“It was one of the best workshops I’ve ever attended.” That was the common response from participants who attended this 3 day workshop at Mudfire in Decatur, GA. DebraFritts
is not an entertainer, this workshop heard much less laughter than most that I’ve attended but at the end the artists had learned great new skills and had bonded with each other. Debra does deliver on what she promises in a workshop, she teaches everything she says and more, plus she has control and focus so that she doesn’t waste any workshop time running around putting out fires. Everything is demonstrated and explained in detail that is as beautiful as her work. Then she walks around the room and helps each artist address the challenges that are faced on the individual pieces. At the start of the workshop Debra warns us not to fall in love, she knows that changes will be occurring on the sculptures and it’s easy to fall in love with a face that you are creating. The other thing she stresses is “make it quiet.” We add clay, we push it, we pull it and then we “make it quiet.” Even the most dramatic of faces had a very alive quality to it because of this practice. It was magical to see the sculptures come to life.
As a member of Toastmasters International I have learned what makes a good speaker and Debra has it. One thing that struck me was how focused her eye contact was, it made me feel as if she was teaching directly to me, yet she did it to everyone in the room. I suspect many participants noticed the same feeling, whether they recognized the reason of not.
One of the favorite parts of the workshop was when the artists were given the opportunity to share their work with the other artists in the room. It was wonderful to see the art and hear the stories behind it, I think it also helped to develop the bond.
If you ever get a chance to take a workshop with Debra Fritts do it, even if you’re not a sculptor. You’ll learn valuable information about how to manipulate clay and how to manipulate surface treatments and you’ll get to know some wonderful artists. I do recommend bringing a very large box and ample padding to bring your new sculpture home.
