Our Hand Building Classes are on Thursdays with sessions available in the morning and the afternoon. It is taught by Helen Rondell who has over 20 years experience of hand building her own sculptural pieces.
The course starts with coiling - the most ancient method of forming vessels with clay. This is a wonderfully meditative technique and you can set your own pace to create interesting and unique work. One of the benefits of coiling is that you are not restricted on form or size so any shape can be created.
Helen will initially demonstrate how to control form with small bottles and then how to thin and smooth to give a professional finish. Once you have learnt how to control the shape you will move on to creating larger impactful pieces using flat coils.
We will look at other artists who hand build their work and investigate some of the techniques they use. In addition to bowls, bottles and vases, you will explore different forms and sculptural pieces. You will also get the chance to try working with larger slabs of clay in collaboration with coiling to produce more intriguing forms - adding angles, curves and dips as well as creating texture as a contrast to smooth surfaces
You will learn about refining, burnishing and different firing methods. At the end of the course, you will select a few of your items to be smoke-fired. This method of firing produces patterns of soft, smoky clouds of earthy colours which accentuate curves and forms. Smoke-firing is very unpredictable, but this adds to the fun and excitement!
By the end of this course you can not only expect to have learnt a lot, but to also have produced some unique sculptural statement pieces.
This course is suitable for all levels.
EARLY SUMMER TERM DATES
Thursday 9th May - Thursday 27th June 2024.
8 week term
Hand Building Classes take place every Thursday.
Morning Sessions: 9:30am - 12:30pm
Afternoon Sessions: 1pm - 4pm
Tutor - Helen Rondell
£280 for 8 weeks
