VALENTINA ZLATAROVA
CAPTURING COUNTENANCE: Conveying Expression and Emotion in Portrait Sculpture
August 16 - 29, 2026
Working from photographs, participants will develop skills such as drawing expression in sculptural terms, measuring for proportion and placement, visual and tactual acuity, and responding with a true sculptor’s sensitivity to form, subject, and material. Modeled on an armature, the aim will be for each head to be anatomically correct—but further: an intimate motif through which the maker explores composition, self-expression, and narrative.
Valentina Zlatarova will lead participants through the in-depth, anatomical study of the skull and individual features necessary to construct and arrange them as parts of the human face and head. Discussions about content, art historical precedents, and compositional potential will play an instructive role during studio days. Over the course of the two weeks participants will gain fluency in the handling of clay and a visceral understanding the countenance of human visage—each person discovering the hand and the eyes of the sculptor within themselves.
TUITION: USD $2500 inclusive of all studio materials, glazes and firings, catered lunches, welcome dinner, and excursions around the island. We will assist in making recommendations for bookings for nearby hotels, bungalows or home-stays in convenient proximity to Gaya studio (accommodation is not included in tuition).
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE - Valentina Zlatarova
Sunday, August 16
Welcome Dinner – MOKSA Restaurant
Welcome Dinner and slide talk by Valentina.
Monday, August 17 – GCAC
Getting familiar with the studio and materials, Introduction to the course, setting up group and individual goals, going through print outs
Lunch-family style in GCAC mezzanine
Starting putting clay on the armature and blocking-in the main volumes of the head, anatomy of the head, clearing our workstations and wrapping up before the end of the day
Tuesday, August 18 – GCAC
Short slideshow on anatomy of facial experessions and examples in pictures, establishing the proportions of the face and adding more internal information
Lunch-family style in GCAC mezzanine
Drawing in clay- erasing and re-drawing an outline, practising drawing in clay on our sculptures
Wednesday, August 19 – GCAC
The profile and mapping out the structure for the features
Lunch-family style in GCAC mezzanine
Establishing the nose and setting space for the mouth
Thursday, August 20 – GCAC
Short slideshow on the lips and start the block-in of the the mouth
Lunch-family style in GCAC mezzanine
Finishing the block-in of the mouth and finding position of the eyes
Friday, August 21 – GCAC
Lecture on the eye and a demonstration
Lunch-family style in GCAC mezzanine
Sculpting the eye and refining all other features, transitions
Saturday, August 22 – GCAC
Working on transitions and subtleties
Lunch-family style in GCAC mezzanine
Finishing touches
Sunday, August 23 – Anywhere Bali…
Free day!
Monday, August 24 – GCAC
Subtleties and finishes
Lunch-family style in GCAC mezzanine
Subtleties and finishes, hollowing if ready
Tuesday, August 25 – GCAC
Hollowing
Lunch-family style in GCAC mezzanine
Putting sculptures together, surface work, drying work if assembled
Wednesday, August 26 – GCAC
Any surface work left from previous day
Lunch-family style in GCAC mezzanine
Drying, Loading the kiln, firing
Thursday, August 27 – Excursion day – TBD
Firing and day excursion
Friday, August 28 – GCAC
Opening the kiln, admiring results and packing
Lunch-family style in GCAC mezzanine
Saturday, August 29 – GCAC
The studio is closed. Participants will depart.
Details of schedule may be subject to change, but overall content will remain constant.