cute baby offered to the goblins by sister Sarah in "The Labyrinth".  Toby embraces this colorful history with Stripey Pajama Productions where he works with Heather Henson, daughter of Jim Henson, to produce the wonderful imageries of "Lessons Learned".

The workshop was for April, my birthday weekend, plus hubby and I are fans of "Portlandia" and we've been talking about going down there -- everything just clicked. So of course I signed up and just managed to get my name on the list.

But shortly after, that was all but forgotten. We got the news that my Dad had cancer. I couldn't leave his side. He was in and out of the hospital so much that it was just impossible. I would have cancelled but friends insisted I needed a break and that they'd be there for him. By some luck, schedules worked out and for three rainy days, hubby enjoyed the peace and quiet of a B&B to relax and read while I was immersed in the fantastical world of the Frouds.

Wendy & Toby Froud

Wendy took us through a journey of imagination where we met curious characters that served as our guides to this magical world, a world where each workshop participant met the character that we respectively recreated in polymer clay.

My Dad never left my thoughts and that was probably the reason why I met a very tall, skinny, bald guy wearing a loincloth who sat on his hunches in my vision quest. Reading this back to myself, I am reminded of Gollum but no, my guy is far from Gollum. I was reminded of a very tall but skinny Kapre (a Filipino folklore character who is always described as a gigantic, hairy guy who lives in big, old trees, smoking cigars) and he had the most serene expression I've seen in a long time. He handed me a miniature house which fit in the palm of his hand.

I nicknamed him My Old Man and he was definitely bald. At that time, the radiation treatments had caused my Dad's hair to fall off and he decided to have it shaved. He was self conscious about it at first, but like the cowboy that he is, he soon got used to it. One day we were driving home on our way back from the hospital and he suddenly blurted out for me to slow down. Surprised I asked, "Why? What's wrong? I'm driving the speed limit." And without batting an eyelid, he responded, "The wind is messing up my hair!"

Another version of that is when I helped him put a shirt on. He snapped at me to be careful and I was so worried I hurt him, he quickly followed it with, "You're messing up my hair!" And then he laughed in that silly laugh of his that says he got you. I miss my Dad. It's going to be his sixth month this November. So this post is really for him. My Old Man is a tribute, I realized later, to him. Same way I realized while writing this blog, that this post is about my experience at the workshop as it is about him.

My Dad never really explored his artistic side professionally but it was always showing up. He built a boat out of popsicle sticks just for fun. He'd show us how to draw naughty drawings that would end up in a cute dog. He helped me work on my projects. He always had a book or art material for me to try out. Even when he was sick, he showed me how to cut an eggplant so it's even and decorative at the same time.

But back to the workshop, after meditation, we beat foil to form and kneaded clay and got the best advice on sculpting ever! Those three days were too short. There was so much to learn. I still can't get over the fact that even though they showed us how to do it and even though both Wendy and Toby started with the same materials we did, their works were simply brilliant! It's like they went from crunching foil into a ball and in the next second it transformed into this wonderful doll so full of life, dressed in such whimsical clothes. It's really magic. And as this art goes, it's better to show them in pictures.

Wendy showing us how to work on the face. Her doll became this lovely creature on the right.
It's magic I tell you! It's magic!

Following suit and building up My Old Man's face

Toby showing us the tricks of costuming.

The workshop area was in the basement of the Fernie Brae Gallery in Portland

When I saw the pile of materials for us to play with – and it was a huge, 
wonderfully diverse pile – I couldn't resist trying on different possibilities and 
eventually decided to give My Old Man a monkish hairdo. 

Wendy's Faerie & Toby's Creature

With Toby Froud and his creature. Toby decided to create a creature to show us
how to sculpt them in comparison to a regular humanoid face.

With Wendy Froud

All our creations pose for a group photo

And finally, this is My Old Man. My Dad got to meet him a few days before he left us. He even named him. But for the life of me, I couldn't remember the name he said.

I decided against my vision of a character in a loin cloth. We created posable dolls with soft bodies, so it really would not have worked. Also, there was so much materials available it was so much fun to try clothes on!

We also learned about the Froud Swirl - I hope I remember the term correctly. It's a muddy concoction of paint that you use to dirty up and create authenticity with your doll's clothes. Toby advised us not to be afraid to get in there and paint it on their costumes. But man, that was one of the most terrifying things to do during the workshop! It's like you're trying to destroy your own work after carefully building it up. But it's a key trick. So splash on I did. My tentative strokes did get a few splatters in there.

Got some clothes upgrade. Imagined him as the pauper king.

This last picture is by pure coincidence. Having finished My Old Man back in April and going straight back to my Dad's side after the workshop, I never really got a chance to take proper pictures. So I went out in the middle of writing this blog to take photos. After I downloaded them, I noticed this photo I took of my Dad and me in my downloads folder and their poses were so similar I had to include it here. 

My Dad would have been 67 on November 12. My Old Man keeps him company now. 

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In related posts, it took time before I was able to take up clay again but if you want to check out what I worked on after the workshop, click below:

The Twins Part I

The Twins Part II

The Twins Part III

Welcome April!

Happy April Fool's!!!

Wow - the year is just in a hurry to speed past us. That's quarter of the year down already.

Anyway this April, we are looking at more creative stuff ahead. Got this in the email today, April schedule of workshops and more at the Sharjah Museums Department, check it out and have fun!

The Spring of Our Heritage

8 April: UAE traditional crafts programme followed by: Create Your Own Dallah and Finyal workshop.

9 April:  UAE traditional cuisine programme followed by: the preparation of Chami, UAE traditional dish made of frosted goat or cow’s milk workshop.

10 April: Old Emirati kitchen tools in today’s modernity followed by: Kitchen Decoration workshop.

11 April: UAE women’s beauty followed by: a workshop in producing natural perfumes.

To book, call 06 519 7259 or email adults@sharjahmuseums.ae. 

The Inspiration of Islamic Art

The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization is holding their annual summer camp from July 3 - July 5, 2012. The topic is The Inspiration of Islamic Art.

Participants will enjoy activities inspired by the designs of British artist Owen Jones (1809-74), whose explorations of Islamic design contributed to the reshaping of the 19th century British design. The program includes fun and inspiring activities such as drawing, painting, acting and more.

'Owen Jones: Islamic design, Discovery and Visions' is an exhibition organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and currently hosted by the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization.

For more information or booking call the musem at 06 565 5455 or email aalali@islamicmuseum.ae.

Puppet Camp at Sharjah Museum

Cool news from the Education Department of Sharjah Museums, they're holding the:

The Puppet Camp - Museum Stories &  Dramas

It's a puppet show tagged to be full of tales, suspense, acting and creativity inspired by stories that mark the evolution of human life in three of Sharjah Museums. 

As per their brochure:

The Plan

Arabic workshop

8am-1pm

 June 25 - Sharjah Archaeology Museum: The Tale

June 26 - Bait Al Naboodah: The Characters

June 27 - Sharjah Art Museums: Set the Stage

June 28 - Sharjah Archaeology Museum: The Show

English workshop

8am - 1pm

July 2 - Sharjah Archaeology Museum: The Tale

July 3 - Bait Al Naboodah: The Characters

July 4 - Sharjah Art Museums: Set the Stage

July 5 - Sharjah Archaeology Museum: The Show

Terms and conditions

1. Prior booking is essential for participants 11-14 years old

2. All workshops are offered free of charge

3. Parents are responsible for dropping their children off at the museums no later than 8am

4. Booking is made for the complete programme, which is a series of 4 days

5. It is preferable to drop participants to Bait Al Nahboodah wearing traditional Emirati clothes.

6. All workshops end at 1pm.

Book seats by contacting them at:

E-mail Families@SharjahMuseums.ae,

Fax: 06 554 3434

Watani expands Summer Camp profile

The popular Summer Camp programme of Watani, the UAE’s unique celebration of national identity, is back again with an action-packed calendar offering greater opportunities for children to learn new skills and re-discover themselves in an atmosphere of fun and creativity.

Over 420 children aged seven to 12 are expected to attend the camps, which will be held from June 19 to July 8 in Dubai and from July 11 to July 21 in Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah, under the title ‘United in creativity and knowledge,' reflecting one of the key pillars of Vision 2021, which aims to make the UAE among the best nations in the world by year 2021.

An exciting array of events will keep children active and occupied at the camp while also bringing them closer to their roots and heritage, and encouraging them to venture out beyond classroom learning. Field trips and sessions organised as part of the camp will enable participants to learn more about their living environment as well as the latest advances in science.

His Excellency Ahmed Al Mansoori, Director General of Watani said: "Watani's Summer Camps are an ideal platform to develop and shape responsible, knowledgeable citizens of the future. The Camps not only help children develop their hobbies and interests into meaningful pursuits but also inculcate in them a sense of national pride and identity.  

" Through the Summer Camp, we aim to align the aspirations of children in line with the goals outlined by UAE Vision 2021 and link them to the country's cultural values. These camps are indeed one of the best investments in our future," he added.

Among the highlights of the Camps this year are the “Watani Space” Programme organised in co-operation with Emirates Institution for Science and Advanced Technology, and “Watani Skies”, which will be presented by the Dubai Aviation Academy.  

Field trips to hospitals and training sessions on radiation prevention and healthy diets will also be part of the programme, as strengthening awareness on health is critical to individual and social hygiene. A mechanic workshop will be introduced to provide children with essential information on car components and electronics.  

Environment and heritage as well as prudent use of resources will also be a major theme of the Camp this year. Students will be taken on trips to Masdar, ADNOC, Jumeirah Beach Park and the Dubai Dolphinarium to enable them understand the importance of these issues and the priority being accorded to them by the UAE as part of its commitment to sustainable development.

About Watani:

Watani Program was launched on December 2, 2005 under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to promote the UAE's national identity and practices of good citizenship within the UAE's diverse and multicultural society. The program organizes and implements various educational, entertainment, and media activities that are directed to the youth, women and children. The activities and campaigns organized by Watani are carried out by a number of volunteers and public interest advocates in the UAE. 

Summer camp for kids at DLC

Dubai Ladies Club, a member of Dubai Women Establishment, today announced the dates for its annual Kids Summer Camp. Each batch will run for two weeks and will bring together three renowned names – Kidzart, Mad Science & Playball – that have designed a summer program that will immerse students in a wide range of extra curricular events so that they spend their time effectively while learning something.

Now in its sixth season, the Kids Summer Camp, which is held at The Art Centre in Dubai Ladies Club, has become hugely popular as a place where children can develop new interests, gain exposure, choose a new direction, and make lifelong friends. The camp is open to boys and girls between 6 – 11 years.

Maryam Al Ghurair, Art Centre Executive at Dubai Ladies Club said, “This year’s program will target three fields - Arts, Sciences and Sports – with structured training and exercise that are designed to be not only fun but also to further develop their social, physical, intellectual and artistic abilities.”

Enrolment for the Summer Camp is now open. The first batch will begin from 4 July until 15 July, 2010. The second batch will commence on 18 July until 29 July, 2010. While the third and final batch will commence on 1 August until 12 August, 2010. Camp activities will be conducted from Sunday through Thursday, 9:00am-12:00pm. Fees for the two-week summer camp is AED700 per child for Dubai Ladies Club members and AED750 per child for non-members.

To register and to make an enquiry please contact our Customer Service Representatives at The Art Centre in Dubai Ladies Club by calling +971 4 349 9922 or email artcentre@dubailadiesclub.com.

Art Camp for children this summer at The Farjam Collection

The Farjam Collection @ DIFC announces the first year of Art Camp - a summer programme of art and activities for children.  The first summer camp of its kind in the UAE, Art Camp gives children the opportunity to explore their creative talent while learning from some of the finest works of art from the past.  Surrounded by a range of outstanding and rare works including calligraphy, paintings, ceramics, textiles, jewellery and arms, children will spend their summer exploring the fascinating world of Islamic art through worksheets, games and hands-on craft activities. 

The Farjam Collection is partnering with Zayed University to curate an exhibition of Islamic art which will run throughout the summer in tandem with Art Camp. The exhibition will lead on from the first exhibition of highlights at The Farjam Collection @ DIFC, showcasing a different selection of works from Dr Farjam’s remarkable private collection.  Students from Zayed University will coordinate the exhibition under the supervision of Islamic art expert and Associate Professor Dr. Ron Hawker, and the guiding hand of staff from The Farjam Collection. “The Farjam Collection represents a wonderful opportunity for students to work closely with a wide range of stunningly beautiful and historically important objects. The students from Zayed University are relishing the chance to apply their design skills to this context,” says Ron Hawker. 

Art Camp is supported by students from three prestigious academic institutions based in the UK – the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Durham.  Students from Oxford and Cambridge will be involved in producing content and activities for Art Camp based on the art on view.  Drawing on their varied specialities in the arts, these students will contribute their ideas for new and engaging art-based activities for children.  Durham University will support the programme by offering research papers written by gifted students to serve as tools in the creation of both exhibition and activity-related content.  “We have been thrilled with the number of very talented students who have applied to be involved with Art Camp this summer,” said Rebecca Jarvest, Collection and Exhibitions Coordinator at The Farjam Collection.  “As a Cambridge graduate and former intern at The Farjam Collection I am delighted that we are building an on-going relationship with these institutions.” 

 “The philosophy for Art Camp is to create, explore, and enjoy”, commented Emilie Faure, Collection and Exhibitions Manager at The Farjam Collection.  “Art Camp gives children the chance to be an artist for the summer, and at the same time allows them to discover art in all its varieties.  We are delighted to be working alongside esteemed local and international institutions to create a unique summer programme that offers something completely new to children in Dubai this summer”.   

The Farjam Collection’s summer Art Camp marks a further step by collector and patron Dr Farhad Farjam to bring world-class art and high quality educational programming to the region. Recipient of the Distinguished Patron of the Arts Award, Dr Farjam is passionate about the importance of education in the arts at all levels, reaching out to a wide audience on a national and international level through The Farjam Collection space at DIFC.  The Farjam Collection @ DIFC offers a range of educational programmes, free and open to the public, from its popular First Wednesdays series and School and University Programmes to Art Nights @ Gate Village in collaboration with the DIFC and the latest addition to its programming, Art Camp. 

Art Camp Details

What?  Worksheets, games and hands-on craft activities around the fascinating world of art

Who?  Children ages 6 – 12, organized into two age groups: 6 – 9 years and 9 – 12 years When? Art Camp runs for four weeks, from 18 July to 12 August.  Children can participate in any one, two, three or four weeks.  Sessions run from Sunday – Thursday from 8am – 2pm. 

Where? The Farjam Collection @ DIFC 

Fee  500 AED per child per week, including all craft materials and activities 

For further information and booking please visit our website or contact rebecca@farjamcollection.com 
 

Notes to editors

The Farjam Collection @ DIFC
      
The Farjam Collection @ DIFC showcases a rotating series of exhibitions drawn from The Farjam Collection. The foremost ambition of The Farjam Collection @ DIFC is art education.  A programme of educational events, free and open to the public, offers audiences the opportunity to learn more about the works on view and the context in which these were produced.  

The Farjam Collection is open: Sunday to Thursday, 10 am to 8 pm; Saturday 12 pm to 8 pm. Please visit www.farjamcollection.com for updates on events at The Farjam Collection @ DIFC. 

The Farjam Collection @ DIFC is generously supported by the Hafiz Foundation.

The Hafiz Foundation
The Hafiz Foundation was founded in 2008 to support outstanding initiatives within the visual arts, with a special emphasis on the greater Middle East. With the city of Dubai as its base, the Foundation aims to become a centre for production, preservation, and promotion of the arts at large. At the heart of the Foundation’s goals is the development of educational opportunities for young Middle Eastern artists, students, scholars, curators, and art enthusiasts.
As a partner to both local and international cultural initiatives, the Foundation’s recent activities include having supported the founding of the award-winning Middle Eastern arts magazine Bidoun,  support for local arts education programs, as well as the organization of a series of exhibitions displaying selected works from the Farjam Collection.

Distinguished Patron of the Arts 

Owner of The Farjam Collection and founder of The Farjam Collection @ DIFC Dr Farhad Farjam received the Distinguished Patron of the Arts Award in March 2010 for his outstanding contribution to patronage in the region.

Hi ho silver!

At about 250AED, this pair of earings, has got to be the most expensive silver earrings I have acquired! But it was worth it.

The other night, we were at the Dubai International Art Centre (DIAC), a lovely villa just behind the Mercato Mall area, learning how to make our own silver jewelery. You see, some clever Japanese chaps invented the  Art Clay Silver which makes it easy to design with silver – you don't need to make molds and melt the metal anymore, you just have to flatten and shape them as you want.

Lisle, our teacher, guided us through all the steps of making our first silver jewelery, patiently answering every question and doling out tips in case we ever take up the craft at home.
 
The medium
Silver Art Clay comes in this small plastic containers and basically looks like light gray clay. You have all these tools to help you create any piece you want. I chose to make a pair of earrings to match a silver ring I already have.

Here's how you can do it:

Put the clay in between two cardboards of the same thickness. With a roller, roll the clay like you're rolling dough to flatten it out. The boards will make sure it's even.

Take the pattern of your choice, better to mull over and finalize your design before you handle the clay because it may dry up on you. If you're using a mold or pattern, press the design on the clay, or if you're taking it by ear, then start creating/etching your design. In my case, I used my ring to create an impression on the rolled clay.

After the design has been impressed on the clay, cut the excess clay. Keep the excess material inside a plastic sheet to avoid drying. Keep every little bit, you can reuse them all. If you feel that your clay is drying as you're working on it, spray a little water to keep it malleable. Put olive oil on any instrument you will use – stamps, knifes, etc – to prevent the clay from sticking to the instrument.

Dry your creations on top of the kiln. When it's completely dry, it will look and feel like dried ceramics or dried clay.

Take a piece of sandpaper and polish the design and the edges. You can use wet ones to wipe off the back.

 Drill the hole for your hooks.

Put inside the kiln. After 10 or 15 minutes it will be ready.

Remove the jewelery from the kiln carefully (remember it's very hot!). With a pair of tweezers, take a piece and dunk it in cold water.

This will cool it off and strengthen the metal at the same time. At this point it will be white and will look nothing like the shiny metal we know and love.

When it's cool enough to touch, dry it off and start polishing.

Now comes the exciting part, as you brush, the white stuff will disappear and the silver will shine through.

Burnish the piece to make it shine, add the hooks and voila – a new pair of 99.9 percent silver earrings.

Cool medium
What makes this all the more cooler is, there's no breaking it. When a petal broke after it was first dried, it was glued back with Art Clay Silver paste. A more diluted form that acts like a glue.

Instead of putting it in the kiln, this piece was fired with a hand-held torch, another option for firing it. And the piece looked good as new.

After three hours, we had brand new silver jewelery that gave us immense satisfaction.

It looks way easier than the real thing and I bet, we need a lot more practice to really master it. The medium is really exciting specially when you start considering the possibilities - it's endless!

Below are some samples shown to us by Lisle. You can view her creations at Wow Creations.

The class cost 175aed plus materials. The materials depend on what you will use (hooks, stones, etc) and on the weight of the Art Clay Silver.

Sharjah museums

Recently, we've committed to visiting the healthy number of Sharjah museums. Today, with the pottery class beckoning, we headed over to the Sharjah Archeological museum - the place was roomy and very informative! Love the dioramas about the different burial sites; a very good glimpse into the UAE's past.

We were told that they sometimes arrange site visits to the digs - that would be fun. We signed up for the alerts, hopefully it's something they'll organize while the weather is still fabulous!

There was also a pottery class held today. There was a short talk on pottery and its use in the olden times as well as the styles of making them. After that, we had a terracotta session where we fashioned our own mini jars. Nice eh?

Art beats the economic blues

Here's a great twist in treating the general economic gloom and doom. We should take a page from them and turn this setback into an advantage(Orangejar takes the hint and will post new art projects soon):

Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre reports more people turning to art as an antidote to economic gloom

In the pic: Maria Peat, Arts Centre Manager DUCTAC

Financial gurus may struggle to find a way out of the downturn but increasing numbers of ordinary people are escaping the economic gloom – by painting pictures, making vases, taking photographs or creating sculptures.

“More than ever we are finding that people from all walks of life are seeking to de-stress and take a break from gloom by taking up the physical arts,” says Maria Peat, Arts Manager at Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre (DUCTAC).

“Art can be a great antidote to the economic malaise and we are now offering more classes in art of all kinds than ever before at the centre,” she added. “Participants may not be able solve all the world’s economic problems but they are finding it relaxing fun.

“They are being more cautious about what classes they choose but are looking to develop their artistic side, perhaps because they find they have more time on their hands due to business being slow, working reduced hours or being made redundant.”

The Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre, at level two of Mall of the Emirates, is currently offering 14 adult classes in drawing and painting, six in pottery, sculpture and photography and six in the decorative arts. In addition, there are classes for children and teenagers aged from three to 16. A number of the classes for both adults and children are in Arabic.

“Our evening classes are very popular with people being able to leave work and head straight to DUCTAC,” said Peat. “Our most popular classes at the moment are in oil painting and mixed media. Art is clearly proving to be a great stress reliever for our participants and is helping them in developing new skills.”

For more information about the art classes and all other activities at Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre, please visit www.ductac.org

About Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre
Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre aims to contribute to the creative and cultural development of Dubai by presenting and hosting a programme of events and participatory activities for Dubai’s many multi-national communities and visitors alike.

The Theatre & Arts Centre is the first modern, non-profit, cross-community creative centre in the Gulf. This flagship project was the brainchild of local theatre-lovers, arts enthusiasts, artists and business people who recognised the need for an entertainment and educational centre for the community and future generations of Dubai. The centre was officially opened on 1 November 2006 by HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.

Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre does not receive any funding, relying on the generous support of sponsors and patrons and on income generated from the hire of facilities. The centre is currently fundraising to support its artistic programme, educational and outreach work.