Hands in clay, mind set free: a hand-building pottery workshop
No experience needed, just a free afternoon: a hand-building workshop is a gentle way to slow down and make a cup that is entirely your own.
Pottery workshops keep growing in popularity, from office workers looking to unwind to families wanting a weekend activity. A typical hand-building session goes like this.
Getting to know the clay
The instructor introduces the clay and shows how to knead it soft and push out air. A few minutes with clay in your hands and everyone slows down.
Shaping
Each person makes a cup, bowl or small plate by pinching or coiling. There is no right or wrong, only the shape your hands want.
Decorating
Surfaces can be carved, pressed with leaves or left plain. This is when each piece starts to carry its maker's mark.
Waiting for the kiln
Pieces need drying, a bisque firing, glazing and a second firing, so finished work usually comes back after a few weeks. Unwrapping a cup you made yourself is always worth the wait.