Rural Arts offer a wide range of ceramic workshops aimed at making the medium accessible and encouraging the participants to be as creative as possible. Workshops concentrate on hand building using a wide variety of clays and glazing techniques. Our studio base is equipped with an electric kiln in order that artists can fire pieces made at workshops before returning them to participants.
Ceramic murals:
This group activity concentrates on producing hand made tiles in a variety of ways. After biscuit firing the tiles can be hand painted using colourful underglazes and gold lustres or decorated with glazes and fired in the raku method.
The finished tiles are mounted together in a frame making a striking ceramic mural to decorate the walls of the groups village hall, community centre or school.
Ceramic sculpture:
Participants can use the hand building and glazing techniques described above to create sculptural 3D objects that can be used as garden ornamentation. For example a group working together could produce a set of ceramic totem poles to decorate a community space.
Hand built pots and tiles:
Participants are encouraged to experiment with a number of hand building techniques to produce planters, gargoyles, decorative plaques, tiles, etc. If necessary a second workshop will be held after the pieces have been biscuit fired so that participants can experiment with glazing techniques.
Raku firing:
Two sessions are required for this technique. At the first session participants will construct hand built clay objects, for example pots or tiles. After an interval, which will allow the objects to be dried and biscuit fired,a second session will be arranged where glaze can be applied and participants can become involved in firing using our mobile gas fired dustbin kiln. A safe outdoor space is necessary for this kiln.
Hand and foot casting:
A simple casting process that takes the imprint of hand or foot and turns it into an acurate cast in plaster that can then be decorated. The methods employed to do this are safe to use with small children and the results can be incorporated in a large display or framed individually to mark a special point in time. Particularly suited to preschool and primary ages.
Direct Mosaic Method:
The direct method of mosaic involves cutting mosaic tiles, normally either Venetian glass or porcelain, and applying them straight onto a board or similar. This technique can be used to produce individual pieces of work such as pictures and teapot stands or a group could design and produce a mosaic mural. This method is generally only suited to indoor use.
Indirect Method:
This technique involves laying the mosaic out on a board with the pieces upside down and temporarily fixed. The finished work is eventually cast into concrete slabs making the work suitable for outdoor use. Participants can work individually on stepping stones for their garden, house name plaques or similar. Alternatively a group could design and work together to produce a mosaic floor or wall mural for their community space.
Pebble Mosaic:
This method involves setting a variety of different coloured stones into a concrete base to produce a highly decorative external floor. Materials used can include Scottish beach pebbles, marble sets and slate. This technique is only suitable for group work.
Photo Mosaic:
See photography section.
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