[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu=”5″ el_class=”sub”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”6027″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I have been very grateful live where I do over the last 4 months, there has been plenty to do on the land and in my studio – the time has flown by! Our resident wombats who have been very busy renovating their burrows (big time) have had enough of me putting flaps on their burrow entrances but it’s the only way to keep mange at bay at the moment. So they will be very happy that some of the flaps have disappeared…

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu=”5″ el_class=”sub”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”5739″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The good news is that COVID-19 infection rates in Australia have been steadily improving, with the state government announcing the gradual lifting of restrictions in New South Wales last month. From June 1, galleries, cinemas and other recreational facilities will be able to re-open, which has prompted us to think carefully about the way forward for TBSSS. Our teachers, management and board are working behind the scenes to devise a plan for the re-opening of the School, which we very much hope can…

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu=”5″ el_class=”sub”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”5863″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]How long have been at TBSSS?  This is my second year at Tom Bass. I discovered the Sculpture School at the end of 2018 and decided to do some fun creative things as a new year resolution for 2019. After my first term with Christine as my teacher I was hooked and booked in for each term after that. Where do you travel from each week? I live in Tempe so it’s not far to travel to the School. What do you do when…

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu=”5″ el_class=”sub”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”5848″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Over the past eight weeks I have had the privilege of staying at my childhood home in Werri Beach. I set up a small studio space in the garage and kept myself busy mould-making and casting. Using a silicone mould has meant that I have been able to cast the same figure many times over, altering the composition slightly each time, and casting in different materials. The repetitive practice of casting has been soothing and meditative, easing my mind in this stressful period….

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu=”5″ el_class=”sub”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”5739″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It is with great regret that the TBSSS Board announced the temporary closure of our school on Tuesday 24 March 2020. It has been very challenging to know what is the right thing to do, and how to support our community in their love for making sculpture. But in light of the Government’s closure of non-essential services, and the need to play our part in practising social distancing, we have decided that temporary closure is the most appropriate course. This has been confirmed…

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu=”5″ el_class=”sub”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”5728″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]And that brings us to the close of the third biennial Tom Bass Prize! The Finalists’ Exhibition at Juniper Hall closed its doors on Saturday 21 March. Despite trying conditions (some challenging weather), the Prize was a huge success, attracting over 800 visitors and 400 votes in the People’s Choice. Luckily, the weather held off for the opening night on Thursday 5 March, where we welcomed a record number of attendees, including most of the 2020 finalists, and heard from the judges and special…

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu=”5″ el_class=”sub”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”5718″ img_size=”300×300″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]How long have you been at TBSSS? I have been coming to TBSSS since January 2018. Where do you travel from each week? I travel from Darlinghurst. What do you do when you’re not sculpting? I work as a film writer/director. I recently finished my first feature length documentary, Love Opera, about what it takes to be an opera star as young singers in an Australian opera school rehearse for a performance of Carmen. The film has been selected for Cannes Cinephiles and will be…

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu=”5″ el_class=”sub”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”5512,5511″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]TBSSS would like to recognise a number of recent staff achievements. Firstly, congratulations to TBSSS teacher and Chair, Carol Crawford, for the selection of her work Ava as a finalist in the 2019 Woollahra Small Sculpture Prize. Secondly, TBSSS teacher Karen Alexander was recently exhibited in both Sculptures at Killalea and Sculpture in the Vineyards (see picture below). Congratulations Karen on your recent exhibitions! Finally, TBSSS teacher and ASE curator, Wendy Black, curated the Wollombi Valley exhibition Sculpture in the Vineyard. Wendy assisted with the installation of the sculptures…

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu=”5″ el_class=”sub”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”5503″ img_size=”300×300″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]How long have you been at TBSSS? I have been attending TBSSS since 2017. Where do you travel from each week? I am fortunate to be living just a short walk from the studio. What do you do when you’re not sculpting? When I’m not sculpting I enjoy exploring other creative interests, most recently lino cut printing, computer animation, and life drawing (this may all be an escape from my 9-5 life, which involves working in IT). What made you take up sculpting?…

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu=”5″ el_class=”sub”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”5491″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On behalf of all the teachers, Board and staff of TBSSS we’d like to take this opportunity to wish everybody a Happy New Year and all the best for 2020. Thank you for your ongoing support and being part of our studio community in 2019. 2019 was another a big year for the school. We started the year with Alnassar’s marble workshops and our first Open Studio for a number of years. During the year, our term workshop classes saw record enrolments. The…