5 day Teapot making: Patia Davis & guest demonstrator Bridget Drakeford
Tea and teapots came from China to England in the seventeen hundreds and potters ever since have been continually drawn towards the delights and challenges of this complex form. Today the teapot idiom is now quintessentially part of our English culture.
On this five day teapot course, students will tackle the making of separate components – body, spout, lid and handle. Tutorial and demonstration will swiftly advance towards the subtle relationships of these individual parts and how they come together to make a harmonious and unified whole.
Encouragement will be given to students to express their own personal creative response to the teapot form, while considering proportion and rightness for purpose; it’s ability for pouring and potentially solving some of it’s trickiest problems. ‘the dribblesome teapot spout!’. The teapot can be so many things from exuberant, fun and quirky, to simple, bold, and timeless; in fact there are as many possibilities as there are personalities.
There will be a choice of two clays, a Wobage stoneware or earthenware, both great throwing bodies. There will not be a glazing element on offer, therefore students will be encouraged to use the clay which most suits their usual practice, high-firing or low-firing. A maximum of four teapots can be selected for us to bisque fire at Wobage. Others may be taken away green. A small materials and firing charge will be made in addition to the course fee.
As part of the course, one afternoon will be spent enjoying a demonstration by Bridget Drakeford, watching her making exquisite porcelain teapots. Bridget often uses other materials (silver and wood) as part of her porcelain teapot vocabulary.
The course begins at 10am on the first morning, completing at 4pm on the last day. Tuition hours are otherwise 9am – 5pm. A fabulous home-made vegetarian lunch along with morning and afternoon refreshments are included in the price of this course.
Patia Davis joined the Workshops at Wobage in 1991 after training at Harrow and Cardiff. She is a Professional member of the Craft Potters Association of Great Britain. More information about Patia Davis.
Bridget Drakeford, a long-time friend to Wobage and it’s makers, lives and works in nearby Fownhope. She has been making pots since 1977. Her refined porcelain has earned her an International reputation, she exhibits widely in the U.K and abroad. She is a Professional member of the Craft Potters Association of Great Britain. More information about Bridget Drakeford
To find out about availability or to book a place please visit the booking page.