MINIATURES & TOYS Workshop
Clay Wheelbarrow
Utilize everything learned in kindergarten; all of that poking, prodding, pinching, oozing and squishing have finally landed in the right place. What's that! You didn't go to kindergarten! Miniatures and toys is still the right place for you; you are about to find out all that you missed or have forgotten. Spend a couple hours with a lump of clay building everything you little heart desires, in miniature of course. Now that you have the engineering experience of an axle and the expertise of a lever you can create everything from an Egyptian chariot to a rocking chair. Bring your own ideas or borrow a few of ours. Come prepared to have a wonderful time; remember to dress down to play in the clay.
New projects every week in this four part workshop. The fee for the work is $125; this covers your clays, glazes and firings. The prerequisite is that you must be an adult willing to be one with the clay.
Colored Clays
Sake Cup
We will mix
colored clays by adding ceramic pigments to the basic clay body. Slabs of
these contrasting colored clays are laid on one another, pressed into a
block or loaf, then cut into strips, sort of like a slice of bacon, then
joined together to form a slab. The resultant slab is used to make
pottery.
This technique is called Neriage when pressed into molds, as it's done in Japan. In the West it's called Agate Ware. We just refer to it simply as colored clay. In this workshop we will make an exquisite teacup like the fine one pictured here. Other colored item leading up to this cup will be covered during the four weeks we meet.
The workshop fee of $93 includes your supplies and use of the studio's tools. Firing of your teacup is done at no extra charge. It may be picked up a week after the workshop or you may arrange to have it mailed directly to you for a nominal charge (just to enough to recover shipping and handling costs).
Fused Glass Jewelry
Fused Glass Pin and Earrings
Have Kiln,
Will Fire”. Melting glass at high temperatures to form a sought after
outcome is the basis of fused glass. We will experiment with glass fusion
techniques and acquiring new skills along the way. There are no
prerequisites for this workshop, because we are starting with the basics
and building up from there.
In this 4 sessions hands on workshop , we will experiment with “painting”, inclusions/embedding, laminating dissimilar colors together and printing patterns in glass to form earrings, pins, pendants and other baubles. Here is a fascinating opportunity to learn innovative fused glass for jewelry.
Workshop fee, $127 includes your glass, uses studio tools, firing, findings and supplies for this workshop. Workshop is limited to five participants.
Egyptian Paste
Faience Couple
Egyptian paste reputed to be around
since 5000 B.C. is a self-glazing clay and is more of a glass paste than
clay; it is far less pliable than clay, but its self-glazing properties
make it the ideal media for single firings. Surprisingly, modern masters
have not achieved the craftsmanship of the ancient Egyptians in this
media, but that won't stop us from having a lot of fun trying!
Most clay artists tend to limit themselves to bead making when working with Egyptian paste however in this workshop we shall learn innumerable objects of art that may be fashioned. A Truly “hands-on” 4 sessions two-hour workshop, all your supplies are included the $93 fee. Tools will be provided for in studio use and we will fire the objects for you. For a nominal extra charge we will even ship your fired pieces to you. This workshop “must take” for teachers and potters alike - the potential for new ideas are endless.
Small Sculpture Workshop
metamorphosis
Squishing and squeezing clay into small sculptures you
already have the talent to do, whether or not it is clear to you. See how
much this develops when you spend a couple of hours with a lump of clay in
a creative environment.
Acquire techniques in hand modeling and carving clay, while you create
your masterpiece, you will learn about engineering aspects of constructing
small clay figures.
If you wish you may use our tools while in our studio. Your finished
sculptures will be fired in our kiln (materials and firing included with
workshop fee). We will be working with the stoneware clay.
Suitable for all levels of adults, plan on being spontaneous!
Workshop starts Thursday, June 1st at 9:00 AM; the workshop cost is $125
for 2 hours per week for 4 weeks. See calendar for details on workshop
page.
Arrangements may be made to have your fired work shipped to you. The
maximum number of participants in this workshop is six.
Press Mold Workshop
press mold and print
Take mold making down to its most fundamental components and you'll have
the press mold; once you understand this simplest unit even intricate
molds are uncomplicated. Potters referred to this basic one-piece mold as
a press mold/dropout mold; a bit of clay can be pressed into this mold
then pulled out perpendicularly out, the mother of all molds.
In this workshop, we will expound upon the press mold, and the many materials that it can be made from. We'll start with the most effortless clay impression in the first session, and then work through plaster up to RTV (room temperature vulgarizing-rubber) in the latter sessions.
Participants are encouraged to make their own prototypes to be molded; works under 5 inches in diameter are ideal candidates for this workshop; larger items will be discussed, but not executed.
Clay, plaster, RTV and other supplies are included in the $127 fee for this workshop. Space is limited to five participants therefore early registration highly is recommended.
Miniature Pottery Workshop
clay doodling
Create pottery, miniature pots, bowls, plates, cups,
vases... using two of the most ancient clay building techniques, namely
coil construction and pinching a pot. To these methods your instructor
with add her own flair of creating ceramics vessels.
Laying coils of clay upon one another to form pottery is an age-old
technique still used by master craftsmen today. By pinching clay with your
hands, you can make the simplest of all pottery, a pinch pot, sometimes
called a thumb pot. Going far beyond the basics, you will be shown how to
join clay, attach handles and place a foot on pots.
Instructions on how to embellish the surface with texture and decorated
with colored slips will yield some rather sophisticated results. This is
in all levels class; instructor will proceed at your level.
Your $125 fee includes all materials, firing and instruction for 4 “hands
on” sessions. You may bring your own tools or use ours.
Miniature Mask Workshop
masks
Venture into mask making, it's enjoyable way to introduce yourself
to the clay media. It's a relatively
easy to construct miniature mask in clay by hand. In the space of this
workshop you will have everything you need to create a half-dozen or so.
This workshop is for the beginner as well as artist. There are numerous examples of miniature mask in semiprecious stone, wood, bone/Ivory and yes, ceramic. Miniature mask have been used to teach stories to children, for jewelry, even for beads/pendants, for emblem of power (a head on a stick for example), for symbol of ancestor/animal/deity, for theatrical imagery and for dolls/puppets; however, in modern times they've become collectible for their own sake.
$95 includes, your materials, your firing, your instructor,
and the use of studio tools for this workshop.