Sat, Aug 1st, 2015 Each Day, Makes a Week...
Our ceramic workshop of 9-days, consisted of 4 full studio days, 8am to 8 pm, with a late night open til 10pm. Some students were in the clay studio at the earliest opportunity, while others took advantage of the late nights.
Each ceramic workshop day began with a 1-hour yoga class at 7:30am; then clay studio time after that. Instruction begins at 10am to 12:30. After lunch there was teaching again from 4-6:30 pm. In between, students can work as much or as little as they want and I was there to help or advise.
Our first day at the ceramic workshop in Italy was intro to the wheel with lots of practice time. Day two we began handbulding projects. Day three participants learned about trimming, burnishing and terra sigillata, day 4 was all about finishing & preparing our pots for the bisque firing and eventual saggar firing.
A drive thru chianti hills on bisque day, along with a visit with traditional potter Mario Marinari to watch him hand form large terra cotta planters left students with inspiration and ideas, as well as a respect for the heritage of handmade craft.
All this prepared us for the next phase, paper pod saggar firing process at our ceramic workshop in Tuscany, Italy.