Communing with Guides: Clay Workshop with Christine Kosiba & Kirsten Stingle

2026 June 1-5 10 am-5 pm EST Instructors:  Christine Kosiba & Kirsten Stingle All levels are welcome Communing with Guides: Focusing on Our Place in the Natural World We are thrilled to have this dynamic teaching duo back for what promises to be an unforgettable workshop.  As the world seems to spin faster than ever, Christine and Kirsten will guide the class in creating a wall sculpture that pays homage to connection and intention. In this 5-day workshop, the class will create a narrative between the human form and the deer form to speak about the importance of creatures as messengers of gentleness and intuition in our world.  Whether the two pieces are kept separate or combined, the dialogue between deer and human will celebrate the sacred space we share. Kirsten will guide students in building a ½ life-size head. She will break down anatomy and proportion in an easy step-by-step approach with handouts that can be taken home for later reference. Expression will be emphasized.  Christine will walk students through the process of sculpting a dynamic deer in motion with a focus on basic anatomy while exploring techniques for capturing its fluidity, grace, and spirit in three-dimensional form. Kirsten and Christine create a classroom environment focusing on individual attention to help each student achieve their artistic vision and will provide differing sculptural approaches that students can learn from and adopt.  Christine and Kirsten will advise students to seamlessly incorporate mixed media after firing. There will be a lunch break each day. For those traveling from out of town, please contact us for accommodation recommendations and we will be happy to help! Click here for materials list About the instructors: Christine Kosiba I have always been attracted to the process of sculpting clay;  the tactile give and take, the immediate response of the material…. malleable, spontaneous and filled with infinite possibility.  Clay grounds me yet allows my ideas to take flight. It frees me in a way no other medium can. I am greatly influenced by my longstanding love of and curiosity about the natural world.  I believe our awareness and respect for our connection to the earth is imperative to our emotional and physical well-being.  My latest work incorporates human and animal forms in dream-like figurative pieces that speak to a visceral need and desire that I believe burns in all of us to reclaim this connection. I work intuitively, allowing the sculpture to develop organically from clay coils and slabs of clay.  I also work quickly and purposefully leave fingermarks to convey gestural spontaneity. I will often apply multiple layers of colors and treatments, and approach surface finish in a painterly fashion.  Found objects may be incorporated to accent, embellish or define the work. Each piece has its own evolution and story which guides its ultimate form and finish. Kirsten Stingle In 2023, Stingle’s work was a part of HEY! CERAMIQUE.S at the Museum of La Halle Saint Pierre in Paris, France curated by Anne Richard, founder of HEY! modern art and pop culture. Stingle will also be curating an exhibition at The Bascom Center for Visual Arts titled “In.Visible.”  Over the years, she has been highlighted in the following museum exhibitions: Museo a Cielo Aperto and Museo MACRO of Rome, Italy; Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art; Georgia Museum of Arts and Sciences; Harn Museum and Barton College of Art. Stingle has participated in international high-end exhibitions for more than ten years, including L.A. Art, SOFA, Art Miami: Aqua, Art New York, Art Wynwood, Art Palm Beach, and Art Palm Springs.  Her work is found in the permanent collections of the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences, the Kapp Foundation, the Addams Family Foundation, Cafesjian Foundation, and Windgate Center for Art and Design. Stingle has been highlighted by such publications as Hey! modern art and pop culture, Beautiful Bizarre, What Women Create, Hi-Fructose, and Art Doll Quarterly. She has been chosen as a sculpture finalist for the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize 2020, 2021, and 2022.  Stingle has gained curatorial experience as co-curator of the following exhibitions: “Taboo: Sexuality and Sexual Identity in Ceramics;” “Sacred and Profane,” and; “Deconstructing the Conversation.  “My ultimate objective is to extend my storytelling beyond the pedestal by creating an immersive and interactive experience for the viewer. In addition to combining different visual art techniques, I seek to collaborate with other art forms, such as performance, music, photography, video, and the written word, allowing the viewer to explore ideas through a more dynamic sensory experience.” We are unable to issue refunds or exchanges for this visiting artist workshop unless Townsend Atelier cancels it. However, if we can fill a cancelled spot with someone on our waiting list, we can issue a refund less the cancellation fee. ​