Mysteries of Lost Wax Casting with the delightful and uber-talented Linda Ethier!!!
As some of you know, I worked for a few years with Boyce Lundstrom and was privileged to learn some new processes from him. As it happened, I used figure drawings from life drawing groups as my subject. Along the way, as I was looking to improve my work Boyce suggested that I look at Linda Ethier's work. This was around 2012. In 2013, I re-entered the Portland and Bullseye based incredible state of the art of glass fusing by attending BeCon. It was a fantastic and moving experience for me. One of the highlights was having Patrick Lundstrom take me to Linda's studio. She was gracious, and welcoming and I was thoroughly intrigued to find myself
among her works in process...(the fabulous powder sculpted "nests"...). Her book of these works is available on her website: www.LindaEthier.com. From then on I kept my eyes out for opportunities to attend a workshop with her. And there were many missed opportunities for one reason or another. This past summer, as Co-Chair of the
Education committee with Kathleen Mitchell, we presented the Board with a request to host Linda in a workshop here in San Diego, at the studio of Susan Hirsch. After a few months of back and forth communications, we set a date for Sept 19-23. As the date approached, I began to gather and order supplies and materials for the workshop. 8 people enrolled and we set a price of $900 per person. Less than her workshops would cost in Austin,Texas at Paul Tarlow's awesome studio Helios, but still a pretty penny. By the time the workshop rolled around, and I had delivered the materials to Susan's studio, I had an outbreak of severe tendonitis in my right (dominant) wrist! Agony!! But, we pressed on and with help from my friends and a couple of healers, I managed to stay in the game. Thankfully! As it turned out, we all learned a ton! Even those who had been casting for a while, and others who had taken several high profile workshops in their day. Comments from experienced artists ranged from: "I really learned a lot here!" to "The best workshop I have ever taken!!!" She was thorough, extremely professional, patient (beyond), and very clear in describing the various methods she taught. Her notes were fantastic. Those who attended her presentation at the Serra Mesa library witnessed the scope of her career work and amazing talent. Several of us in this class were inspired to bring her back in the spring, and we
will be following up on that idea soon. Kathleen Mitchell, a talented glassblower already, was inspired to learn a way to make 3-D work without a blow pipe and expressed appreciation for the new technique as something she will be able to do as the years go by! Lori Polak, Cathy Coverley, Kathleen, Jennie Brennan, Dennis Wharton, JoAnn Pastori and I all appreciated being a part of this.
In addition to getting us through the process with the best techniques we have ever seen, she made a lovely piece for our AGASC auction and raised extra funds for us by doing so. With thanks to Cathy Coverley for getting the Goddess ready for the show, it gave me goosebumps to have Kathleen call my name as the winner of the piece. She has an altar place in my home office now, and inspires me to make better work every day. Thank you Linda!!