Making your Mark: The Art of Brushmaking with Glen Grishkoff

During the week you will work with Glenn making a series of wood and ceramic handmade brushes ideal for ink or watercolor, ceramic applications, batik to cloth surfaces, acrylic and oil painting on canvas. Students will Raku fire ceramic brush handles and paint with their brushes during the workshop in addition to gathering found brushmaking materials from nature. Students will explore various sizes, tips-from small to large and unique handle construction methods. A slide lecture and demonstration will highlight techniques including knot tying, epoxy mixing, cutting and wrapping hairs and methods to create brush handles. Participants will work with bucktail hair, moose hair, horsehair, rooster hackle, broomcorn straw and other types of hair. All materials will be provided.  A “what students can bring list” is available to students before the workshop starts to help them personalize their brushes! Take home all the gorgeous brushes you created and treat yourself every time you create art or give some to friends and family.

Glenn Grishkoff has shared his expertise as an artist and brushmaker by conducting national and international workshops for over twenty years. He earned a BFA from California State Fullerton and an MFA from The Claremont Graduate University.  Since 1995, he has enjoyed invitations to artist residencies in South Africa, Japan and Thailand and has collaborated with the Oscar winning designer Colleen Atwood and renowned ceramic artists Paul Soldner and Peter Voulkos. In 2008 he was awarded the Idaho Commission on the Arts Fellowship and is represented in Idaho by The Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d’Alene and in Los Angeles at Ochi Projects. These are no ordinary brushes but exquisite works of art!