MCA grad school and metals studio

Monday kicked off our Teacher Academy in a big way.  We toured the MCA Graduate School which is downtown close to the river.  After leaving there we went to the metals lab.  I had never tried enameling, but now that I have I really, really like it.  I've never been a huge fan of cloisonne....until now, and now that I know how to do it I have a whole new respect for it.

A soft sculpture piece done by an MCA grad student.  She used plastic grocery sacks.  Her studio had old fashioned braided rugs as inspiration.  It was great!



A very large watercolo/mixed media piece by another grad student.




Another statement sculpture by a grad student.  It reminds me of toxic waste pouring into the water.  The big bubble things were made from kids punching balls. 




I was jealous




Then I saw the inside of the Mac lab and had computer envy.  I thought they were going to have to drag me out kicking and screaming.  Sigh......




Just down the block from the MCA grad school is the Lorraine Motel.  This is where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assisanated.  It is now the Civil Rights Museum.



Enameling demo by Bill, the MCA small metals instructor.  I just wonder how he keeps from burning off the beard????

A copper piece with enameling powder, just before it got really hot.

This is why there is a sign in the metals studio that reads, "Assume EVERYTHING is hot!" 

Enamel pieces and cloisonne pieces done by Letha, one of my roomies for the week.  Hers looked so much better than  mine so I used her examples.