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 Rodin.