Collage with clay: Combining thrown and hand-built elements
Monday 19th - Friday 23rd May 2025
SUMMARY
This five-day workshop will focus on combining and constructing with thrown and slab-built components to create sculptural lidded vessels and bottle forms.
THE COURSE IN DETAIL
Working with a red stoneware clay Amanda-Sue will share how she plans, designs and creates her vessels as well as how she achieves different qualities of surface through mark-making with tools and brushed-on washes of oxides and stains.
Students will explore how they can work with multiple, contrasting clay elements to infuse a new expressive dimension to their work. Constructing with multiple elements also offers up the opportunity to increase the scale, especially for tall and narrow forms.
Amanda-Sue will give a series of demonstrations and students will receive plenty of individual guidance.
COURSE BREAKDOWN
DAY 1: Intro, Surface Tests + Bottles
AM - Amanda-Sue will start the course with a discussion on constructing with contrasting elements such as round and straight / short and tall / wide and narrow / smooth and ridged etc. Students will then start to apply oxides and washes onto pre-prepared bisqueware tiles with a variety of surface finishes from smooth to textured – which will be fired and out of the kiln by the end of the week.
PM – Amanda-Sue will demonstrate throwing bottle forms with contrasting bodies and necks and will guide students in throwing two component bottle forms (body and neck).
DAY 2: Lidded Vessels
AM & PM - Amanda-Sue will give demonstrations on throwing lids and body forms, as well as spheres, off the hump. Students will throw lidded vessels and be shown how to prepare slabs, ready for day three.
DAY 3: Preparing Slab Elements + Turning
AM & PM - Amanda-Sue will give demonstrations on turning lids, prepping and applying texture to previously made slabs and making a chuck to turn spheres. Students will turn elements from the previous day’s throwing and prepare slabs.
DAYs 4 & 5: Assembling Lidded Vessels and Bottle Forms
AM & PM - Amanda-Sue will give demonstrations on assembling and joining slabs on lids and joining thrown components together. Students will finish off turning elements, assembling and joining work.
On the final day students will assess the fired tests from the start of the week, and the workshop will conclude with a review of finished work and of the week’s experience.
Firing
This will be an intensive making and refining workshop and there will be no specific kiln firing during the week, other than of the test tiles made on the first day. We will encourage students to make a careful selection of pieces to be bisque fired following the course.
Please note, there will be a small additional firing charge for final pieces. Details of our firing charges can be found in our Student Contract.
Please read our Student Contract here.
Please also note, we do not offer a glazing service.
About amanda-sue
With a background in fine art and design Amanda-Sue came to ceramics in 2012, making it the focus of her practice in 2015. She works from her studio in South-East London, Grove Vale Ceramics – a workspace and gallery she co-founded with Lise Herud Braten in 2020. Amanda- Sue has been teaching ceramics since 2018 and is a Selected Member of the Craft Potters Association.
Amanda-Sue’s work is inspired by the geometry and richness of the built environment, from Neolithic stone circles to Gothic cathedrals through to industrial and domestic buildings of the 20th century. She incorporates both wheel-thrown and hand-building techniques in her making, focusing on themes of stacking, propping and layering to create sculptural lidded vessels and tower-like forms punctuated with areas of detailing and rhythmic textured surfaces. Colours range from earthy and elemental to spots of saturated acid and pastel hues created using a range of oxides and engobes. Glaze is applied to the inside of the vessel accentuating the transition from exterior to interior. The works can be experienced either standing alone or in groups echoing sculptural still-life and cityscapes.
THE SCHEDULE
DAY 1 - Arrive 9am Monday 19th May
Welcome Breakfast (from 9am - 10am). The session will start at 10am and will finish at 5pm. Students may continue to use the facilities until 7pm.
DAY 2 - Arrive 9:30am Tuesday 20th May
On the second day the session will start at 9:30am and will finish at 5pm. Students may continue to use the facilities until 7pm.
DAY 3 - Arrive 9:30am Wednesday 21st May
On the third day the session will start at 9:30am and will finish at 5pm. Students may continue to use the facilities until 7pm.
DAY 4 - Arrive 9:30am Thursday 22nd May
On the fourth day the session will start at 9:30am and will finish at 5pm. Students may continue to use the facilities until 7pm.
DAY 5 - Arrive 9:30am Friday 23rd May
On the final day the session will start at 9:30am and will finish at 4pm. All facilities will close at 4pm.
A two-course lunch is provided every day. Please inform us of any special dietary requirements at the time of booking.
PAYMENT
This cost for this five-day course is £1,100. This cost includes all necessary materials, tools, refreshments, a superb two-course lunch every day and a Welcome Breakfast on the first day.
You can pay in full or pay a deposit by clicking on the ‘Book Now’ button above. If you choose to pay a deposit we will contact you to arrange paying the remainder of your balance in instalments.
Before you book a course, please make sure you read our terms and conditions page here.
Please also read our Student Contract here.
TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION
The Ceramic Studio is located on a beautiful orchard in Brenchley, and there are lots of lovely surrounding towns and villages offering numerous places to stay.
We are happy to arrange transits to and from your accommodation to the studio for the duration of your course. Please get in touch to arrange this. Please email the office team at info@theceramicstudio.co.uk. To see examples of local accommodation, click here.
Date: Monday 19th - Friday 23rd May 2025
Duration: Five-day workshop
Venue: The Ceramic Studio (Brenchley)
Class Size: Maximum 10 students
Level: Suitable for those with some experience in throwing and those with an interest in combining throwing with hand building
Clay type: Red Stoneware
Cost: £1,100 (pay in full or in instalments)
