Charcoal Making Workshop

Charcoal has been used as a drawing material for 30,000 years, by artists all over the world. In contemporary times, it is primarily encountered in art supply stores in a highly regularized processed form, which works beautifully but is alienated from its origins in the forest. In this workshop led by artist Gina Siepel, we'll harvest wood directly from the forests at the MacLeish field station, prepare it for burning, and transform it into charcoal in simple kilns over a campfire. We'll explore the relationship between plant species and markmaking. Which plant makes softer, darker, harder, or more precise marks? What kind of charcoal will come from invasive plants like bittersweet or barberry? How about more traditional plant species like wild grape vine? Join us to explore this playful and transformative material process and exploration of the forest. Students- sign up for a spot in the vans here: link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1EoBZMQuYr2n18FOAVqfx0t_dP_CHlCbkvAF9gD…
Other details: Bring: sketchbooks, erasers for testing the charcoal (optional/if you have them); Dress for the outdoors and the weather, including clothes you can get dirty and that will protect you from dense plant life when gathering. 
The workshop is sponsored by Arts Afield and the Kahn Institute, in conjunction with the long-term project "Vegetal Forms: Knowing Place and Time Through Plants".