2026 10 Coach Potato In Space

I found the weirdest frame in the world: a couch. In messing around with it I decided to add an astronaut (do not ask me why).

Then this sat around in my basement stash for awhile before I got a second wind on this project. 

I decided that this project would be mounted on a mink stretcher board substrate.

Every assemblage project I do goes through an audition phase where various objects come out of their storage boxes to see the light of day--some stay, some go back in the box. 

This is the point in the design that I knew I needed a potato. 

Thus we have Coach Potato In Space. It is 37"H X 25"W X 6"D. It consists of Couch Frame, Wood Round, Wood Mink Stretcher, Wood Shape, Wood Boards, Plastic Airplane, Electrical Dial, Aves Clay Potato, Paper, Paint, Collage.

2026 09 Spirit Protectors: Metal Figurative Assemblage

   

Leighanna Light appealing to the Spirit Protectors to make this class go right

Spirit Protectors: Metal Figurative Assemblage 

with Deck in a Box: Image Transfers on Plaster, Metal, & Paper

September 17-20, 2026

Instructor: Leighanna Light

Shake Rag Alley, Mineral Point, WI

Leighanna Light came to Shake Rag Alley this September to teach two workshops: Spirit Protectors: Metal Figurative Assemblage and Deck in a Box: Image Transfers on Plaster, Metal, & Paper.

The first workshop began at 9:00 a.m. Thursday morning. Here is the course description: "I created my first Spirit Protectors during a difficult time in my life, and can’t seem to stop—I want to share with you! On day one, I’ll teach my favorite surface design techniques on metal: leaf printing, faux etching, texturizing, and metal transfers, and we’ll prepare our bases & create cool, funky faces. On day two, I’ll share tips & tricks to achieve balance, contrast, & a powerful composition. We will cut tin, combine it with our metal & make beautiful woven pieces. Learn simple cold connection techniques, as well as how to safely & properly operate tools. Finally, put it all together to create two figurative assemblages attached to a wooden base. Your Spirit Protector can be as large as your imagination can take you! No experience necessary. Materials Fee includes: All hardware, screws, nuts & bolts, nails & wire, paint, glaze, gel medium, clear coat, wax, hanging hardware & most tools. You will leave with at least one finished piece; however, most people complete 2 in this workshop."

The Lind Pavilion at Shake Rag Alley from my worktable

Class samples

Here are some Spirit Protectors as class samples

I begin to work

The person with the most metal wins

This is "4 U Soap"--which sold at the end of the class to one of my classmates

It is time for workshop number 2!!!

The second class began on Saturday the 19th called Deck in a Box: Image Transfers on Plaster, Metal, & Paper. Here is the class description: "In this 2-day workshop, create a luscious deck of plaster & metal cards, each 4 1/4” x 3 1/4”, that will reside in a small metal box embellished with transfers and plaster. Learn multiple techniques to transfer images onto plaster, gesso, and metal, and then take each transfer to a finished work of art. You can explore a theme or subject matter with this project, use this as a shrine to someone or a place that is close to your heart, or allow yourself the freedom to learn the different techniques and experiment. This is a fun, loose, lighthearted workshop with lots of time to play and experiment with different products and techniques. All experience levels welcome—I hope that you can join us!"

The person with the most metal wins, part two!!!

Before I uncovered them, these were my efforts;

weirdly, I never took photos of my uncovered images

Here are some images created by my workshops companions.

I did put one image on a tin lid and while I had some extra time I began to mock up this assemblage. Time will tell if it goes any farther.

I want to thank Leighanna Light for a fun four days. Also thanks to my classmates and all the great folks at Shake Rag Alley for providing this opportunity. 

2026 09 Time Is On My Side At Shake Rag Alley

 Time Is On My Side

September 11-13, 2026

Shake Rag Alley, Mineral Point, WI

This is my sixth year teaching at Shake Rag Alley in Mineral Point, WI. This year my workshop is based on using a clock body as the starting point.

Here is the course description: "Our goal in this workshop is to explore how assemblage relates to time. By connecting the past lives of objects with current stories from our own lives, we can build art with found objects that explores issues like memory, nostalgia, history or the nature of time itself. Gary has come to believe that all found objects have had a story to tell but have lost their way. Now it is time for us to give them a new story in our own creations and save them from being lost to time. 

Gary will be providing you with a clock body of some nature, large or small. The fact that this main object was a time keeper will help you tell the story you want to tell. However, all the clock parts have been removed from these objects making them frames for new stories. It is time to think outside the clock. We will also work with layers, combining multiple objects into a complex work of art.

Options for the weekend will include making more than one clock body, mounting the clock on a substrate, adding found objects and all the usual assemblage techniques for creation including hardware, tools, glues and clays. 

Participants can bring their own sources of clock bodies/substrates/found objects/supplies from home but many samples will be provided to fill the weekend with opportunities. Gary promises new assemblage artists (and the experienced ones, too) that it is possible to walk into this workshop with nothing and go home with a new work of art. 

Gary will be teaching the basics of assemblage construction and mixed media techniques so that you will be able to create a work of art with a clock body as the central subject. Gary will be providing all the tools, mediums and lots of objects to help grow your art project. There will be time to share ideas and learn from fellow participants. Three days, free crap, cool art, and lots of fun."

Much earlier this year Denice and I brought to Shake Rag many clock bodies in advance and stored them in the attic of the Lind Pavilion where we will be teaching. 

On Wednesday, September 9th, we arrived with a van full of the rest of the junk, tools and mediums for the participants to use. We spent Wednesday afternoon and most of Thursday setting up the workshop.

These are all the clock bodies we brought to be used by the participants. Before anyone could see them, Denice and I covered them with a sheet. More on that later.

Photo by Denice

Thursday night I did a presentation for the participants that was also open to the public. The talk was called Assemblage: A History of the Object in Art. After the presentation and a brief break, I was joined by a panel of assemblage artists for a discussion of how the object informs their art. 

Photo by Denice

The artists were Katherine Engen, Beth Hobby, and Christie McNab. I think it went well and the panelists were great representatives of what it takes to be an assemblage artist.

Katherine Engen and her art

Photo by Denice

Beth Hobby's work

Photo by Denice

Christie McNab's work

Photo by Denice

We got started on Friday the 11th at 9:00 a.m. I went over how the workshop was going to work plus spoke to the group about all things assemblage, time and clock bodies. Then it was time to dive into all the goodies that we brought from our basement for the group to use.

Here is where I lost them!

Photo by Denice

By the end of Friday there were not many clock bodies left

Here is the workshop areas where the participants each have a table

Lisa working the Dremel

Beth Hobby and Christie McNab do a consult

Photo by Denice

Photo by Denice

Photo by Denice

Friday, Saturday and Sunday were busy with all kinds of assembling. By 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, it was time to have our show and tell. Below you will find each participants projects, their worktable and the work(s) they produced (not all of which were finished by the time we shared). 

ALICE

BARBARA

BETH E.

BETH H.

Photo by Denice

CHRISTIE

CHRISTINE

CRIS

DARA

DENISE

DIANE

ERIN

GAIL

JEAN

KAREN

Photo by Denice

KATHERINE

LISA

PAM

RENEE

SARAH

THERESA

VICKI

In the evenings' open workshop times and on the optional Monday open workshop I had a chance to work on my own project. Things were interesting to say the least.

At first I thought I was going to make a big bug

The bug face (my clock) migrated to a violin structure

Two things surprised me. First, this was where I went with my art. Second, someone bought this work as is. So I titled it The Unfinished Violin of the Unfinished Symphony.

Saturday was the opening of my art exhibition at Green Lantern Studios in Mineral Point. The show was ironically called Time Is On My Side. 

Photo by Denice

Photo by Denice

Photo by Denice

Photo by Denice

I was thrilled to see Helen and Dan, all the way from Milwaukee

Photo by Denice

My thanks go to Carole and Richard at Green Lantern Studios for the opportunity to exhibit in their fine gallery.

I want to thank all the participants in the workshop who worked so hard, made great art and laughed a lot. Thanks also go to Shake Rag Alley's great staff who helped me bring this workshop to fruition. But the biggest thanks goes to Denice who works as hard on this as I did--I could not do it without her.