Pottery Masterclass: Introduction to hand-built pottery

What You Will Learn

In this workshop you will be introduced to making in clay and learn several hand-building techniques that can be used to make a variety of objects. You will learn how to prepare the stoneware clay and manipulate it through slabs, coils and pinching. These techniques will be used to obtain a finished piece of your choice, for example a mug, vase or sculpture. Finally, you would be taught how to finish and prepare your piece for firing with the option of adding surface texture and/or colour. 

You will be able to choose from a range of different objects/forms to make and will finish with one larger or two smaller pieces ready for firing! Feel free to bring a favourite mug/vessel/pottery for inspiration.  You can leave your pieces simple and plain, or experiment with a neutral colour palette of underglazes for colour. Jean will also provide a variety of found objects for imprinting and mark making in the clay, and you are welcome to bring anything you would like to experiment with! Examples of things that work particularly well are seed heads, fine foliage, lace, mesh and fabrics etc.

At the end of the workshop, you will have one/two vessels that will be left with us to dry out, fired, glazed and fired again. These will be available for collection a few weeks later. We can arrange postage for a small fee.

To see photos and films of our past workshops, click here. 

What to bring

Everything you need for the workshop will be provided including aprons but please wear something you don’t mind getting dirty. Please be aware that pottery involves the use of sharp tools.

Skill Level

Beginners and improvers.

Number of places available

6

Your tutor for the day: Jean Crosbie

Jean Crosbie is a potter and textile artist based in Kent, UK. She has been a potter for over 20 years and has exhibited and sold her work at numerous locations across the south-east. With a focus on hand building, each piece is unique and incorporates abstract patterns in sgraffito and oxides using found objects for mark making.

A key theme in Jean’s work is botanical imprints and forms, such as poppy seed heads. She also sculpts and slab builds pots of varying scales for plants, where the plants become part of the piece themselves. Larger scale planters are filled with succulents and alpines with the textures of the plants and the clay forming a symbiotic relationship.

@jeancrosbiepottery

Schedule on the day

Please arrive at the studio at 1.15pm ready for the workshop to begin promptly at 1.30pm.

We will have a tea break in the afternoon and we will provide hot drinks and biscuits - let us know if you have any allergies/requirements. 

Travel

High Brooms railway station is approx. 15 minutes walk from the studio and provides direct train links to London and the South East. There is a metered car park (Yew Tree road) located 5 minutes walk from the studio, and some on street parking is available.

Accessibility

The studio is on the ground floor, with one step at the threshold. Please get in touch if you have any questions about access and we will be happy to chat about it in more detail and do what we can to accommodate you.

Cancellations

Bookings for our workshops and studio sessions are non-refundable. Please check the dates and details above carefully before you confirm your booking.

If government restrictions dictate that we need to cancel the workshop for any reason due to Covid-19 will refund the total cost of the workshop. When we are able to reschedule, we will offer first refusal to those who previously signed up.

Read Event Terms and Conditions here.