SPIRIT BEINGS WITH MORGAN BRIG
Oaxaca, Mexico
October 7-15, 2022
As you wander through the museums and galleries in Oaxaca, you will find a consistent theme of animals used as symbols in the artists’ imagery. It is here that Morgan Brig will encourage you to weave your own unique story with words, pictures, shells, or bones as you create your totems or spirit beings. You will create ones that can stand alone or be affixed to a larger sculpture.
“This small totem represents a spirit being. A creature who recognizes and symbolizes the qualities that are uniquely found in you. This one plans to accompany you through life, acting as a personal guide. Small but mighty, rustic, somewhat mischievous, and ready to question the status quo. ”
Itinerary
Day 1, Friday Oct. 7
8:00 p.m. We will meet, imbibe in a drink and some botanas before you settle in for the night.
Day 2, Saturday Oct. 8
Breakfast at the hotel then we will meet Morgan for formal introductions and we will go over the schedule. Morgan will also share her overview for the class and share some samples.
This will be followed by a demo and on how to use Apoxie Sculpt. You will be set free to start creating your totems and spirit being.
Lunch from 1-2, then we will take you on a short walking tour to orient you to the city. Back to creating in the studio, stopping at 5:00. This evening we will have a welcome fiesta at our friend Pilar’s rooftop above her restaurant, La Olla.
Day 3, Sunday Oct. 9
Breakfast at the hotel then meet in the studio at 9:30 for a day of creativity. Morgan will demonstrate how to use the torches. Instruction will include safety, annealing, brazing wings, antlers, ears, and arms.
We will stop for lunch and the day will end at 4:30. You will have some free time before we leave for dinner at 6:30.
Day 4, Monday Oct. 10
Travel Day
Breakfast at the hotel and then class with Morgan until comida. This afternoon we will leave for a special cooking class with our amiga, Reina Mendoza in the weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle.
Day 5, Tuesday Oct. 11
Breakfast at the hotel then class begins at 9:30. Morgan will demonstrate charms, jump rings, wire hangers, chain, brazed charm hangers and brazing wrap tacks and u-hooks and other parts, with a grinder safety demonstration.
We will break for comida and continue working in the studio until 4:30-5:00 Free time until dinner this evening.
Day 6, Wednesday Oct. 12
Breakfast at the hotel then meet in the classroom to continue working. At 1:00 we will walk to one of our favorite restaurants, Marco Polo. Special hornos, or ovens are used to bake the delicious fish that they serve. You will have free time this afternoon before we meet for cooking class with Ane Elena Martinez.
Day 7, Thursday Oct. 13
Travel Day
After breakfast, we will travel to Octolan where we will visit with one of the black pottery families where they will demonstrate their beautiful creations. They are the only family that creates the black pottery angels.
Adelina creating one of her mermaids
Next is San Martin Tilcajete, the village of woodcarvers where we will visit Jacobo and Maria Angeles’s workshop and atelier. These exquisite alebrijes are made from soft copal wood. There will be demonstrations on carving and painting. You will also learn about natural dyes that they use to paint these animals.
As a special treat, you will be painting your own alebrijes today. Comida will be nearby at a local restaurant. When we return to Oaxaca, dinner will be on your own this evening.
Day 8, Friday October 14
Breakfast at the hotel, then class to finish up our projects. We will have a short comida at 12:30, then return to finish up, clean up and share our projects. The rest of the afternoon is free to finish any last minute shopping. This evening we will have our farewell dinner at Origen.
Day 9, Saturday October 15
Trip is over and you are free to leave this morning.
THIS ESCAPE INCLUDES
8 nights at Hostal de Noria, double occupancy
Instruction by Morgan Brig
Welcome reception and fiesta
All breakfasts, six lunches and 3 dinners (one lunch and two dinners on your own)
Visit to markets
Two Cooking classes
Free time to explore
Visits to local artisans
Farewell dinner at Origen with Rodolfo Castellanos,
A new art tribe
Price: $3,850, limited to 12 people based on double occupancy, limited single rooms are available for an additional $600.
A $1,000 non refundable deposit is due upon registration with the final payment due June 1, 2022
Price does not include airfare to/from Mexico
Accommodations: Located in a colonial building just two blocks from the zocolo, Hostal de La Noria has free wifi, a restaurant, a pool, bar and rooftop terrace. It is located across from the Textile Museum.
La Noria
Airport: Xoxocotlan International Airport is an international airport located in Oaxaca City, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. The Airport has only one terminal that handles domestic and international air traffic. Code: OAX.
COVID REQUIREMENTS
Each participant will need to show proof of vaccination and a rapid test result three days before departure to Oaxaca. We will wear masks whenever we are in a public place and especially in the small villages where we will travel. There are no exceptions. We will also follow any local/country requirements as needed.
So This is Home by Morgan Brig
WE WILL PROVIDE
Dowels
Brazing Rods
Torches
Firing Stations
Copper Tacks
Copper packet
Drills and Drill bits
Grinder
Copper wire
STUDENT SUPPLY LIST
8 ounces matte medium
2 part 5 minute epoxy glue
Apoxie Sculpt, 4LBS, white
75 ft roll of aluminum foil
Exacto knife
Pliers Kit: needle nose pliers, rounded needle nose pliers, wire cutters
Black and raw umber acrylic paint
Small and medium paint brushes
2 rags
2 sheets paper for pattern making
Scissors
Roll of masking tape
Sharpie Ultra Fine point marker in black or blue
Box of wood screws, size #4 x ½” OR #4 x 3/8” (most hardware stores or on Amazon
Small screw driver to fit box of above screws
Elmer’s glue OR Elmer’s Wood Glue
Twine (basic cheap twine made with natural jute fiber. Most hardware stores)
Colorful/interesting (to you) string, yarn, gut string, in small quantities for decoration
Beads, also for decoration
Interesting paper, ephemera, fabrics to wrap totems’ bodies.
Charms (also of a smallish scale); i.e. clock parts, very small glass vials, fur, leather bits, old jewelry to disassemble, typewriter keys, bones, Milagros, etc. …whatever is interesting to you! All is fair game.
Morgan Brig is a mixed media artist from Vashon Island, WA. She loves to capture emotion in her sculptures using multiple layers of media that bring the subtlety of expression to each character. Her layers include etched metal detail, enamel patinas and found objects that suggest the old and familiar, but ask to be viewed in a new light. She often uses language and occult symbols in her designs to support her belief that there is always guidance to be found from external and internal sources as we go through life. There also is playfulness in her design inspired by her love of old metal and tin toys and her desire to lay humor next to truth or fear in her work.