Location: Seedboat Center for the Arts | 214 W Yankie St., Silver City, NM 88061

When: Tuesday & Wednesday, July 12th & 13th | Two-day in person workshop

Time: 10am - 2pm

Participants: Max. 10

Price: $160

Participants are asked to bring an object, objects and/or fabric scraps with interesting and unusual texture and personal meaning. You will be able to take your objects home with you or you may choose to donate them to Catherine’s collection for her future use. Tools and clay provided.

Day 1: Catherine will use some of these objects and fabric scraps to impress texture into the slabs she will use to build one of her sculptural forms. The narrative that will unfold will be about the collective story of workshop participants and the power of connecting to earth, each other and the clay. Slabs will be draped and allowed to set for the next day's session. Participants will then be guided through the making of their own "Zen Gems" which is a term Catherine coined for her series of small meditative pieces. Participants will have the option of returning to Roots Cellar Arts Studio to apply glaze or stain after their pieces are bisque fired.

After the second firing participants will be able to pick up their "Gems" to take home. For out of town participants arrangements can be made with Catherine to have your Gems shipped to you. Dates and times for the glazing and pick up of Gems will be determined at the workshop.

Day 2: Catherine will demonstrate her building technique using the textured slabs made during the 1st session. Her demo will include additional texturing, cutting, assembling, shaping and the finishing process.

About Catherine Russo:

Local artist Catherine Russo is a returning native of Grant County, New Mexico. She retired from teaching in 2016 after 37 years as a K-12 art educator focusing primarily on Ceramic instruction. She has taught in New Mexico, Colorado, and most recently Wisconsin. In 2015 she established the “Roots Cellar Arts" as her home studio and began a process of rediscovering her roots by way of her collections and creations. Her artistic endeavors have taken her on a journey of reconciling her past, present and future and bringing a narrative of healing and surrender to her work.

Catherine has been building sculptural forms using textured clay slabs since the early 80’s. As a lover of metaphor, she sees her work as a visual representation of the markings of life’s process on our bodies, souls and spirits. Her process deeply resonates with the healing power of touch, prayer, spiritual mindfulness and worship. Catherine creates unique, one of a kind, deeply intuitive pieces and has frequently been told that her work speaks to the viewer in very personal and sometimes cathartic ways. Catherine identifies as clay in the hands of a loving God who sees her to the core of her being.

Instagram: @clayonashirt