Mondays: 3 February – 3 March (5 weeks)
Week 1: 5:30pm – 9pm
Week 2, 3, 4, 5: 6pm – 9pm

$330.30 (Earlybird)
$365.30 (General)

This brief course will help students undertake the basic techniques of carving. Learn how to remove step by step the material that is surrounding a sculpture, starting from unveiling the basic volumes connected together in harmonious composition and the beginnings of the finishing process where time permits.

Carving is a magical process that pursues the soothing of the soul and detaches ourselves from the modern chaotic life. It’s a way to connect to nature and it informs a sense of space, training the eye and the mind to see in depth!

Alabaster stone will be available to purchase at an additional cost to the course fee. Elena will have a good selection of stones to choose from which are best suited for this 5 week course.

Students are also welcome to bring work in progress stone sculptures, including marble works you may be currently working on. Elena can guide you in the next steps of your stone carvings.

Please note that for the first week, please arrive at 5:30pm, this will allow 30 mins of time to browse and choose your piece/s of stone.

About Elena:
Elena Murgia is an Italian born artist. After studying ceramics in London, her sculpting journey started at the Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School in 2017.

She undertook marble carving classes under the guidance of Usama Alnassar who continues to mentor her.  Elena has also been mentored and trained by TBSSS teacher Wendy Black, whom Elena continues to assist on a Wednesday during term time.

Elena participates in national prizes and group exhibitions around the country and had her first solo exhibition in December 2023 at the Clara Street Gallery showcasing works in marble, alabaster, bronze and porcelain.

Through her sculpture she explores the dichotomy between quality and image, inner beauty and the masks we wear to conform to the world, responding to both feminine and the feminist, her past and her present.

*Early bird discount ends midnight 20 January.

Tuesdays: 4 February – 4 March (5 weeks)
Week 1: 9:30am – 1pm
Week 2, 3, 4, 5: 10am – 1pm

$330.30 (Earlybird)
$365.30 (General)

This brief course will help students undertake the basic techniques of carving. Learn how to remove step by step the material that is surrounding a sculpture, starting from unveiling the basic volumes connected together in harmonious composition and the beginnings of the finishing process where time permits.

Carving is a magical process that pursues the soothing of the soul and detaches ourselves from the modern chaotic life. It’s a way to connect to nature and it informs a sense of space, training the eye and the mind to see in depth!

Alabaster stone will be available to purchase at an additional cost to the course fee. Elena will have a good selection of stones to choose from which are best suited for this 5 week course.

Students are also welcome to bring work in progress stone sculptures, including marble works you may be currently working on. Elena can guide you in the next steps of your stone carvings.

Please note that for the first week, please arrive at 9:30am, this will allow 30 mins of time to browse and choose your piece/s of stone.

About Elena:
Elena Murgia is an Italian born artist. After studying ceramics in London, her sculpting journey started at the Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School in 2017.

She undertook marble carving classes under the guidance of Usama Alnassar who continues to mentor her.  Elena has also been mentored and trained by TBSSS teacher Wendy Black, whom Elena continues to assist on a Wednesday during term time.

Elena participates in national prizes and group exhibitions around the country and had her first solo exhibition in December 2023 at the Clara Street Gallery showcasing works in marble, alabaster, bronze and porcelain.

Through her sculpture she explores the dichotomy between quality and image, inner beauty and the masks we wear to conform to the world, responding to both feminine and the feminist, her past and her present.

*Early bird discount ends midnight 20 January.

Sundays: 9 February – 6 April 2025 (9 weeks)

$805.30 (Earlybird)
$895.30 (General)

This intensive life study class offers students the unique opportunity to make a study of the nude in a single extended pose over 6 weeks.

The human body is one of the most challenging, eloquent and time honoured subjects for the exploration of artistic expression. Jenny will be encouraging students to think about how they might push their work towards a deeper expression. Jenny will challenge students to create work that goes beyond merely accurately representing the body. The main objective of this class is to support students in developing a truly personal sculptural language – a language that can borrow from the whole spectrum of artistic expression from realism to abstraction.

Jenny will be encouraging students who have previously worked with the figure not to fall back into old habits, but to engage with the life study with intention and courage.

While the class is not focused on the anatomical study of the body, deep observational skills are essential to the realisation of the finished work and will form a part of the discussions held over the course of the nine week term. Some previous experience of either sculpting with clay or working from a life model (life drawing included) is preferred but not essential.

Each student will receive one bag of clay to work with, but students are encouraged to buy more clay if they would like to work on a larger scale.

The first six weeks of the class will consist of a single pose (a pose arrived at by a process of rigorous consensus between Jenny and the students), followed by three weeks in which students will have time to finish their work. Students will be taught how to hollow the work out so that by the end of term they will have a piece that is ready to be fired.
(Students who may prefer to cast their pieces in other classes are also encouraged to attend.)

Pictured: inspiration from Wilhelm lehmbruck.

*Early Bird discount finishes 19 January.

Tuesdays: 11 March – 8 April (5 weeks)
Week 1: 9:30am – 1pm
Week 2, 3, 4, 5: 10am – 1pm

This brief course will help students undertake the basic techniques of carving. Learn how to remove step by step the material that is surrounding a sculpture, starting from unveiling the basic volumes connected together in harmonious composition and the beginnings of the finishing process where time permits.

Carving is a magical process that pursues the soothing of the soul and detaches ourselves from the modern chaotic life. It’s a way to connect to nature and it informs a sense of space, training the eye and the mind to see in depth!

Alabaster stone will be available to purchase at an additional cost to the course fee. Elena will have a good selection of stones to choose from which are best suited for this 5 week course.

Students are also welcome to bring work in progress stone sculptures, including marble works you may be currently working on. Elena can guide you in the next steps of your stone carvings.

Please note that for the first week, please arrive at 9:30am, this will allow 30 mins of time to browse and choose your piece/s of stone.

About Elena:
Elena Murgia is an Italian born artist. After studying ceramics in London, her sculpting journey started at the Tom Bass Sculpture Studio School in 2017.

She undertook marble carving classes under the guidance of Usama Alnassar who continues to mentor her.  Elena has also been mentored and trained by TBSSS teacher Wendy Black, whom Elena continues to assist on a Wednesday during term time.

Elena participates in national prizes and group exhibitions around the country and had her first solo exhibition in December 2023 at the Clara Street Gallery showcasing works in marble, alabaster, bronze and porcelain.

Through her sculpture she explores the dichotomy between quality and image, inner beauty and the masks we wear to conform to the world, responding to both feminine and the feminist, her past and her present.

*Early bird discount ends midnight 24 February.

Sat 19 & Sun 20 July, 2025

Bookings open late January 2025

A unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of alabaster carving and learn from popular guest teacher Carol Crawford.

Carol is a specialist alabaster sculptor who works predominantly with alabaster and who is known for her soft sensuous forms.  Carol will also be assisted by artist Elena Murgia, who specialises in marble carving.  For this weekend course Carol and Elena will guide you on the use of different hand tools, and how to realise a beautiful form out of the rough stone you have chosen. 

Alabaster is a very fine, stable beautiful stone that can be easily carved, it can be translucent or opaque white, salmon orange, brown or blue or a combination.  

For this workshop you will be working with beautiful white alabaster (translucent and opaque) shipped all the way from Italy.

This is a workshop not to be missed!  Places are strictly limited and early bookings are encouraged for this popular course.

* Please note that this course will give participants a good foundation to create a unique alabaster sculpture.  As each person works at an individual pace, some people may find they need a bit more time to complete their sculpture and this can be done by booking in for some casual workshop classes during term time at TBSSS.

Fees include one piece of stone of up to 2kg, as well as the use of chisels, files and finishing sandpapers during the workshop.  Upsizing your piece of stone for the workshop or purchasing additional stone for your own use will also be possible for people attending the workshop.

Earlybird discount TBC.

Visit Carol’s website: www.carolcrawfordsculpture.net