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A workshop with Carlos Lischetti

My sugar art fantasies finally came true when Carlos Lischetti scheduled an online workshop in September 2020.

I saw one of Carlos Lischetti’s pieces years ago when I was working on a polymer clay figurine and loved his sugar paste models. I had never dabbled in modeling paste...in my head it appeared more intimidating than polymer clay. And this is probably why:

This is what the layout looked like in prep for the 6-hour class (which ended up being about 7.5 hours)! Very different from my clay attempt with just little squares of colored clay, some tools, and and an oven, for this class I had an arsenal of food coloring, paint palettes, brushes, powders, fondant, modeling paste, edible dust, and other materials to venture into various heads and facial expressions.

I found Carlos’ tips and templates to be helpful. I just kinda winged in when I made polymer figures (I don’t read instructions much) but he had a structured and practical approach which was efficient. Plus, he was just super when it came to answering questions and explaining little details.

To me, the modeling paste was not very forgiving. With polymer clay, I could add and make corrections and smooth things out on the go, whereas, with modeling paste, time is of the essence. Once it starts to harden, there is not much I could do let’s say to add chubbier cheeks, or elongate a chin in the same sitting. Instead, Carlos recommended I wait till the next day to add and blend it in because it’s difficult to work with material that is soft.

This is my favorite head figure that we worked on. I love the facial features.

My friends know that I would almost never get up at 5am for anything (he is in Spain)...maybe to catch a flight..but this online workshop was worth every sleepy minute!

Thanks, Carlos, for a great opportunity and for making the experience fun.

For more information on his classes, books, and background, visit

https://carloslischetti.com/about/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/carloslischettiofficial/?hl=en/

#sugarart #lovemyhobbies

Pigment Perfect Studio and Gallery

Lisa Teo is an artist based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She has a wide range of paintings of different mediums like oil, acrylic, charcoal and watercolour.

What inspired you to become an artist?

"I’ve always had an interest in art since young. I was often doodling, dabbling in art, sketching & painting. I find that I can be free to explore and express myself as there’s no limitation in art. Visiting good art museums and seeing all the great masterpieces inspired me to hone my artistic skills. It is my dream to create my own masterpieces."

What was it like to set up your studio?

"I found my present art studio cum gallery by chance when I went for a meditation class in the same building. I was attracted to the serenity & green surroundings of Centrio Pantai Hillpark. Many visitors to my studio enjoy the quiet & calm atmosphere and commented that the positive vibe is conducive for creating artworks.

I set up my duplex art studio in December 2019 before the corona pandemic was in full swing. There are two floors in my studio. The space above at the mezzanine level is where I create my own paintings for exhibition & sale. As I have a large studio to work with, I’ve been able to produce larger scale paintings.

I exhibit my paintings, conduct art lessons & art jamming sessions and host visitors on the ground floor."

Where do you get inspiration for your paintings?

"I like being creative and quite often, inspiration comes from nature & my travels. I’ve drawn inspiration from the beautiful sights in Southern France during a river boat cruise along the Rhine River. I have created charcoal paintings in the style of Chinese ink paintings of the Zhangjiajie Mountains (featured in the movie “Avatar”).

I also get inspiration when I visit art museums. For example, I love the brushstrokes of post-impressionist painter, Paul Cezanne. I adapt his brushstrokes to create my own paintings.

I am also inspired to paint people with strong defining characters and expression.

In all my paintings, I hope that my viewers are able to detect the expression of a feeling or a certain mood."

What are the meanings behind your paintings?

My paddy field series have been my most successful series. I visited the paddy fields of Sekinchan, Malaysia, in 2017 with a group of fellow artists for a painting en plain air trip. I painted 5 watercolour paintings and 15 oil paintings of the paddy fields with good feng shui elements such as the sunrise (which is symbolic of an expansion of good luck), the paddy harvester (reaping the rewards of one’s hard work), yellow paddy fields ready for harvest (an abundance of wealth). I sold 8 of these paintings.

What do you offer at your studio?

I create oil, acrylic, watercolour & charcoal paintings on canvas or paper for exhibition and sale.

I also create paintings tailored to the client’s needs & specifications (size, paint medium, theme). As I’m a versatile artist and work with various mediums, I’ve been able to create a wide variety of paintings on commission, ranging from feng shui paintings to landscapes to portraits.

I conduct art lessons & art jamming sessions on the ground floor. It’s a form or art therapy whereby I guide my students to achieve their desired painting by encouraging them to exceed their expectations, boost their self-confidence & gradually changing their general outlook in life for the better.

Voice Lessons

Walking into the music studio, I’m greeted by warm smiles of parents in the waiting room, and the sound of vocal exercises and piano keys. Sean comes out to introduce himself and ushers me in and asks what my goals are...

Flashback to a week before waking up to froggy throat, as I would call it. I had a long week of clients and lots of detailed discussions and apparently, all the honey in the world wasn’t going to help me through another week. I had to look for the long-term solution. I did an online search and thought I’d give this studio a try since they had a reasonable package deal.

My goals? To learn how to use my voice with less strain. I work with clients who have facial, neck and vocal restrictions but Sean has helped me take this up a notch through the countless “Poooooooooey...ooooeey....oooeys” I’ve had to recite.

Those who work with me know that I have a very inquisitive mind on the mechanisms of..really...how anything works. These lessons and homework have shown me that to explore the variations and potential of your voice, there are aspects to consider like:

- The ability to activate specific facial muscles, especially around the upper corners of the lips

- Restrictions in tissue around the mandible, hyoid and back of neck

- How you shape the inside of your mouth

- Where you initiate the sound from

- Tongue position

- How your position your chest and back and the postural muscles that activate them

And mostly, how all these interplay with how you use your breath.

Sure, I enjoy that my vocal range has improved and I haven’t experienced a froggy throat for a long time but the ability to create a different sound than what I thought I was born with has been the most interesting part of this journey. And it’s a plus, that Sean’s a blast to work with as well. Patient, genuine with people, and brings humor to an otherwise potentially awkward sense of self. I highly recommend giving voice or singing lessons a go, and if you’re up for another challenge, he teaches the drums as well! Sean and his partner Van have been an incredible addition to the activities I encourage my clients to explore.

Testimonials:

“I had a lot of fun in my lesson with Sean. It’s been years since I’ve played the drums and I really enjoyed a refresher class. He was patient, good natured and if I lived in California I would definitely take lessons with him full time.” - JS

"I was pleasantly surprised that the voice lessons that I took with Sean in September 2019 helped to open my throat chakra. This allowed me to gradually express my repressed thoughts and feelings. I also enjoyed learning proper breathing and singing techniques." - LT

“He made me feel comfortable with singing in front of other people. Super easy to work with and he really has a great ear.” - JR

“I have nothing but good things you say about Sean's voice lessons. The lessons I've had with him so far have far exceeded anything I thought a typical voice lesson would be like. He listens to my needs (as I see them) and my concerns and fears about singing, and gives me guidance in a way that also makes me feel very comfortable and safe. ” - BH

http://www.vsmusicstudios.com/

#singyourheartout #voicesthatcare