
Workshops Pottery Holiday France
Workshops
Pottery Workshops + full board and lodging
The pottery
workshops are for beginning as well as for advanced potters.
Experience is not necessary; you work at your own level of skill
and improve your own craftsmanship. The first three days we will
be at the throwing-tables. After that your first fired objects
will be glazed. Glazing is an almost magical process in which
quartz mixed with metal oxides complete your work. By the intense
heat of the kiln (more than 1000 degrees centigrade) the object is
changed from clay into crockery. On the final day of the course
your work will be fired by one of the special techniques
(depending on the week). This can either be Raku, Anagama or
Crystalline-glazing. For more information on these firing
techniques, please see “themes”. Apart from the main theme, every
week has a second theme: during the Crystalline weeks for example
we work with a Pitfire too… The daring amongst you can help play
with fire while the Anagama, Raku or Pitfire is being used. When
in doubt about what theme to choose, feel free to contact us.
Beginners will learn the
basic principals of throwing and glazing.
Advanced can find out about the different techniques of throwing,
e.g. making bottleneck or round vases. You can also work on making
your own glazes.
Children can participate in the course; it is up to you as a
parent to decide whether your child can concentrate and work
independently.
The day: breakfast will be served from 8
till 9 o’clock, after which the lessons start. There will be a
coffee break around 10.30 and lunch will be served at one o’clock
. The afternoons are free: you can continue working in the
workshop or do something else. Tea and coffee will be served
around four and we’ll have dinner at seven o’clock.
The week: on your first day you can arrive from 3 o’clock onwards.
Our first meal together will be at 7 o’clock . Day 2 to day 6: see
above. On the last day the kilns will be opened after breakfast,
you can clean up and pack your things; the ceramic centre closes
at noon.
Equipment: The workshop is
fully equiped with 15 throwing-tables, a pug mill to recycle used
clay, two electric kilns, a gaz-kiln, a mini anagama (wood kiln),
over 50 raw materials to make glazes and all sorts of tools.
Advanced throwers may want to bring their own tools. At the end of
the week everyone returns home with one or more finished objects.
The teacher: the workshops are taught by Bo Filarski. All products
shown on this site are made by her.
(For questions about how much clay you
can use, what to wear, partners, diets, children, dogs etc please
see “Conditions” at the prices page. For all other questions feel
free to contact us.)