Art for the Body  Workshop with Judy Bales 

Building on 25 years of experience as a fiber artist, sculptor, costumer for modern dance and bridge design team member; Judy Bales creates art that is the exciting and improbable marriage of cold industrial materials and the sensuality of nature.  She utilizes industrial materials, many of which are found, recycled, or salvaged, in an ongoing effort to reveal beauty in unlikely places and stretch conventional notions of what constitutes art.
 
In recent years Bales has focused on art for the body, merging her multiple experiences into avant-garde works that bridge the gap between fashion and sculpture.  She is a strong advocate of playful exploration as a means of expanding ones creativity and achieving highly compelling artworks.  Bales has been selected four times to participate in Omaha Fashion Week, the nation’s fifth largest fashion event.  She frequently collaborates with professional photographers and has been published in various fashion publications including: Volition, Mystica and Obscurae.

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Workshop Schedule

Date to be announced

10am-10:45am                                                                                        
Intro:  Through photographs and actual art works, Ms. Bales will show a variety of inspiring examples of art for the body by contemporary fashion designers, jewelry makers and fiber artists. She will discuss how those artists explore unusual materials and techniques to create exciting works of fashion art.  Ideas will be explored such as use of scale and exaggeration to achieve the desired effects.

10:45-12:00                                                                                              
​Workshop participants will select several materials from a wide variety of metal meshes, plastics, wire and other materials supplied by the instructor.  They will be encouraged to experiment freely, exploring the possibilities and limitations of their selected materials.  The participant will learn how to use these non-traditional materials as if they were standard thread, beads and fabric. Individual attention will be given, especially to anyone feeling creatively challenged.  

12-1pm                                                                                                    
​Participants have lunch on their own

1-2:30pm   
Based on their experimentation, workshop participants will select a specific group of materials and techniques to create a sculptural piece they design.  This can be a neckpiece or other ornamental object for head, arms or ankles.  Again, Ms. Bales will give individual attention to those needing help.  

2:30-3pm                                                                                                 
​Objects will be displayed (can be worn if desired) for the group. The instructor will encourage discussion of results, including challenges and successes.