All Skill Levels Welcome:  

Ms. Bell has facilitated sculptors with skill levels ranging from knowing nothing about the sculpting process to professional artists.

 Bell Sculpting Studio creates an environment with a wide variety of art and sculpting books to be studied and techniques applied to the sculptors chosen sculpture.  Elaine offers assistance by pointing out areas to be observed and then improved.  One must first see and remember the total process before arriving at a finished sculpture.  The summer of 2012 Ms. Bell participated in sculpting classes in Umbria, Italy where one very profound statement was made.  “ If you start with a lie (i.e.: the forehead is not far enough out or the eye is sunk in too far) then every other thing that you do to the sculpture will be forced to support that lie as you move along….so you must learn to observe carefully.”  Ms. Bell’s students look forward to expressing themselves and to the critiques that bring attention to places to revisit and easily correct.

Preparation for Beginning:   A meet up is scheduled where you can see the studio and meet Elaine.  She will show you what others are doing and let you get a feel for if this is something you would be interested in.  Schedule that appointment by contacting Elaine at Elainebell7@msn.com or call (801-201-2496).  At this meeting you will be shown the materials you need to bring to the first class.  Clay is provided at a charge of $6.00 per pound and typical busts with a 4” head and 4” shoulders usually takes about 5 lbs of clay.  It also needs an armature of plumbing fixtures that will cost another $8.  You may choose to do a relief or a full figure instead of a bust.  Each student should choose something that they are interested in creating. The materials and their cost are determined by what each student chooses.  The class follows an individual instruction plan as Elaine will move around the room as needed by her students.

Finished Sculptures:  You can choose to have a mold made of your clay model and then cast in bronze, cast marble, or plaster.  Each medium has a different cost.  Many sculptures can be made from each mold.  Students usually do fall in love with their creation and make molds.  Simple mold making is offered at Bell Sculpting Studio.  This process will be explained at you meet up.  We do not use wet clay and fire the sculptures.  Our plastaline clay can be worked and reworked for years.  One does not need to keep it wet.  Therefore a mold is necessary.  The plastaline clay helps you to work as fast or slow as you want and perfect your sculpting skills.  Much like learning to play a song on the guitar, sculpting the lessons are a way to learn a life long skill.