HAPPY HANDS: SLOW ARTS WITH CLAY, PAPER & TEXTILES
your instructors.
Praveena Mahicha
An acclaimed artisan
Vruddhi Patel
A down-to-earth sculptor
Hirnakshi Harshwal
A tactile, textile artist
The Slow Art Experts
with time on hand, and hands on crafts
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Praveena Mahicha is a veteran in the art of tie-and-dye. A second-generation artisan, she has a 30+ year experience in training students at several premier institutes across India. During this journey, her art has been recognized and rewarded with many awards like the State Handloom and Handicraft award in 2017 and Manu -- The Power of Women (Gold Medal) in 2020.
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Ms. Mahicha has achieved the National Merit certificate as a Master Weaver and is a specialist in natural colour dyeing. She has also mastered the traditional art of painting called 'Mata ni Pachhedi' -- multicoloured images of goddesses with a narrative story on a piece of cloth.
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Vruddhi Patel is a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Sculpture) from the M.S. University, Baroda and has been actively pursuing pottery for the last five years. She is a nature enthusiast, passionate about sustainable practices.
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Vruddhi feels that pottery connects her with nature, as all the four elements of earth, water, fire, and air, are a part of the art. Even clay can teach important lessons of life, such as being adaptable in any situation, she believes. To Vruddhi, pottery is meditative and rejuvenating, and she strives for others to experience the same through her sessions.
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Currently based out of Ahmedabad, Vruddhi is a practicing Visual Artist, and takes pottery sessions at Studio Indigo.
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Hirnakshi Harshawal has a background in mass communication and textiles & fashion. She has been running her textile design studio 'TARA' for 11 years, through which she has closely worked with artisans and learnt age-old traditional crafts & techniques.
Hirnakshi has conducted several interactive workshops on natural dyes, hand block printing, hand embroidery, quilts, Lucknowi embroidery, fabric manipulation, and more. She has participated in event & exhibitions across India, and has tie-ups with apparel stores within and outside the country.
“thus art is not an object, but an experience.”
josef albers
AnAverageMuseumVisitorSpends17SecondsLookingAtAnArtPiece. Wow, what speed! The time spent in learning or creating a work of art isn’t much longer. YouTube tutorials teach you papier mâché handicrafts in 5 minutes. Free of cost. Why then, should you spend 14 hours working with a composite material, whose decorative role is increasingly taken over by modern plastics? Or thump, pat, dab, and roll real clay when modelling clay sculptures can be fashioned within minutes?
Is there a reason you should care for slow arts in an age of speed? The answer can be found in the overlap between slowness and wellbeing. The sensory experience of contemplating and creating art, that too with the use of hands, is a meditative event. If you have ever squished a ball of wet clay, you know why it is so therapeutic. The satisfaction of working with it is immense – physical, mental, and emotional, engaging your sensory and motor skills, as well as your imagination.
This workshop is for enthuasiasts with some time to pause, practice, and reflect. It introduces them to three key natural materials – clay, paper and textiles – that lend themselves easily to creating artistic and utilitarian items. From jewellery containers to decorative pots to table mats, together we shall create a variety of products. The instructors will orient participants with the history, styles and techniques of each material, while focusing on skill development and practice. Participants will get ample time to explore the characteristics of each material, and fashion products from their imagination. The programme will culminate with a display of participants’ work at The Hive.
MODULE 1: HANDBUILD POTTERY (7 sessions)
Bridging the divide between art and craft
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MODULE 2: PAPERMAKING, RECYCLING & BOOK BINDING (6 sessions)
Explore the nature of paper and its potential as an artistic medium
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MODULE 3: HAND BLOCK PRINTING (5 sessions)
Play with patterns & motifs
MODULE 4: SCINTILLATING TIE & DYE (4 sessions)
Revamp your wardrobe with centuries-old traditions
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MODULE 5: PLAYFUL PAPIER MÂCHÉ (7 sessions)
Get messy with papier mâché and mould different 3D creations
TAKEAWAYS
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Explore the characteristics of different materials
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Learn about the history and origins of different arts
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Create imaginative articles through hands-on techniques & simple tools
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Activate the neurons in your brain through multisensory activities
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Calm your mind through a meditative experience as you work with the elements of nature
WHO IS THE PROGRAMME FOR?
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Art enthusiasts 14 & above, eager to explore different media
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Students looking at a career in arts & design
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Professionals seeking further inputs & contacts for their creative work
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Homemakers and seniors itching to dirty their hands and occupy their minds to learn, create & exhibit works of art
playful papier mâché
The joy in using our hands to mould something beautiful out of waste material is incomparable. We begin by understanding paper waste’s characteristics for 3 days, before we transfer it into a 3D model. We will create papier mâché by recycling waste paper through a ‘beater’ machine. It will then be used as a raw material to make different models and art objects. Once we have explored the nature of this material, we will conceive and draw designs with dimensions, and bring them to life. We’ll practice and refine this art, and finally, when our creations are dry, decorate them with oil/acrylic paints, dyes and the like.
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Course Content
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Understanding papier mâché as an ancient art
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Diving into the technicalities of the material
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Discussing the design and forms participants want to create during the module
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Ideation and drawing
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Demonstration of a model
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Model making, while adding 2-3 layers in every session
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Painting & embellishment
Mindful Making
Working with papier mâché takes time and patience. Each layer of paper and glue adds depth and shape to the object. New layers might change the design. There is also a waiting time before it is dry enough to decorate. A bit like ourselves – we are made of layers that make us who we are and we all need time to be ready for the next step.
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INR 4200
papermaking, recycling & bookbinding
Bring over buckets of water, coloured pulps & inclusions, screens & deckles, and dedicate yourself to the business of papermaking. There are several ways to make paper. We begin by exploring how recycled material can be turned into pulp, and then use other suitable materials to create textures, embossing, watermarks, gradient papers, pulp painting, and more.
In the second half of the module, we explore hand bookbinding, from the earliest binding styles to the contemporary. The objective is to create a harmonious set of beautiful books, and learn structures that can be easily repeated.
This module has been developed for people self motivated to explore the creative possibilities of the art through a simple ‘do-it yourself ‘ approach, encouraging learning by doing. Participants can use the skills and knowledge gained in class to work independently on their own projects.
Course Content
Papermaking/Recycling
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Introduction and history of papermaking
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Introduction to materials and equipments
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Papermaking techniques and methods
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Handson experience of making paper from sourcing material to making paper pulp, sizing to making paper
Bookbinding
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Fundamentals of bookbinding along with basic tools, terminology, materials, and the process
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Introduction to adhesive and non-adhesive types of hand-bookbinding (soft cover)
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Demonstration sessions and hands-on practice of the following bookbinding methods:
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Pamphlet, Saddle stitch
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Coptic and Kettle
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A final mini project of application of these techniques to create books and sketchbooks for personal use
INR 3800
handbuild pottery
Pottery is an exciting medium that is at the forefront of the divide between art and craft, and this module proves the point. It introduces pottery as an art form and explores the basics of forming and shaping clay. In this module, know about the history of pottery, and learn the hand building techniques of pinching, coiling, and slab making for creating objects with clay. Using basic hand tools, design and shape articles from pots and pans to animal figurines. Prepare for a multisensory experience as you indulge with nature’s two most important elements – earth and water. Why be satisfied with modelling clay, when you can have the real one?
The workshop is project-based, the projects themselves are open to interpretation, so the work students produce could be functional, sculptural, decorative or site-specific; anything in fact, that can be made in clay.
Course Content
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Understand the basics of clay formation and the origin of pottery as a craft
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Learn and practice the techniques of pinching, coiling, and slab making
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Create personalized sculptures ranging from utility items to abstract forms to architectural models
INR 4500
hand block printing
Woodblock hand printing or block printing on textiles is a process to print patterns, motifs and imaginative forms on fabric using carved blocks of wood with the help of pigment dyes. It is a slow craft and needs precision, but promises beautiful, artistic results when practiced creatively.
India has been known for its timeless printing and dyeing traditions, which have flourished over centuries owing to a royal patronage. The heritage craft of hand block printing has predominantly evolved in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat but it also has its roots in Central and Eastern India. In this workshop, we shall go over this history of the craft, while also learning about the regional diversities and techniques, each of which has a unique flavour and identity.
While introducing the process of the craft, we will focus on basic woodblock printing, following a pattern that is widely adopted by the artisans of Gujarat. We shall cover all basic and advanced aspects, right from making the colour bath to the final printing. Enough practice will be given to focus on details like correct pressure of hands and right colour consistency, which are key to good results.
Once we understand the complete development process, we shall make the final product of our choice with the help of the materials provided.
Course Content
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History of the craft
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Familiarity with key woodblock printing techniques
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Demo and practice of the entire production process
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Final product development
INR 6000
scintillating tie & dye
Make headway on your journey of material exploration with tie-and-dye – one of the primeval forms of art that have evolved along with mankind. From India to Japan to USA, tie-and-dye forms have been adapted by different regions of the world, whether as Shibori, Jumputan, Bandhani, Ikat, or Mudmee.
Join us on this journey of the art’s history around the globe while learning at least 15 different techniques. Colour your tablecloth or style your stole as we tie-and-dye together. Be amazed as you unravel stunning patterns that will add a dash of colour to your homes and wardrobes. What’s more, learn from none other than a master artist who has inherited this traditional art from her ancestors.
Course Content
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Orient yourself with the origins of tie-and-dye
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Understand the basics of Shibori & Bandhani
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Learn at least 15 different tie-dye techniques, making a dye-bath, and caring for your fabrics
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Create your own patterns with hands-on lessons
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Take home your creations
INR 4800
schedule
fees
