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Carving and Modelling Wax
With artist Elsa Tierney
Saturday 9th January 2027
Saturday 6th March 2027
Saturday 5th Jun 2027
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Spend a day learning wax carving for jewellery and small sculpture. You will learn about different wax types for design development. Experiment with texturing and different carving techniques. Explore working on your own design and learn how to prepare wax models for casting in precious metals. Complete beginners and experienced makers are welcome.
What you’ll learn
– Carving, shaping, and texturing hard wax
– Building up forms with a heated wax pen
– Making gemstone settings in wax, including cast-in-place techniques
– Spruing to prepare wax models for casting
On the day
Your tutor will introduce the different waxes and tools, then guide you through making simple models in soft wax to try out your ideas before moving on to hard wax. There’ll be demonstrations throughout the day, with plenty of time to experiment, ask questions, and develop your own piece.
We’ll break for a buffet lunch from 1–1.45 pm, with bread, charcuterie, and cheeses. Please let us know in advance about any dietary requirements or allergies.
The afternoon is for refining your design, with demonstrations of gemstone settings and how to add wax sprues in preparation for casting. We’ll finish at 4 pm.
What to bring
Bring a sketchbook with a few ideas, sketches, or images to work from. These don’t need to be finished designs, just starting points. You’re also welcome to bring work in progress for advice, or your own gemstones to explore setting options.
Casting, metals, and gemstones are not included in the workshop. Your tutor will offer advice on casting services, gemstone suppliers, materials, and tools.
Venue
ArtMatter
Stratford Workshops
Burford Road, London
E15 2SP
United Kingdom
Please select your preferred workshop date from the dropdown menu. Each workshop is limited to 8 places. Once a date is fully booked, it will show as sold out.