Rianne Vreeling (left) training the trainer Leonieke Zuiddam to motivate her trainees in the art of wood-burning.
ST. EUSTATIUS--The first weekly creative workshop of Statia Self Made took place last week. Every Thursday morning, retired Gwendoline van Putten School teacher Rianne Vreeling will show socially-challenged youths and adults how to produce art objects that can be sold at the Made in Statia shop.
“I am excited to get involved with this project,” Vreeling said. “Art is a work of expression and achievement. Our Statia Self Made artists will find enthusiasm and a feeling of accomplishment by making creative items such as pots, paper objects and even objects to decorate the house.”
Vreeling chose wood-burning for the first workshop. “Wood-burning, or ‘pyrography’, is a technique that has been used by the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Chinese. It literally means writing with fire. We use electrical safety pokers to create artistic impressions on a variety of different woods. It is a fascinating art medium.”
Leonieke Zuiddam, who runs the newly-created Care Farm, agrees. “Rianne knows how to motivate and energise our apprentices. By following pre-set designs or just using imagination, our workshop artists have produced some very attractive wood coasters, spatulas and spoons.”
Financed by the Dutch Cooperating Funds (“Samenwerkende Fondsen”), the workshops are being run to suit socially-challenged schoolchildren, youths and adults as well as individuals who have fallen afoul of the law.
