Hard/Soft Mini Sculptures (July 12th & 19th)

Let’s make something weird and wonderful with discarded wood, clay and paint! First, we’ll explore the concept of pareidolia —the human tendency to make meaning from ambiguous visual stimuli and look at artists who transform ordinary objects into extraordinary works of art. Then, we’ll dive right into our own meaning-making exercise with a pile of scrap wood in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Turn these ordinary wood pieces into something spectacular by adding air dry and plasticine clay. Then, bring them to life with acrylic paint. No tools or woodworking experience necessary. Go abstract, figurative, make tiny cakes or combine all of the above! Did I say “cake worms?” After this workshop, you may never see a wood block the same again, but you’ll certainly have a good time and a whimsical piece to take home. All Levels, no experience required.

Please email instructor with questions: giatw@me.com

About the instructor: Gia Whitlock is a mixed media painter living and working from her home studio in Portland, Oregon. As a self-proclaimed domestic goddess, the home studio is essential to Gia’s artistic practice since it allows her to care for her family while building a sustainable career. In 2025, Gia earned an MFA in visual studies from Pacific Northwest College of Art and currently teaches Community Education at Portland Community College. For the last 13 years, Gia has shown her work in galleries and at festivals around Portland and on the Oregon Coast.

About the new classroom space: Ulna Studio is a creative space located in the Portland Storage Building on SE Morrison St. Masks will be optional, and we ask that you do not come to class if you are feeling sick. There is a staircase to enter and leave our second-floor classroom.