Short Courses 2018

Weekend Courses – Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 May, 9am-4.30pm

Connecting with nature through sculptural forms with Catriona Pollard

Level: All | Cost: $300 + $40 materials

Through the lens of nature, explore traditional basketry with a sculptural perspective. Through a series of creative exercises, connect you with the natural world and uncover the secret life in organic materials in this exploration and play workshop. Learn traditional basketry and weaving techniques including random weaving and twining using a variety of foraged and harvested natural fibres to weave vessels and sculptural forms. You will learn at your own pace in this practical workshop, having the opportunity to experiment.
Online registration »

Introduction to marquetry with Peter Young
Level: All | Cost: $300 + $60 materials
Marquetry is the art of making pictures with wood. On this two day course you will learn the double bevel marquetry technique which is simple, quick and neat and once the basics are mastered it can be used for quite complex designs. You will also learn how to use the sand shading technique to create visual depth in your designs. On day one we will create a leaf picture and on day two we will create a slightly more complex flower picture. Both pictures will be glued to a substrate suitable for use as a box lid.
Peter Young is a professional studio furniture maker designer/maker dedicated to excellence with the aim to design and build furniture that stands the test of time.  Peter has trained in Australia as well as Canada and the US, developing a wide range of technical skills which he brings to his professional practice and teaching.
Online registration »

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Weekend Courses – Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 August, 9am-4.30pm

Tool restoration and sharpening with Keith Houston

Level: All | Cost: $300 + $10 materials
Using a tool you have rescued and lovingly restored, whether it is a chisel, a plane or perhaps even an antique bread knife, is rewarding. But what is the best way to restore an object? This two day, hands-on course will show you how – and, importantly, what not to do. Bring a selection of hand tools, no matter what their condition, and be prepared to transform them back into working condition, whether for personal use or for profit.

Keith Houston, a retired scientist and past President of the ACT Woodcraft Guild, has been collecting and restoring hand tools for much of his life. You may have seen him and purchased restored items at tool events, or read his articles about hand tools, or attended one of his many workshops on woodcarving or sharpening.
Online registration »

FROM SCRATCH: Re-thinking process within a craft based practice with Cara Johnson

Level: All | Cost: $300 + materials (TBA)
Rip, cut, press, slice, wind, wrap, bend, twist and stitch.Over two days participants in this workshop will explore a range of approaches to idea development through hands on material experimentation and drawing. Rather than focus on skill, as is the core of a craft practice, the aim is to equip participants with a shifted perspective on how to generate original, individual and contemporary ideas.

Cara Johnson completed Honours (First Class) Gold and Silversmithing, within a Bachelor of Fine Art in 2016 at RMIT University, where she is a currently an MFA Research Candidate. Her practice is concerned with the articulation of fragility and preciousness in nature, while concurrently addressing the presence of human impact on the landscape. Cara exhibits her work both nationally and internationally, and resides in the Otways in Victoria’s southwest.
Online registration »

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Weekend Courses – Saturday 22 & Sunday 23 September, 9am-4.30pm


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Weekend Courses – Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 October, 9am-4.30pm

Knotting techniques in textiles with Angharad Rixon

Level: All | Cost: $300 + materials (TBA)
Information to come.

Saturday 27 October (1-day)
Coiled basketry with Mariposa Stitch with Meri Peach

Level: All | Cost: $160 + $20 materials payable to tutor
Learn to use natural fibres from common garden plants to make a beautiful coiled basket. Coiling is an ancient basketry method where the materials are stitched together rather than woven. Mariposa is a stitch that can be done with strap-leafed plants without using a needle. This method creates spaces between the rows, resulting in a lattice-like structure. It is an easy, satisfying and attractive method of basket making. 

Sunday 28 October (1-day)
Rustic Twined Basketry with Meri Peach

Level: All | Cost: $160 + $20 materials payable to tutor
Discover the ancient and contemplative craft of basket making with Meri Peach. Basket making is a very satisfying and relaxing way to improve your hand dexterity and coordination, and to make a deeper connection with nature and with ancient cultural traditions. In this workshop, each student will make an attractive twined basket using a variety of locally available plant materials. Twined basketry uses two or more strands to weave. It is an easy and versatile technique that opens up a world of possibilities for making practical and sculptural objects.
Online registration »

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

To enrol in a course, please use the online enrolment form or download the enrolment form below and return to Sturt Short Courses, PO Box 34 Mittagong NSW 2575 or email to: shop@sturt.nsw.edu.au. For more information, phone: 02 4860 2083. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

SHORT COURSES TERMS & CONDITIONS

  • ENROLMENT: Students are strongly encouraged to enrol early – at least 2 weeks out from the course commencement date. Late enrolments cannot be guaranteed a place or that the course will run.
  • PAYMENT: Full payment is required to confirm your place in any course.
  • CANCELLATION BY STURT: Sturt Craft Centre reserves the right to cancel or postpone any class due to under enrolment or other unforeseen circumstances. Courses with insufficient enrolments will be cancelled 2 weeks in advance of the course commencement date. In this case enrolled students will receive a full refund.
  • CANCELLATION BY STUDENTS: No refunds will be given to enrolled students wishing to cancel less than two weeks in advance of the course commencement date. Students who cancel and wish to receive a refund before 2 weeks in advance of the course commencement date will incur a $50 cancellation fee. 
  • MINIMUM AGE for adult course enrolment is 16 years.
  • PHOTOGRAPHY: Sturt reserves the right to photograph classes and to use these photos for publicity purposes only.