About

Class canceled by Sybil on 4/24 via email. Registrant was notified and am awaiting choice response.~tt

Bamboo's unique structure has a variety of interesting ways it can be used to create form:

• Its hollow form makes it the perfect ready made vessel which can be decorated. 
• Bamboos long grain make it a perfect material to split and create strips. These strips can be used to create vessels or incorporated with another material.
  
  In this class you will learn how to split bamboo and learn about the tools used to create fine strips. We will also learn basic bamboo skills in the process of creating personalized vessels. The instructor will also include lectures on bamboo art and bamboo horticulture that will enhance the student technical knowledge. 

Students should bring:

• fine line sharpie marker;
• sketch paper; 
• protective gloves - leather or rubber covered;  
• safety glasses; 
• small paint brush for glue; 
• pruning shears

Details:

• Please note for this class, cancellation requests received 14 days or less before the workshop start date will not be eligible for a refund or credit.
• Material Fee: There is a materials fee of $40 included in the price of class. The materials provided will include bamboo poles, bamboo skewers, and the use of the instructor's tools.
• Tuition assistance is available. Click here to apply.  
  
• Skill Level:  Beginner. Participants need good hand strength and the ability to tie a knot.
• Ages 16+ Welcome.  
• Bring a bag lunch. We have a microwave and a refrigerator to store your lunches and drinks!
  

Instructor Bio: Charissa Brock is a fiber artist working with bamboo, a giant grass that has been used for centuries to create baskets and other everyday objects. She integrates wood, glass, paper and thread as visual accents and structural components. Her abstract sculptures are crafted using basketry, woodworking, and fiber art techniques.

Brock’s early art education began under the tutelage of her mother, Emily Brock, a nationally recognized glass artist. Later, she earned a BFA in Glass from Center For Creative Studies, College of Art and Design. After college, Charissa studied basketry with individual teachers before earning an MFA in Fibers at Tyler School of Art/Temple University in 2000. She has used bamboo as a primary material since first discovering it while at Tyler.

In addition to her studio practice, she teaches workshops across the USA. A Japanese TV show hosted her in Japan spring, 2017 during which they filmed her interacting with the members of the bamboo community for an episode of “Who wants to Come to Japan?” It was an exceptional opportunity wherein she met and learned from people with a long tradition of working with he material she loves.

Her artwork is in private collections worldwide as well as Arizona State University Museum, the Rivermark Hotel, and the Hyatt Regency Maui. Her work was featured in an article in the Dec/Jan issue of American Craft Magazine.