Tom and I just completed our first Large & Loose, Polished & Poetic Workshop here in Ohio - as many of you know, this is a throwing demonstration & saggar firing intensive workshop. We had a great crowd, full of enthusiasm and eager to head home and try all they learned.
Despite the rainy weather, the workshop began on time and in full brightness with our saggar firing.
Students brought all types of organic material for the firing and learned the subtle language of saggar firing and vapor fuming on pots in a gas kiln.
Next, Tom was up with this platter demonstration. First he threw small platters - then he ended up with a 35" platter thrown from 36lbs of clay. Once the form was thrown, he flipped it and show many exciting altering techniques.
The day ended with my throwing demonstration on saggar forms & surface treatment. The kiln went off in a fast 3 hours and we were all full and exhausted by the end of Saturday. Sunday morning began bright and early with Tom's demo of a 75lb vessel, 3 feet tall - thrown in 3 sections.
The demo went over many issues that come up, how to center that much clay, how to get control of it and how to build a huge vessel in just 3 hours.
Though many of the students will not be going home and throwing such a large piece, it was great for them to see how to get large fast with some strategies they had not considered.
The saggar unloading yielded many smiling faces....
As the pots were pulled from the kiln we learned why flashes occurred in some areas and not others, why the colors changed, how to build the kiln, how to fire it and just about everything necessary to get these eager students home and experimenting.
Read on, we've asked our students to tell you in their own words, what the experience was like - it's all in the "POSTS" below.
Finally....we've added another workshop this July in New York. July 26 & 27, from 9 to 4pm we'll do a second version of our Large & Loose, Polished & Poetic workshop.
Please join us at Blue Moon Clay Studio in Greenwich, NY. For more information, see my website and check out the workshop page. That 2 day firing intensive and throwing demonstration workshop is $275 for the weekend. Bring 1 to 4 pots for the saggar firing.
Tell you friends about this event too. We hope to see you there.
1 comment:
This was the best workshop I have ever attended. When artists are in there own studios the workshops go great. Tom and Brenda did a super job. I learned all I needed to take my work to a higher level.
Great Job !!!!
Thank You !!!!
Betsy Cox
Echo Valley Pottery
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