Earthenware Slip decoration – 4½ day Improvers with Patia Davis – June ’24
During this 4½ day Improvers, Patia will be sharing the secrets of her vocabulary of alluring and lively mark-making in slip-decorated earthenware, including her tin-can trailing methods. Pleasure in English slipware runs deep in our culture; these lively, robust, warmly decorated pots are so relatable too, and continue to provide us with inspiration today.
This course considers both traditional and contemporary approaches to slip application, methods which grew out of post-medieval English pot-making and then later flourished in the celebrated 17th and 18th chargers and elaborate slipwares of Staffordshire.
The schedule will allow for a strong emphasis on experimentation, both in exploring technique and in assisting each student’s approach to the development of design and mark-making in slips. Following this, participants will experiment with making and decorating slabbed, hump-moulded flatwares. There will also be opportunity to make wheel-thrown and altered shallow-walled bakers and servers.
The workshop welcomes Intermediate and Advanced makers of varied levels of experience and ability, but is not open to absolute Beginners. You need to have had some previous experience working with clay, but if you are new to earthenware and slip-decoration, you are very welcome to apply for a place.
Patia will help you to select a maximum of six of the best completed shallow dishes and bakers which she will later raw-glaze and gloss fire, for students to collect at a later date. A charge in addition to the course fee will be made for these fired pots at £4/lb for gloss firing. These will be weighed and invoiced post-firing. If they wish, participants may also take home a small selection of raw pots, which will be charged for at the end of the course, at £2/lb.
The studio invites a maximum of 9 students for this course. Arrivals are welcome from 1.30pm on the first day, Wednesday 19th June , with a prompt start at 2pm, finishing at 5pm. Tuition hours are otherwise 10am – 4pm. The studio is freely available for students to work outside of these hours, early or late. A home-made vegetarian lunch along with morning and afternoon refreshments are included in the price of this course.
Patia’s beautiful slip-decorated earthenware has become internationally celebrated and collected in recent years. Whilst being rooted in traditional methods, it exhibits a contemporary timelessness and expertise, which along with close influences from the nature around her home in the Forest of Dean, makes for an intriguing and seductive range of practical pots. More information about Patia and her work is available on the Tutors pages.
To find out about availability or to book a place please visit the booking page.
This course is now fully booked with the maximum 9 students, and has received many more further enquiries than there are places. Further contact details from any additional enquiries will be added to a reserve list.
