Ōtepoti Dunedin: Tī Kōuka and Hazel Pencil Brush - 21 October, 3pm-5pm

Come along this Labour Weekend and learn how to make a hand brush with Gemma Stratton. Workshops will be held at the O Block Hub at Dunedin School of Art Otago Polytechnic on Anzac Ave (entrance beside the Anzac Ave Bridge, parking is available in Minerva street opposite). More detailed information will be provided prior to the workshop.

Learn how to make a small versatile brush using tī kōuka (cabbage tree) leaves and hazel wood sticks. You will learn to make very fine cord using our tī kōuka string-making technique, with further skills in fibre preparation and extraction, basic hole drilling and a useful lashing technique to bring your brush together. These little brushes are most useful in the kitchen for oiling pans, or in the workshop for oiling wood, or for applying slip to pottery, or for water painting for children, you name it! Bring along an intention or job for your brush and if time allows we can work to tweak the brush for the specific job.

Please note: All materials and tools will be provided. But, if you have access to tī kōuka (cabbage tree) leaves, do bring in as big a bundle as you can! Our wonderful local volunteers will collect and soak these for us. The techniques taught in this workshop originate in Europe and the UK. To learn more about tī kōuka and how we work with it, click HERE. 

This class is suitable for adults only.

Now based in Te Tai o Aorere/Tasman, Gemma Stratton has been a resident craftsperson at Rekindle. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Canterbury School of Fine Arts, and weaves her long-held dedication to resourcefulness into everything she touches. Gemma’s time in the Rekindle workshop developing brushes and lightshades was funded by Creative New Zealand.

Gemma has taught a variety of workshops using tī kōuka (cabbage tree) leaves within our resourceful skills workshop programme.  
 @g.m.stratton