This workshop is intended to be done with simple supplies and minimal cleanup. Students will be provided with a set of square rubber stamps, an ink pad, and worksheets to experiment with geometry.
At the start of the class, once materials are handed out, The instructor will do a demo, where I will show them how rotating the block makes a difference in the overall pattern. I will show them straight repeats (90 degrees,) mirrored repeats (180 degrees), radial repeats (360 degrees.) In doing this we can observe together that math is more than just numbers, math is visual and all around us. I will also have slides where I show real life examples that relate back to what we are doing.
The instructor will make worksheets with written instructions, and visual cues, in addition to grid markings the same size as the stamps to help them follow along. Students will have 5 sheets. One to explain each kind of geometry, and one to do their final individual work on. Extra experimentation sheets can be available if students want to make more.
For cleanup, students will need to wash off and dry off the stamps and return them to the kits. The students projects must be left to dry overnight before being transported, in order to prevent any smudging of the prints.
You will need access to sinks for washing, scrap paper to protect tables.
About the artist - Josephine Clarke
Josephine Clarke is a textile artist practicing in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, Canada. She explores the use and tradition of botanical dyes, earth pigments, and rust. During her childhood in the Robson valley in BC, she was surrounded by people who made things in their daily lives. She accredits her creative style as an artist to growing up in a community that fished, hunted, gardened, sewed, and made music. After earning her Bachelor of Design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, she was accepted as an artist in residence with the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design. She now operates her business at the Customs House Artisan Incubator, and teaches classes for various community organizations and events. She has taught classes for the Cape Breton centre for Craft and Design, The New Dawn Centre for Innovation, and the Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival. She has exhibited her work at culture events in Atlantic Canada, such as Celtic Colours International Music Festival, and Lumiere Art at Night Festival.
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