Author: John Pickup

These workshops are a fun way to have a go at working with clay.  The workshops are fun, relaxed and everyone is welcome from complete beginners to experienced potters.  Groups are small with up to 8 people in a workshop.  Older children from 12 are very welcome to join.

The two-hour workshop will begin with a refreshment as I give you a quick demonstration of a hand-building technique that you can personalise.  I will then guide you through construction, decoration and how to finish your pot.   Your work will be fired and glazed, ready for you to collect approximately 3 weeks later.  No need to bring anything as it will all be provided for you.

Price:

£25 per person

Available dates:

1^st February – teacup and saucer

7^th March – tile making

4^th April – Herb pot and plant label

Time:

2-4pm

Book here or contact me at sam@clay-pots.co.uk to ask me any questions.

This week saw the last of the three trial classes that were on offer. I am very pleased to say that they went well, very well! The feedback from the children and the parents was better than I could have hoped for and they helped me tremendously to work out the ins and outs of what works for future classes, so a big thank you to all of you.

In the first lesson the children explored the clay by rolling, pinching, pressing and moulding to create their self portraits in clay. We also explored various mark making techniques to decorate a picture frame. In lesson two they got to paint their self portraits which had been bisque fired and learnt how to roll out clay to make shapes for their mobiles. In our final lesson small creatures for a fairy garden, as well as a few aliens, were made for some free play while each child had a go on the wheel – to much merriment and giggles!

In each of the three classes, we played games to stimulate creativity and learnt a lot about each other. It was a fun way to spend an afternoon and learning aside, the children relaxed and had fun. I have to admit a small failure though: I got so absorbed in the classes that I completely forgot to take photos of all the incredible work the children created. Not very good for marketing but at least the children didn’t miss out on anything.

The next round of classes start next week, Tuesday the 9th and Thursday the 11th of May. I am really looking forward to getting to know the new children and starting some new and exciting projects.

Welcome to my website! I hope you’ve had a good look around and like what you see. This new endeavour of mine has been months in the planning and I’m now looking forward to what will hopefully be the start of a busy and exciting time.

I thought I’d write a little background on how this idea all came about. I have a small studio attached to my home from where I make and sell my work. Although, this hasn’t always been the case as I began in a tiny shed at the bottom of our garden in our first house.

More recently, when I had my son, my attention was diverted wholeheartedly into childrearing. Through having my son however, I discovered, as many mums do I’m sure, that I loved being around children. They are enthusiastic, positive and bursting with energy.

When my son began school and I suddenly had some time on my hands, I wanted to bring those two wonderful things together: Clay and young children and so Clay Kids was born.

There is just something about getting your hands covered with mud that kids can’t resist! Clay is a great medium for learning about texture and form, and its possibilities are endless.