MOCA Studio Practice: Fish Out of Paper with Melanie Berends

Studio Practice is a monthly series of hands-on, practical art classes where students of all levels learn to create in varying media with the instruction of a local artist. Open to adults and teens in the company of an adult.

In this mixed-media workshop, participants will design a large fish, or another animal of their choice, on brown kraft paper, transforming a two-dimensional drawing into a soft sculpture. Using tempera sticks, crayons or pastels, cut paper, inks, acrylic markers, and other embellishments, participants will create a richly layered surface before cutting out the form, decorating both sides, and assembling it into a three-dimensional object. The sculpture will then be stuffed with recycled plastic bags, introducing simple construction techniques alongside sustainable art-making practices.