Spend a weekend in the country and learn a new skill

Come for an exciting 2 day workshop
August 19th and August 20th, 2011

partial repost July 15, 2011

Learn how to paint ceramics in the 500-year-old Italian Renaissance Tradition.  Enjoy meals prepared with organically grown vegetables from our garden

For breakfast, fresh eggs from our chickens and homemade preserves from our garden

You will come away having learned a valuable new skill which does not require special studio space or hard-to-obtain materials

No prior experience necessary.  Designs are provided or you may wish to design your own.  You will become familiar with all phases of hand painting including how to use the banding wheel, specific brushes for specific designs, different glazes to achieve certain effects, hand rolling tiles, and finally, how to load a kiln.

This is your opportunity to learn and have a thorough understanding of the manufacture and history of tile making and tile decorating.  You will learn how to adapt any design using mylar and special copy transfer paper. 

Come to Spring City, a most charming and small artist community located in central Utah, a 2 hour drive south of the Salt Lake City Airport.  You might even want to extend your trip and visit one of the many beautiful National Parks which are nearby. 

Held:  August 19th and August 20th, 2011

Fee:  $350

All materials included.  A set of fine artist brushes for you to take home. Firing and shipping of your work.

All Meals included

Accommodations nearby
Gina

First Day of Class

I will be teaching several one and two day workshops in July

ginaceramics
Vividly, I remember my first day painting at the Scuola d' Arte Ceramica in Deruta, Italy

I painted the tile you see above on my second day of instructions

This is "my" desk at the Scuola

This tile was my first assignment.  After a few hours of painting, Professor Nicola Boccini decided that I could move on to a more difficult pattern.  This is the way the school tests your level of expertise. 

I've painted at this fantastic school several times.  Students walk in and out all day.  They are encouraged to paint when they can.  Always, the most revered Maestro, Romano Ranieri, is painting while keeping an eye on every student.  He graciously offers his help whenever needed. 

The Maestro gave me this beautiful book which contains many of his important works. 

Forever I will cherish the lovely message he wrote. 

And now you're in for a treat 

Maestro Romano Ranieri, Deruta, Italy

Maestro Romano Ranieri

Maestro Romano Ranieri

Maestro Romano Ranieri

Maestro Romano Ranieri

Maestro Romano Ranieri

Maestro Romano Ranieri

All of the above Maestro Romano Ranieri

Thank You Maestro Ranieri and Professor Boccini. 

See you in September

Gina

There is still time

Come join us

For an intensive 3 day ceramic tile painting workshop beginning Thursday, November 4, 2010, Ephraim, Utah.

Gina 

My students worked hard

Here are a few more tiles from our tile painting workshop. There are many more to come.





Robert, our young man, a young father, an excellent student who also holds down a full time job, surprised all of us with his artistic talents.

Robert and Richae sharing the spotlight. Richae is a charming 14 year old with lots of talent. She is a dancer with the renown BYU (Brigham Young University) Dance Group.

The talented and lovely sisters, Ricky and Sherri painted these wonderful tiles.

Little Richae (she is as big as a minute) and wears flowers in her hair, painted this colorful tile.

This is Shallan's interesting tile.Some of her tiles
are still in the Kiln. She has taken tile painting
lessons from me before. Her talent always shines
through.




Robert painted this Delft Tile. I think his ancestors spoke to him.


Joan painted traditional dutch designs, albeit with a new color twist. These whimsical tiles, and a dozen more, will be installed in her new (but historic house) kitchen.

May, Richae, Shallan and Cindy painted these fabulous tiles. I can't wait to see what will come out of the kiln tomorrow. May is a really fine artist. She does not follow the rest but comes up with very original designs of her own. And Cindy is one of my most talented students. Cindy can continue without instructions, she will do well.

Gina

The most beautiful milk store in the world

Every available space is covered with hand painted ceramic tiles in Farmer Pfunds milkstore of 1879

Detail of hand painted Ceramic Tiles made by Villeroy & Boch specifically for the Pfund Milk Store

The "Most Beautiful Milk Store in the World", as you can see it today, made it into the Guinnes Book of World Records in 1998.

Farmer Paul Pfund had a new idea. Milk should not be delivered in open wagons. Milk should be dispensed from a milk store. At the end of the 19th c. he moved from his farm with his family, 6 cows and 6 pigs to Dresden and opened the "most beautiful milk store in the world."

During the time of the East German regime, this beautiful shop was to be destroyed, along with thousands of hand painted ceramic tiles. It just didn't get done. They didn't get around to it. Pfunds Milk store is now a wonderful place to visit.

In a couple of days I will be teaching an intensive, 3-day historic tile painting workshop. I will have 9 students, the perfect number of students. They will receive lots of personal attention.

The workshop is being taught at the Traditional Building Skills Institute (TBSI), Ephraim, Utah. As in the past, my students will learn an old world technique, seldom taught in the United States.


Some of my students will continue learning. There is no limit to what they can achieve.

Gina