Special Offer
Glaze Club
Description
Budding potters usually buy pre-mixed glazes from a glaze supplier however it is a bit like buying a packet cake mix from a supermarket – everyone’s cake will taste the same! That's just fine but....did you know with a little bit of knowledge and practice you could be making your own glazes AND saving a heap of money too?
Learn the fundamentals of glaze testing and development and gain insights into the basics of glaze colourants. Experiment with multiple testing methods to achieve personalised glazes and colours!
This weekly Glaze Club with Amelia Black will explore all aspects of glazing in a weekly class format in 6-week blocks. Students will be introduced to glaze theory and chemistry and then specialise in creating glazes of personal interest as the term progresses. You will also be introduced to some structured methods for creating an accurate reproducible palette of colours for use in ceramic glazes. Using mid-temperature firings experienced ceramic artist and glaze technician Amelia Black* will be your guide as she unpacks the mysteries of glaze and colour development in easy to understand terms.
When: Tuesday evenings, 6 -8.30pm
Venue: Slow Clay Centre, 13 Keele St, Collingwood, Victoria
Join experienced ceramic artist and glaze technician Amelia Black* for an immersive hands-on specialist ceramics glaze course.
Pre-requisites: No prior experience in mixing glazes is required although understanding of specialist ceramic terms such as oxidation/reduction/earthenware/stoneware/vitrification/maturity etc will be helpful to you. . This workshop is suitable for beginners and intermediate-level clay workers looking to expand their knowledge and skills in ceramic glaze testing. All materials and tools will be provided.
You will leave with a deeper understanding of how to work with colour in ceramics, the volumetric blending method, and the confidence to keep exploring and customising your own glaze colours in the future.
Slow Clay Centre is a specialist ceramic education centre based in Collingwood Melbourne.
What you will learn
- Everything you need to know about glaze testing and development to create personalised glazes!
What you will get
- New knowledge, back up, test firings at Slow Clay Centre
What to bring
- Notebook, camera, N95 DUST MASK
What to wear
Casual, enclosed shoes, apron/cover
Appropriate for
beginners and intermediate-level artists looking to expand their knowledge and skills in ceramic glaze testing
Escape to Slow Clay Centre and learn the art, craft and design of expression in clay.
Slow Clay Centre is one of the most highly regarded specialist ceramics/pottery schools in Australia. We aim to give you THE BEST experience learning our ancient craft and our longevity stands for this with thousands of students who have learnt from us!
We welcome all levels from kids and beginners adults taster classes to advanced professional development and mentoring.
Our weekly students receive priority to re-enrol each term and take advantage of our generous loyalty program providing free studio access in between classes (conditions apply). In this way we can help you to develop your skills to a high level like no other school.
Our unique "Slow Clay" (TM) method for teaching the pottery wheel, established by Slow Clay Centre director and ceramic artist Jane Sawyer, has been taught for more than thirty years. Based on the Japanese techniques Jane studied training as a production thrower in Japan in combination with western techniques, the "Slow Clay" method offers a synthesis of East and West. It provides ergonomic best-practice and a solid foundation for personal expression and confidence with clay.
All our courses offer a foundation of skill-based learning within a rich framework of contemporary art and design enquiry so you can follow your interests. Our ultimate aim is to help you achieve whatever your personal goals are with clay!
Based in a beautiful inner-city studio in Collingwood, Melbourne, Australia, the Slow Clay team consists of leading professional ceramic artists and experienced teachers who offer high-level teaching in a broad variety of topics - see our web site for teacher profiles. Together with guest professional artists who host workshops and forums, we are a vibrant community and wish to share our passion for clay with everyone who is keen, no matter what level.
Your Teacher
Amelia Black is an American-born ceramic artist and design researcher based in Naarm/Melbourne who holds an MFA in Design Criticism(NY) and who co-founded Studio Ana, a community ceramics facility in New York NY, in 2016. Amelia has worked as a designer and strategist utilising sustainable practices and was lead researcher and production technician at Anchor Ceramics, 2021-present. A designer who can’t stop making, Amelia utilises a broad design skill set to research, make, and ultimately invest in the human experience of ideas through clay. Amelia’s work is focused on the materials that make up our ceramic practice and the explorations of where these materials come from today and what new materials we might be able to engage through ceramic technology to create a more sustainable approach to pottery.
Cancellations & Refunds
If the organiser cancels the class:
You are entitled to a full refund.
If you can't attend the class:
You’re welcome to send someone in your place.
OR
- A transfer can be requested 14 days before the class starts. An admin fee of AU$25.00 applies.
No changes will be allowed after these times.
We recommend the refund upgrade option upon checkout in case you’re not able to attend the class. Learn more about refund upgrade option.
Terms & Conditions
Welcome to Slow Clay Centre!
We aim to give you the best experience learning ceramics! Each course may have slightly different terms but these are our generic ones: please read carefully:
General:
These apply to all Slow Clay Centre courses, workshops and events:
- Deposit or full payment (depending on the course/workshop/event) must be made at the time of booking
- Please choose carefully. Due to our limited class sizes once you've booked and paid either the deposit or the full fee we will only refund what you have paid if the class is cancelled by us. If you are unable to attend you may transfer your booking to a friend for no charge or, provided we can fill your place, we can sometimes transfer you to another class or hold your payment in credit for up to 24 months for a future course
- There is a $25 fee for transfer or credit note and you must pay any fee difference if the new course price is higher
- Please note: All students will receive a reminder between three weeks and/or one week (depending on the course) before the start date with a link to pay any remaining balance with your credit card. Students who paid the deposit online will have the balance automatically deducted. Others will need to click on the link provided or ring our office on 99437844.
- Due to our limited class sizes, if your balance is not received three weeks before the start date and you have not made arrangements with us, we reserve the right to find a replacement student and your deposit will be forfeited
Weekly classes: These additional conditions apply to all Slow Clay Centre weekly classes.
- Please note that making ceramics, particularly on the pottery wheel, can be a physically demanding activity. If you have any pre-existing illnesses and/or chronic injuries to your back, shoulders, hips, neck, wrists or elbows we strongly advise you to seek a medical opinion before enrolling as some activities might exacerbate past injuries and we take no responsibility if this occurs.
- We ask that you fully disclose any prior and/or ongoing illnesses or injuries that could affect you before you enrol AND inform your teacher in person during the first class.
- Your enrolment is conditional on your acceptance that Slow Clay Centre and/or the company's employees, whether casual, contract, or permanently employed, are indemnified against any exacerbation of any past or any new injuries that may arise as a result of your activites.
- All work made during classes is to be used for personal, non-commercial purposes. This is individually negotiable for advanced students or for studio exhibitions but we ask students to accept that the emphasis of our classes is strictly on education not studio production. If you sell your work made using our materials you must acknowledge Slow Clay Centre and also ensure you have your own product liability insurance
- Teaching fees are fully inclusive of materials but students will incur a single firing fee based on the current cost (advised in your class)
- Please note: we encourage judicious selection of your work to fire. Firing is always optional and all clay is recycled until the first firing. After that you must pay the firing fee for everything that gets fired. If it cracks, glaze drips, or you just don't like it, you are still required to pay the firing fee unless the fault is caused by us.
- Collection of fired pieces: Please understand that our storage capacity is extremely limited. Students will be notified via email when work is ready to be collected. Work will only be retained for two weeks following notification.
Regarding Kids Clay Club:
- It is your responsibility to clearly report in writing on the enrolment form, any illness, allergies or disability that may affect your child's involvement in the Clay Club activities.
- Please sign-in and sign-out your children
- Please respect our teachers and be prompt to arrive and to collect your children (within 5 minutes of class time)
- Children are expected to be mature enough to follow instructions, to work in a group together, to respect everyone's needs and differences and to be polite to everyone.