From workshop to workshop: Fontbonne Workshop, sculpture, pastels_Burzet

Burzet, Ardèche

Opening : From Saturday 25 to Sunday 26 October 2025 between 10 am and 5 pm.

Martha creates figurative terracotta sculptures inspired by the human body; some are cast in bronze. Recently she has added pastels to her repertoire to express her love of nature and colour.

Born in Texas, I arrived in France at the age of 24, first in Lyon, then I settled in Burzet in the Ardèche region in 1980. Around the age of 50, my attraction to art led me to make my first creations in clay.

What I enjoy is seeing the expression of a feeling come to life. When I sculpt, I start from something inside me, with a simple idea that inspires the creation. From my earliest experiments, I naturally turned to figurative art, drawing inspiration from the human body. My attention to detail also quickly shaped my work. I am fascinated by the characteristics of faces typical of all ethnicities. Not having studied fine arts, I took sculpture classes with live models for seven years to develop my work.

My patinated terracotta works are often transformed into bronze in a foundry, where I accompany the different stages of the pieces' creation. I often favour light patinas because they are similar to the terracotta that I love so much. For me, my bronzes are a new birth of my works, with a different feel, a certain nobility and permanence.

Each sculpture is a unique presence with its own density and emotion. It's all in the feeling, a look, a gesture that ‘speaks’... simple, unpretentious... a palpable presence.

Recently, I added dry pastels to my artistic repertoire to express my love of nature and colour. Another adventure! I feel fulfilled with these two ways of expressing life.

From workshop to workshop 15 Local designers with a passion for their craft open their doors to you for a weekend! On the programme: studio visits, demonstrations and meetings.
Places are limited in some workshops, so don't forget to contact them.