Anyone Can Be a Sculptor: The Artists in Middleburg Hosts a One-Week Intensive Workshop with Goskin Carey

Written by Emerson Leger

Everyone can sculpt. That is Goskin Carey’s teaching method in classes such as her one-week intensive workshop happening July 6 through 10 at the Artists in Middleburg. The workshop consisted of at least a dozen artists, each sculpting their own piece from oil-based clay.

The youngest artist was 12-year-old Liliana Royster, who is a student at Wakefield School. She says classes like these take a lot of patience, especially since this was her first sculpting workshop. “I’ve really been enjoying sculpting because it’s hard,” she explains.

Carey says that this form of art is all about having a love for it, especially when creating an equine sculpture. No matter how long someone has been a sculptor, they must give their heart to the horses. “You must just do it by heart — nobody can force you to sculpt,” Carey says.

During the workshop, Carey showed pictures of horses and dimensions in a slideshow, so that the group could get a sense of how to design their pieces. She made her own system where she numbers different parts of the body, so it’s easier for anyone to learn. Her goal is to make sculpting accessible to all who have an interest in the process.

Sabine Arndt has been one of Carey’s students for a long time, so instead of doing a horse, she sculpted a hippo with a bird on its back. She calls the piece the “Horse of the Nile.” She says she usually does ceramics, so this was her first time creating an oil-based sculpture.

“Usually when I start with water-based clay, I have no plan. Here, I have to actually have a plan,” Arndt shares.

The workshop ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the week. On Friday, July 10, there will be a 4 p.m. cocktail reception with all the artists at the Unison Preservation Society in Middleburg. All are welcome to attend, chat, and view what the artists have worked on all week. ML

Photos courtesy of the Artists in Middleburg.

Posted on: July 10, 2026