Digital Processes
Consulting and Education
I believe that digital processes hold tremendous potential for augmenting, improving, and even transforming the creative pursuits of artists and craftspeople, especially when they are used judiciously and with consideration for the impact they can have on aesthetics, work-flow, and quality of time in the studio.
I’m particularly interested in helping makers holistically integrate digital processes into broad and complex studio practices that also include manual and traditional processes. There are many uses for digital tools and CAD software, including automated manufacturing, extreme precision, endless design potentialities, powerful concept visualization, and much more. Access to these technologies can bring meaningful benefits to one’s process and business, from more income, to less physical stress, to the ability to create things that are unachievable by traditional means. However, digital processes can be difficult to fit into an established creative practice, especially for those of us who don’t wish to spend our days at a computer.
My goal as a teacher and consultant is to help artists and craftspeople gain access to these benefits without corrupting the aesthetic or experiential nature of their work, and to explore how the field of digital manufacturing can grow in the hands of makers with deep skill, attention, and material knowledge.
Consulting for Individual Artists and Craftspeople
I help artists and craftspeople use digital processes to benefit their creative practices. Some artists turn to digital processes when they need to dramatically scale their work due to a major commission or public art project. For others, it’s about finding a faster, more efficient way to create a product. It may even be to reduce stress on the body from physically demanding processes such as large-scale carving. Whatever the reason, I can help you adapt your process to leverage digital tools, while seeking to preserve the aesthetic and experiential value of working with your hands.
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I can create a 3D model of your design or product which is useful for myriad reasons including design development, sharing and presenting your ideas, digital manufacturing, and deriving physical properties such as weight, volume and dimensions that would be hard to calculate manually.
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I can help you get your work made through digital manufacturing processes, such as CNC machining, water jet cutting, laser cutting/engraving or 3D printing.
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I can create photo-realistic renderings of your designs so you can clearly share your ideas with potential clients and in project proposals, including subtle details of materiality and surface quality that can be hard to capture in a sketch or 3D model.
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I can teach you to do any of the above processes through private lessons or my online classes.
Consulting for Education Centers
I work with art and craft-based education programs to integrate digital and traditional making processes. From big-picture mission building, to curriculum planning, to choosing and setting up equipment, I can help program leaders navigate the vast and often confusing world of digital making.
