Kate Westfall – How to make Sprig Molds

Hi, I’m Kate Westfall, and today I’m going to teach you how to design, make and use your own sprig molds to decorate the surfaces of your work.

People from around the world, and throughout history, have used ornamentation as a way to show individual and cultural identities. A lot of meaning can be found in the designs we surround ourselves with, from architecture to tile patterns, to tattoos. I draw inspiration from these things, deliberately pulling elements from a wide range of cultures to create sprigs and designs that feel at once both familiar and whimsical. These sprigs act as frames to my images, unlimited by setting or time.

The stories I share through my symbolic imagery, reference those lores that cross cultural lines and reach most deeply to the universal root of the human experience; stories of innocence, love and persistence. My hope is that the ambiguousness of my drawings, the tactile experience of my ornamentation and the natural intimacy of functional vessels will encourage those who use my pieces to bring their life experiences to the tale and make the story their own.

I make all of my work from my home studio in Oregon and partnered my business, Daedal Goods, with the National Forest Foundation so that, when you buy one of my pieces, you’re also planting a tree!

By the end of this workshop, you will:

• know how you can design your own sprig molds
• know how to create your own sprig molds

This video workshop is 60 minutes long, you will have lifetime access to it, and you will be able to download it to your device.

Example Work:

About Kate Westfall

‘Daedal’ means ‘rich, intricate, adorned and skillfully crafted’.

I take pride in handcrafting work that lives up to this name.

I am dedicated to creating beautiful and useful goods to enrich your home and life with the warmth that only comes from handmade objects. I’m equally committed to helping protect the environment along the way by planting a tree for each piece I sell!

I’ve found that my customers value the daily rituals that emerge from living with my pieces, and also cherish the fact that their purchases create a ripple effect of good- supporting an artist, planting trees and helping to ensure a more beautiful tomorrow!

People from around the world, and throughout history, have used ornamentation as a way to show individual and cultural identities. A lot of meaning can be found in the designs we surround ourselves with, from architecture, to tile patterns, to tattoos. I draw inspiration from these things, deliberately pulling elements from a wide range of cultures to create sprigs and designs that feel at once both familiar and whimsical. These sprigs act as frames to my images, unlimited by setting or time.

The stories I share through my symbolic imagery, reference those lores that cross cultural lines and reach most deeply to the universal root of the human experience; stories of innocence, love and persistence. My hope is that the ambiguousness of my drawings, the tactile experience of my ornamentation and the natural intimacy of functional vessels will encourage those who use my pieces to bring their life experiences to the tale and make the story their own.

I make all of my work from my home studio in Oregon and partnered my business, Daedal Goods, with the National Forest Foundation so that, when you buy one of my pieces, you’re also planting a tree!