Instructor: Michael deMeng  
Email: mdmuerto@gmailcom

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday May 5, 6 & 7, 2023 9:30 am until 4:30 PM

This is a 3 day class

Sacred Sanctum of El Corazon, Assemblage

I have often said that Mexican culture has a lot of heart. They are kind and generous people. Of course, it can also be said that their culture literally has a lot of heart. Everywhere you turn in Mexico you see an image of el Corazón—the heart. Fiery hearts, thorny hearts, wounded hearts, and radiating hearts abound. One thing I started noticing though, was that the depiction of the heart in Mexico can be a bit different. Occasionally you’ll see versions that are more anatomically correct. Perhaps not always accurate to the degree an anatomy book might display, but still, veins, arteries, etc. It is not uncommon to see a naturalistic version of the human heart in pre-Columbian art, and the very first artistic representation of an anatomically correct human heart (not a Valentine’s card style) was by the Olmecs, the first complex civilization in Mexico, on a ceramic vessel dated 3000 B.C.  With all of that in mind I thought it would be interesting to explore the recesses of our hearts and those souls who have made an impact on us. Using the Corazon as inspiration and utilizing found objects, paint, clay and collage, we will create shrines to individuals or ideas that have touched us deeply. In this workshop not only will you learn lots and lots about sculpture and paint but you will leave with a very personally sacred sanctum…cross my heart.

Materials provided by student: 

• Brushes - Bristle Brushes (the kind Michaels sells in the tubes) and a few detail brushes.
• Aves Clay (natural color) - get this at Amazon or Avesstudio.com. (Aves sculpt will work too but the clay is a bit better methinks). Bring 1 -3 lbs
• A box - something like cigar box size size. Probably made of wood or something sturdy.  Really any size is good.  Could be intimate…could be grande…depending on your mood.
• Some thingies…random bits of objects.   Literally anything will work. 
• Hearty thing - If you don’t want to make you own heart out of clay you could bring a fake heart Halloween heart jello mold would work. Even a dorky plastic Valentines heart would work to alter.
• Acrylic PaintPaint, preferable Golden Brand (heavy body or fluid works fine)-

         1. Carbon Black - 3 oz tube

         2. Titanium White 3 oz tube

         3. Transparen Red Oxide 1 oz tube or more

         4. Quinacridon Red  1 oz or more 

         6. Pthalo Blue 1 oz or more

         7. Nickel Azo Yellow 1 oz or more

         8. Dioxazine Purple 1 oz or more

• Optional vibrant opaque colors – 1 oz or more

                  1. Napthol Red Medium

                  2. Cobalt Teal 

• E6000 (Goop is another option) adhesive or  Weldbond if you want to go non- toxic. 
• Optional: if you have a heat gun or a Dremel you are welcome to bring it.

Materials provided by instructor:  

• Dremel and Dremel attachments
• Drill
• Texturizer
• Heat Gun
• Misc. Construction materials
• Basic Tools