A Clip from the Summit Daily Newspaper

Expression in the Tin Shop

While plenty of artists find inspiration in interesting ways, Lisa Kohlhepp has a particularly eccentric way to tap into her muse. The current artist in residence at the Tin Shop, who hails from Aspen, primary works with clay, but before she shapes it, she taps into the wisdom of her body.

She calls the process visual journaling: She begins by sitting quietly with her eyes closed and pays attention to which body part, such as her shoulder or throat, beckons her. After some exploration, she opens her eyes and uses color pencils to “draw from (her) body.”

Other times, she begins by shaping her body into a position that expresses how she feels, then takes self-portraits. Or, she performs a dance or movement and films it. From there, she translates the images her body creates into a drawing.

Once she finishes drawing, she molds clay into artwork based on the illustrations.

Most of her work is interactive - a sea creature with maracas (shakers) as its antennas, or a Dr. Seuss character that includes interactive pieces.

“Most of my ceramic art, if I could put it all in my body, it would fit,” Kohlhepp said.

It couldn't be more precise to say that her ceramic art truly comes from her innermost self.

“It's kind of therapeutic … It's an incredible self exploration,” she said.

In addition to participating in this Saturday's event, on Saturday, March 28, she will host a free workshop for adults involving visual journaling.

“I want to let other people know how powerful expressing yourself with images can be when we just don't have the right words,” she said.

For children, she will host a free workshop revolving around making musical instruments, such as shakers and bells, from recycled and found materials on Saturday, March 21.

She will be at the Tin Shop through March 30, and anyone is welcome to stop in during open studio hours, from 2-6 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays.