It took Michelangelo, the famed renaissance sculptor, more than three years to sculpt his masterwork, the statue of David. But who out there has that kind of time nowadays?
So when Wil Keltjens, an artist and sculptor from the Netherlands,
discovered Paverpol, the fast-acting hardener that allows artists to
create professional grade sculptures in under two weeks time, it's
understandable why she fell in love with the product almost
immediately.
"I followed a lot of classes in Holland like dance classes and all these classes that people offer at homes or in their studios. And then Paverpol came on the market when we lived in Belgium, and I took a workshop there," Keltjens said. "And I loved it a lot, so I kept doing it myself."
Paverpol is a textile and decoration hardener perfect for sculpting and design work, and has received the AP seal of approval from the Arts and Creative Materials Institute for being 100 percent non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Unlike other hardeners of its kind, Paverpol can be used with paper, clay, wood, polystyrene foam, dried flowers, silk, pottery, plaster and even old cotton t-shirts.
"That's why I call it the art of recycling," Keltjens said, "because you can use a lot of materials with it which you used before."
And unlike the three years it took to sculpt Michelangelo's masterwork, Paverpol allows artists to create and finish their very own statue in only five hours time, followed by a two-week period to allow the statue to fully dry and harden.
The process used to create statues with Paverpol is relatively simple.
"First I start with copper wire, and I build my own armature," Keltjens said. "Then I wrap it with tin foil or aluminum foil. After that I cut an old t-shirt into strips and I mummify my armature or my body so it's totally sealed through the fabric. The fabric is dipped in the Paverpol, and it hardens by itself," Keltjens explained. Once the statue is given two weeks to hardened, your creation is fit for indoor and outdoor use, and can withstand New York State's often extreme weather conditions.
Keltjens, who has lived in the Netherlands, Belgium, Florida, and Montreal, has recently relocated to Saratoga Springs, and is now offering classes for aspiring and professional artists interested in learning how to sculpt with Paverpol.
"I do classes at my home studio," Keltjens said, who has been giving lessons on how to sculpt with Paverpol for over 10 years now. "But if people want [the lessons done] on location, I do that too."
Classes taught in Keltjens home studio only run $75 for a five to seven-hour session, where students are guided through the process of using Paverpol, and come out of the class with their very own, fully finished work of art.
Keltjens also designs commissioned pieces for interested parties, custom-made decorations that provide the perfect accent to your home or garden. To view some of her pieces, you can browse through photographs of her work in her online gallery at www.wkbdesigns.com. If you'd like to see some of her work in person, Keltjens will also be holding a series of exhibitions in the near future, the first one being held on June 7 during Saratoga's Arts and Blues Festival.
For more information on Paverpol, or to sign up for a workshop taught by Keltjens, you can contact her through her Web site, by email at wilkeltjens@
hotmail.com, or call her by phone at (954) 271-0671.
"I followed a lot of classes in Holland like dance classes and all these classes that people offer at homes or in their studios. And then Paverpol came on the market when we lived in Belgium, and I took a workshop there," Keltjens said. "And I loved it a lot, so I kept doing it myself."
Paverpol is a textile and decoration hardener perfect for sculpting and design work, and has received the AP seal of approval from the Arts and Creative Materials Institute for being 100 percent non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Unlike other hardeners of its kind, Paverpol can be used with paper, clay, wood, polystyrene foam, dried flowers, silk, pottery, plaster and even old cotton t-shirts.
"That's why I call it the art of recycling," Keltjens said, "because you can use a lot of materials with it which you used before."
And unlike the three years it took to sculpt Michelangelo's masterwork, Paverpol allows artists to create and finish their very own statue in only five hours time, followed by a two-week period to allow the statue to fully dry and harden.
The process used to create statues with Paverpol is relatively simple.
"First I start with copper wire, and I build my own armature," Keltjens said. "Then I wrap it with tin foil or aluminum foil. After that I cut an old t-shirt into strips and I mummify my armature or my body so it's totally sealed through the fabric. The fabric is dipped in the Paverpol, and it hardens by itself," Keltjens explained. Once the statue is given two weeks to hardened, your creation is fit for indoor and outdoor use, and can withstand New York State's often extreme weather conditions.
Keltjens, who has lived in the Netherlands, Belgium, Florida, and Montreal, has recently relocated to Saratoga Springs, and is now offering classes for aspiring and professional artists interested in learning how to sculpt with Paverpol.
"I do classes at my home studio," Keltjens said, who has been giving lessons on how to sculpt with Paverpol for over 10 years now. "But if people want [the lessons done] on location, I do that too."
Classes taught in Keltjens home studio only run $75 for a five to seven-hour session, where students are guided through the process of using Paverpol, and come out of the class with their very own, fully finished work of art.
Keltjens also designs commissioned pieces for interested parties, custom-made decorations that provide the perfect accent to your home or garden. To view some of her pieces, you can browse through photographs of her work in her online gallery at www.wkbdesigns.com. If you'd like to see some of her work in person, Keltjens will also be holding a series of exhibitions in the near future, the first one being held on June 7 during Saratoga's Arts and Blues Festival.
For more information on Paverpol, or to sign up for a workshop taught by Keltjens, you can contact her through her Web site, by email at wilkeltjens@
hotmail.com, or call her by phone at (954) 271-0671.
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