This 5 Week Workshop will teach you how to "Seize the Clay!"
Inquire via email if you have any questions.
Everyone will go home with about 6 -10 pieces of one-of-a-kind, functional, food safe, microwave & dishwasher safe pottery!*
Class size is kept small ( a maximum of 5 people) to ensure that each person gets the opportunity for 1:1 support from Maddison. This workshop is hosted at my home pottery studio. Full address and details will be provided upon registration.
We will cover all of the fundamentals for both hand building and wheel throwing, spending our final workshop to explore the endless possibilities with different glazing and surface decoration techniques!
In Hand Building (Sessions 1 + 2) we will cover...
- Slab Built Pottery - using flat slabs of clay and templates to make flower vases, mugs, or a project of your choice.
- Coil Building - rolling out coils of clay to create a plant pot or fruit bowl
- Pinch Pots - taking a ball of clay and molding/pinching it into a bowl, ring dish, spoon rest, or candle holder
The options with hand building really are endless - feel free to come inspired and create whatever you'd like - Maddison is there to guide you.
During our pottery wheel lessons (Sessions 3 + 4) we will cover...
Wheel Lesson One
- Weighing + Wedging Demonstration
- Recycling Clay Explained
- Wheel Throwing Demonstration - learning how to throw a cylinder & add shape
- Time practicing on the wheel - with hands on guidance from Maddison
Wheel Lesson Two
- Pottery Trimming Demonstration - we will learn how to trim feet into our pots from the previous week, carve our initials to mark our work, and play with carving techniques to add texture to our work.
- Explaining Carving, Underglaze, Attaching Handles, Etc. - we will spend some time examining examples of different techniques, and then applying these techniques to our own projects.
- Free Time - trim, carve, attach handles, and decorate your work as you please.
Spare time?
- Continue to practice throwing on the pottery wheel - anything you create on your second wheel session will be tidied up and have your name marked in it by Maddison.
Maddison is committed to helping students understand the process so that they can rapidly gain confidence with the fundamentals of wheel throwing to help avoid many common mistakes that beginners make. Each person will receive pointers, and demonstrations to correct common mistakes; but it's also important to remember that making mistakes is how we learn, it's all part of the process, and regardless of the outcome; it's about committing to practice!
(Session 5)
During our final glazing workshop we will cover...
- What is glaze? Why do we use it?
- What is wax resist? Why do we use it?
- Combining glazes for special effects
- Hand Brushing VS Dipping Glazes
After Session 5 - your glazed work will be fired in the kiln once more to transform the glaze and clay to maturity. Once finished, your work will be labelled and set aside for you to pick up from the Pick Up Cabinet outside of my studio.
You will be notified via e-mail when your pottery workshop projects are ready to be picked up! Prompt pick up is appreciated! Local drop off can often be accommodated if necessary.
