2010-02-23T15:23:00.000-08:00

Faux Bois Sculpting Classes for
Spring & Summer 2012
The courses below are being taught by Donald R. Tucker, one of only a handful of living artists still practicing this very nearly lost art at the masterwork level and the only person ever to share & teach it.
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Ferrocement Faux Bois:

Ferrocement; any cement-based media such as concrete or mortar that is internally reinforced with steel, iron or any other such ferrous metal...and,

Faux Bois; From French for "False Wood", (Pronounced Foe-'Bwah)

"The school of arts & crafts dedicated to sculpting cement-based media to represent wood and wooden objects."

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During 2012 I will be offering courses in two locations around the US. Two in San Antonio, Texas and two in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. In both cities I will offer the "Introduction" class followed immediately by a separate three-day "Advanced Faux Bois Sculpting" course. Each will be presented in conjunction with a host organization or artist and held at their respective facilities, the details of which are below. All registration is handled by the host organization.

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Faux Bois, or "false wood", is an old and very nearly lost art form in which three-dimensional sculptural representations of wood or wooden objects are created employing a steel and stucco lath armature which is then coated with cement-based media. Sculpting and tooling of the final cement layer creates the illusion of wood grain and bark textures. The level of detail possible is determined by the formulation of the final finish layer. Two very different finishing media are addressed in these classes. One consistent with the more common school of French Faux Bois and the other true to the unique style, detail and finish associated with El Trabajo Rustico. The branch of this art made famous by Dionicio Rodriguez.

THE FIVE DAY INTRODUCTION COURSE will provide the basic skills, techniques and information necessary for the creation of forms both decorative and functional. This class includes design & engineering, formulating, mixing, applying and sculpting. Finishing options and coloring techniques will also be covered. Each student will construct a project of his or her own design utilizing a fine sanded mortar finish. What I refer to as a “French Finish”.

THE THREE DAY ADVANCED SCULPTING COURSE deals only with the use of the unique neat Portland paste finishing formulations that distinguish the more highly detailed works associated with El Trabajo Rustico. This mixture is very demanding and even considered “impossible” to employ by many experts, but when mastered, can yield a level of detail comparable to most sculpting clays. Since none of the basic construction considerations are covered during this class, it is therefore recommended that students possess a fundamental familiarity with armature development and sculpting as well as a working knowledge of basic cement formulating and mixing if they are to get the most from this course.

DONALD TUCKER has been a working artist for over 50 years. He was trained as a commercial illustrator and had a long and highly successful career in advertising. He left that field to become a full-time studio artist. As a sculptor, he specializes in creating large-scale works in Ferrocement employing the techniques and traditions of Faux Bois and El Trabajo Rustico. Tucker is considered one of the world's leading authorities on these esoteric subjects and demonstrates his commitment to their continuance by teaching workshops nationwide.

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2012 Faux Bois Class Schedule:

San Antonio, Texas - May 12 - 19, 2012
Host: The Southwest School of Art

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Course #1 (Click for Details): 5 Day Introduction to
Sculpting Ferrocement Faux Bois
Dates: Saturday, May 12th thru Wednesday, May 16th
Host: The Southwest School of Art
Location: San Antonio, Texas
NOTE: Registration links below will be activated as soon as they are posted online
Click Here to Register: Registration Info
Click Link for Course PDF (see page 30): Faux Bois Course PDF
Click for a Google Map to this Location: Map to SAA Campus

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Course #2 (Click for Details): 3 Day Advanced Faux Bois Sculpting
Dates: Thursday, May 17th through Saturday, May 19th
Host: The Southwest School of Art
Location: San Antonio, Texas
NOTE: Registration links below will be activated as soon as they are posted online
Click Here to Register: Registration Info
Click Link for Course PDF (see page 30): Faux Bois Course PDF
Click for a Google Map to this Location: Map to SAA Campus

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The class of 2011 at The Southwest School of Art. These folks crafted some remarkable pieces and took on some very ambitious projects!

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Bell Buckle, Tennessee - July 11 -18, 2012
Host: Sherri Warner-Hunter Studios

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Course #1 (Click for Details): 5 Day Introduction to
Sculpting Ferrocement Faux Bois
Dates: Wednesday, July11th through Sunday the 15th
Host: Sherri Warner Hunter
Location: Bell Buckle, Tennessee
NOTE: Registration links now active!
Click Here to Register: Sherri Warner-Hunter Class Registration
Click for a Google Map to this Location: Sherri Warner-Hunter Studios

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Course #2 (Click for Details): 3 Day Advanced Faux Bois Sculpting
Dates: Monday, July 16th through Wednesday July 18th
Host: Sherri Warner Hunter
Location: Bell Buckle, Tennessee
NOTE: Registration links now active!
Click Here to Register: Sherri Warner-Hunter Class Registration
Click for a Google Map to this Location: Sherri Warner-Hunter Studios

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The Class of 2011 at Sherri Warner-Hunter's Studio. They came from as far away as Anchorage, Alaska & Australia! Thank you all for a great experience and some marvelous work!

The Class of 2010 at Sherri Warner-Hunter's Studio. Great people & great projects!

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And, a couple of my commission projects...

To see more examples of my work in this unique art form, please visit my studio site via the link below:

Faux Bois in Concrete

Faux Bois Sculpting Courses