The Annual Placer Artists Studios Tour is the largest and longest-standing Art Studio tour in the region, spanning a huge geography and featuring a diversity of art.
The Annual Placer Artists Studios Tour is the largest and longest-standing Art Studio tour in the region, spanning a huge geography and featuring a diversity of art.
The Annual Placer Artists Studios Tour is the largest and longest-standing Art Studio tour in the region, spanning a huge geography and featuring a diversity of art.
The Annual Placer Artists Studios Tour is the largest and longest-standing Art Studio tour in the region, spanning a huge geography and featuring a diversity of art.
JCLEE STUDIOS
School of Sculpture
916.878.0993
& THE DOWNSTAIRS GALLERY
Learn the rules... then break them!
PATINA CLASS
Spring and Fall classes
Weather permitting. This is an outdoor class.
FINISH YOUR WORK OF ART!
Overview
Your sculpture doesn’t end at the kiln—it comes to life in the finish.
In this seasonal outdoor class, you’ll learn how to complete your fired sculpture with professional finishing techniques. Fired clay often emerges stark white and may have minor cracks. This class will show you how to correct imperfections and apply surface treatments that give your work richness, character, and durability.
What You’ll Learn
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How to repair small cracks or surface flaws
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Application of patinas and color washes
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Use of metal waxes for subtle metallic finishes
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Final touches including attaching felt pads or display bases
By the end of the session, you’ll transform a stark piece into a gallery-ready sculpture that reflects the time, effort, and creativity you’ve poured into it.
Details
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This is an outdoor class, weather permitting
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All tools and materials provided for class use
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Limited to students with previously fired work
Tuition
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$60 (cash) per class with Jim (one color)
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$80 (cash) per class with Shannon (multiple colors)
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All materials are included
How to Join
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To register or join the waitlist, visit the "Class Enrollment" tab
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To pay tuition, see the Methods of Payment tab
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For class dates, see the Calendar or Enrollment pages
FULL FIGURE "CLAY-SKETCH" CLASS
Wednesday Evenings (5:00 pm - 8:00 pm)
Overview
This fast-paced evening class focuses on sculpting the full human figure from photographic reference using clay sketching techniques. Working from a curated sequence of 24 high-quality reference photos taken from all angles of a nude model, students will create quick studies that train the eye and hand to work with speed, proportion, and gesture.
This class is perfect for artists who want to improve their visual memory, anatomical accuracy, and overall sculpting confidence.
What You’ll Practice
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Recognizing and blocking in body shapes, facial structures, and key features
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Understanding proportion, gesture, and spatial relationships
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Using rapid sculpting to improve dexterity and composition
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Working from multiple photo angles to build dimensional awareness
Note: These are quick clay studies—not finished sculptures. However, students are welcome to continue developing their sketch into a more complete maquette during Open Studio Wednesdays.
Why Clay Sketching?
In just three hours, you won’t sculpt a perfect likeness—but you will train your ability to see and build form quickly. This exercise sharpens your anatomy knowledge, speeds up your sculpting workflow, and builds confidence through repetition.
Class Access & Studio Time
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Sketches created here can be further developed during regular Wednesday Open Studio sessions
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No instructor present—independent study environment
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Participants must bring their own tools if not enrolled in a workshop
LIVE MODEL "CLAY-SKETCH" CLASS
Wednesday Evenings (5:00 pm - 8:00 pm)
Overview
This fast-paced, live-model sculpting class focuses on improving your observational skills, speed, and clay dexterity. Working in water-based clay, students will create rapid figure and portrait sketches based on a live nude model. The goal is not a finished sculpture, but to train your eye and hand to see and respond quickly to gesture, proportion, and facial structure.
You’ll study:
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Basic face and body shapes
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Placement of key features
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Core concepts of proportion, volumes and pose
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Body language and gesture
Partial likeness is the most you’ll capture in these three-hour sessions—and that’s the point.
What Is a Clay Sketch?
“A clay sketch (esquisse in French) is a small sculpture that is modeled quickly (from 10 minutes to a few hours)… It teaches speed, dexterity, and composition, and helps resolve balance and gesture.” – Philippe Faraut
These studies are made using very soft clay on a thin base. Supports are minimal. Details are not the goal—gesture and proportion are. Sometimes, a sketch may become more detailed than intended. As Philippe notes, that defeats the purpose of the exercise. These are training grounds, not trophies.
Important Notes
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This is a non-instructed class. Sculptors must work independently.
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Sketches are not finished sculptures, but you may return during open studio time to develop them into maquettes.
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Non-students or non-members must bring their own tools.
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Materials are included for all enrolled participants.
A Word About Comparison
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Sculpting alongside others can be inspiring—and also intimidating. Please remember: the goal is to learn and grow, not to compete. Some students will be more experienced, more trained, or simply more advanced. That’s okay. Compare your work only to your own progress, and use the work of others as inspiration, not discouragement.
Every session builds your skill. You don’t need to be the best—just get better.
Tuition & Enrollment
$50 per class – includes materials
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See: "Class Enrollment" Tab
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See: "Methods of Payment" Tab
JCLee Studios / Clay Head Sculptures © All rights reserved 2014 / Copyright Jim Lee 2014
