An opportunity to spend three whole days in mid summer deeply immersed in creative pottery processes in beautiful Somerset.
This is time for you spend accelerated learning a wide range ceramics techniques, including throwing on the potters wheel, glazing, Raku firing, hand building and making your own glazes.
You will develop skills on the wheel during one-to-one focused time learning how to make bowls, cups and various vessel forms. Tailored to your level of experience, if you are beginner will build your confidence and ability during the course so you have a good foundation and can make simple items on your own. If you have experience on the wheel we will work together to refine your practice and further your skills to make forms that challenge you and work to improve existing skills.
During the course you will have the opportunity to hand build larger items, these could be vessels, sculptures, wall pieces, we will explore processes such as slab building, coiling and press-moulding. We will look at different clays too, such as paperclay, sculptural clay and stoneware, so that you have a good grasp of the different clays that are available and what their individual working properties are.
Firing will be explored in depth, often neglected in pottery classes, you will be shown how to load kilns, program them and really understand firing cycles, empowering you with enough knowledge to carry on with your own kiln if you choose to.
We will also explore how to make glazes and slips, taking a dive into the beautiful work of colour chemistry, you will know how to make your own basic coloured glazes and slips, saving a small fortune on commercially produced glazes. This part of the course has been described by a past student as “glazes and glaze making demystified”
During the course we will also cover the fun and dramatic process of Raku firing, we will do the whole process from start to finish; making pieces such as vessels, sculpture and jewellery in clay then bisque firing them, making your own Raku glazes and then firing them outside to create the distinctive and beautiful Japanese inspired Raku ware. We will also cover how to build your own Raku kiln.
The classes will run from 10am till approximately 4pm every day, with a break for lunch, which we take together, a simple yet tasty and nutritious buffet lunch is provided each day. it’s an intensive program, covering a great deal yet it’s fun and creative and you will have a body of work that you are proud of to show for it. The location is a wonderfully relaxing and beautiful bio-dynamic farm just outside of the arty market town of Frome. There are beautiful riverside walks from the farm and lots places to draw inspiration and relax. You can stay in the Georgian farm house with its spacious rooms or at one of the on-site shepherds huts, there are glamping options or you can bring your own tent. There are also plenty of hotels, cottages and Airbnbs close by too.
This is a social and educational pottery retreat, ideal both if you wish to come on your own or with a friend. Very small class so you can really get the most out of the time.
*Price includes all materials, firings, lunches and refreshments.
An opportunity to spend three whole days in mid summer deeply immersed in creative pottery processes in beautiful Somerset.
This is time for you spend accelerated learning a wide range ceramics techniques, including throwing on the potters wheel, glazing, Raku firing, hand building and making your own glazes.
You will develop skills on the wheel during one-to-one focused time learning how to make bowls, cups and various vessel forms. Tailored to your level of experience, if you are beginner will build your confidence and ability during the course so you have a good foundation and can make simple items on your own. If you have experience on the wheel we will work together to refine your practice and further your skills to make forms that challenge you and work to improve existing skills.
During the course you will have the opportunity to hand build larger items, these could be vessels, sculptures, wall pieces, we will explore processes such as slab building, coiling and press-moulding. We will look at different clays too, such as paperclay, sculptural clay and stoneware, so that you have a good grasp of the different clays that are available and what their individual working properties are.
Firing will be explored in depth, often neglected in pottery classes, you will be shown how to load kilns, program them and really understand firing cycles, empowering you with enough knowledge to carry on with your own kiln if you choose to.
We will also explore how to make glazes and slips, taking a dive into the beautiful work of colour chemistry, you will know how to make your own basic coloured glazes and slips, saving a small fortune on commercially produced glazes. This part of the course has been described by a past student as “glazes and glaze making demystified”
During the course we will also cover the fun and dramatic process of Raku firing, we will do the whole process from start to finish; making pieces such as vessels, sculpture and jewellery in clay then bisque firing them, making your own Raku glazes and then firing them outside to create the distinctive and beautiful Japanese inspired Raku ware. We will also cover how to build your own Raku kiln.
The classes will run from 10am till approximately 4pm every day, with a break for lunch, which we take together, a simple yet tasty and nutritious buffet lunch is provided each day. it’s an intensive program, covering a great deal yet it’s fun and creative and you will have a body of work that you are proud of to show for it. The location is a wonderfully relaxing and beautiful bio-dynamic farm just outside of the arty market town of Frome. There are beautiful riverside walks from the farm and lots places to draw inspiration and relax. You can stay in the Georgian farm house with its spacious rooms or at one of the on-site shepherds huts, there are glamping options or you can bring your own tent. There are also plenty of hotels, cottages and Airbnbs close by too.
This is a social and educational pottery retreat, ideal both if you wish to come on your own or with a friend. Very small class so you can really get the most out of the time.
*Price includes all materials, firings, lunches and refreshments.
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