Two workshops!

Two day participatory workshop Monday/Tuesday March 24-25, 2008 3pm-9pm Workshop fee- $200 includes materials and dinner

Three day participatory workshop Friday-Saturday March 28-30, 2008 9am-3pm Workshop fee- $275 includes materials and lunch

with David Roberts

On his first American workshop tour

David Roberts, a distinguished English Potter, has established himself as a leading international practioner in Raku ceramics. He is acknowledged in the community of ceramicists as being responsible for introducing and promoting modern, large scale, Raku in Britain. In his exploration of a technique which has its origin in the making of small vessels for the Tea Ceremony in late sixteenth-century Japan, David Roberts has transformed it into a vibrant and contemporary art form. His work can be found in public and private collections in Europe and America.

FREE slide presentation Friday March 28, 2008 7pm Open to the Public!

Sign-up Form for David Roberts workshops (MicrosoftWord .doc file)

Workshop information and materials-

Painting With Smoke-
The workshop will focus upon naked raku, in particular the use of a simple slip and raku glaze to create and control smoke markings to begin a personal ceramic iconography. In order to facilitate the development of surface marks, patterns and images participants will decorate a series of their own pre bisque fired test pieces. Decorating processes will include; non ceramic resists, resist slip with or without glaze, incising, trailing, brushing and pouring techniques. Participants will also be encouraged to get invoved in the Raku firing and post firing processes.

Materials for Participants to bring

*Each person to bring 5 or 6 bisqued slabs made from a light coloured clay suitable for raku firing. The slab blanks are to be 10" long x 5" high x 3/8" thickness. At least one, ideally the inner curve, surface needs to be as smooth as possible..........two or three pieces could be burnished or terra sigillated..........and two or three pieces just very smooth clay.........no thumb marks, creases. scratches etc. just dead smooth. I do not expect to fire all these pieces.......some will be spares in case of accidents! Rough sketch of slab

*sketch book and drawing materials

*slip tailers, a variety of brushes for decorating pieces(specialised ceramic or just general including house decorating brushes)

*your own ceramic hand tools + for incising onto delicate burnished surfaces- cocktail sticks or similar + metal pins or trimming needles

*protective clothing including heat resistant gloves and if possible their own raku tongs