Want learn about ceramics? Can’t make it to a local ceramics class? Start on your kitchen table with Diana’s Clay Club Box and a host of videos to follow.
I am a professional sculptor and I have been teaching ceramics for about six years. I run weekly classes in my studio as well as taster sessions and parties for duos, families, groups of adults or groups of children.
When you can’t make it to my studio then pick up a box and work at home.
Don’t be daunted if you’ve never done it before. Take a look at some of my short video’s and get a taste for it.
Don’t know what to make? Let’s go through some questions. Do you want to make a pot or a sculpture? If the answer is pot then there are three ways you can hand-build a pot at home.
- pinch pot
- coil pot
- slab pot
If you’d like to make a sculpture what would be your subject?
- animal, sea creature, dinosaur, cartoon character, bird, pet
- nature inspired – leaves, seed pods, flowers
- abstract form – curves and shapes from your imagination
Get started
Take the board out of the box and the bag of clay. Open the bag of clay and using the cheese wire cut the amount of clay you wish to use. You can add or take away clay in the process of creating using water or slip to stick bits together. Keep the bag of clay air tight when not using. Follow the videos on how to make a pot or sculpture.
Golden rules
Scrunching up bits of clay will trap air pockets into the clay and is likely to cause your work to break in the kiln. Folding clay over itself can also trap air and come apart in the kiln. Keep your work moist with a gentle spray of water and wrap it up with polythene between sessions of work and when finished. Letting your work dry out completely will make it very fragile and likely to break in transit.
Above all play and have fun, be inventive and see what happens.
When you have finished making your creation wrap it up and put it back in the box and bring it to my studio. Ring or text in advance.
STUDIO OPENING TIMES
MONDAY 7.00pm-9.00pm
TUESDAY 10.30am – 12.30am
WEDNESDAY 7.00pm-9.00pm
THURSDAY CLOSED
FRIDAY 10.30am-12.30am
SATURDAY 11.00am-1.00pm
SUNDAY CLOSED
It will take at least a week to dry out in my studio before first firing to bisque-ware, ready for glaze application.
I will contact you when your work is ready to collect at which point you can choose your glaze colours and learn about how to apply glaze. More videos on glaze application are available for you to follow at home. Glazes are sent out on loan so bring the glaze back for someone else to use when you bring your work back to my studio for the second firing.
I will contact you when your work is fired and ready to take home and treasure.
Want to do more? You can purchase materials from me and pay for firing
- Clay 2kg = £10
- Glazes = £2.00 – £5.00 depending on amount and type used
- Firing = £5 per mug sized item or £15 per shelf (each item requires two firings)
One-to-One FaceTime sessions available for personal tuition at £27.50 per half-hour.
Post photos of your creations on the Instagram @DIANA’S CLAY CLUB