Ceramics Hand Building Courses

Class description

Beginners Hand Building 6 Week Courses Wednesday 18th June - Wednesday 23rd July 10:30 - 13:00 and also - Thursday 12th June - Thursday 17th July 18:00 - 20:30 What will I learn: Wedging clay - Slab building - The coiling and pinching methods - Slip decoration - Which tools you need for various techniques - Joining pieces to attach handles and decorative elements - Sgraffito decoration - Using plaster hump molds - Trimming and refining pieces - Applying brush on glaze What is included? During this course you will be guided through tutorials and then given the opportunity to explore your own ideas and projects with advice from your tutor and professional potter, Ruth. All materials are included. You will be making using stoneware clay and decorating with coloured slips and brush on glazes. Each person is entitled to the firing of 5 pieces. Any extras can be processed for a fee. Who is this course for? This 6 week course is aimed at beginners. Suitable for anyone aged 18+ Course structure: Weeks 1 & 2 - Kick off with an introduction to ceramic materials and the processes of making and firing ceramics. You will learn how to prepare your clay and be guided through some simple tutorials to teach you the various hand building techniques. Weeks 3 & 4 - You are free to work on your own projects and ideas to help practice what you’ve learnt so far and build on your skills. Come with ideas and your tutor will guide you! Week 5 - The cut off for firings. This session is dedicated to refining your work before it goes into a bisque firing. Week 6 - Glazing your pots! They will then be fired again after the session and will be ready to collect in a few weeks time. Ruth Aislabie is a ceramic artist and tutor who has been working in the industry for over 5 years. She runs the popular ceramics brand Fubsies, where she makes playful and whimsical character based pieces, designed to brighten your day with their bright colours and smiling faces. Ruth uses a wide range of ceramic techniques in her own work including wheel throwing, hand building details and painting surface decoration.