Hand Built Pottery Workshop for Beginner’s

A very basic beginner’s workshop to introduce students to clay and getting your hands dirty!

Cheryl Whittal has lived in Cochrane for 43 years and has been a potter for all of that time. She has always done art of some form – photography, silk screening, stained glass, jewellery making are just a few of the things she’s done over the years. Pottery was the thing that stuck and she has a home studio developed her original instructors retired. Cheryl is primarily a wheel throwing potter but dabbles in hand building for a change of pace. She develops her own glazes from raw materials and is constantly experimenting with new glaze colours and designs.

Workshop Description:

Students will be provided with a rolled slab of clay from which to make as many or as big an item as you can from the clay provided. The instructor will also provide all the basic tools needed but student will also have the use of a large variety of pattern rollers, stamps cutters and lettering. The instructor will take the pieces home and put the through the balance of the production process – bisque firing, waxing, glazing from the colour samples provided and glaze firing the pieces. Once done, the pieces will be returned to The Common Works and participants will be notified to come and pick them up.

Students are advised to wear clothing that can get dirty and comfortable shoes, as you will be standing for the course duration. Space constraints dictate there is only a very limited option for seated participants.

If you have a small form such as a bowl or tray (styrofoam is a perfect mould) or a cutter or stamp you’d like to use, feel free to bring it and we’ll see if it will work.