“The practice of LEATHER STAMPING transfers artistic designs from the maker's imagination to a blank slate of leather. FLORAL designs are the most common and popular style of stamping among saddlers. An infinite variety of floral patterns are possible, replete with vines, stems, leaves, acorns, and other fillers. Floral patterns are stamped with an assortment of tools, each providing a particular result that, when seen together, produce the complete image." Excerpt from Tools of the Trade: The Creak of Leather – Know How, Western Folklife Center Back at the Ranch online exhibition.
Workshop for the Practicing Craftsman!
January 28 – 30, 2019 9:00am - 5:00pm
Elko Convention Center - Gold Room
$400
At the 35th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, we're inviting practicing leatherworkers – intermediate experience and above – to open new avenues of creativity and improve their floral carving designs in a three-day workshop! Veteran leatherworkers and sophomores alike are sure to glean new information. Students must bring their own stamping tools, sketch pad, pencil, eraser, and an open mind.
TCAA cantle detail, photo courtesy of Cary Schwarz
With decades of teaching experience, including at the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association Saddlemaking Workshop at the Association’s annual Exhibition & Sale in October, Cary Schwarz’ hands-on, demo-laden approach will provide ways of making design a habit, with an eye toward saving time while elevating the craftwork.
Day one focuses on “how” and “what” to draw, using artistic elements of balance, ratio, variety, composition and negative space, and exploring “gesture drawing,” building off Kimon Nicolaides’ 1938 book, The Natural Way to Draw (which will be mailed to workshop participants in December).
Schumer stamping detail, courtesy of Cary Schwarz
Days two and three focus on carving, swivel knife techniques and thoughtful tool selection. And Cary Schwarz will email each participant a daily drawing assignment for 30 days after the class to help everyone “stay the trail!” Students may also choose to bring a small project of their own to work on.
Cary Schwarz, photo courtesy of Traditional Cowboy Arts Association
View Cary’s work in our Between Grass & Sky Online Exhibition.
Visit Cary’s website: https://caryschwarz.com/schwarz-productions/.
