Introduction

Clay & Culture: Eat, Play, Make is an 8-day course that begins with three days of cultural day trips followed by hands-on studio time and an additional field trip to Sienna.  Visits to museums, historic sites, not to mention eating and traveling through the Tuscan landscape, will spark new ideas to develop your creative voice and broaden your comfort zone.

Techniques taught

The techniques taught will focus on construction techniques, surface and pattern. Emphasis will be put on research and experimentation, with the rich cultural experiences to form the foundation for this workshop. Demonstrations will concentrate on handbuilding techniques including slab, coil, templates, 3D sketching, and the pottery wheel as a supplemental tool while surface and pattern will be adressed through topics such as stamp making, pattern design, mishima, sgraffito, stencils, majolica and slip decoration, and working with color.

Research & Experimentation

The Clay & Culture participants will be encouraged to draw inspiration from antiquities, architecture, and the natural world around them. Be ready to record your adventures and inspirations with a travel sketchbook and photography. Back in the studio, Kala & Naomi will help to fold inspiration into your studio research. Focusing on play, experimentation, and idea generation rather than on finished pieces, participants can expect to bring home a selection of their bisqued pieces, made of the local terracotta clay.

Teaching method

Your two instructors will offer their unique perspectives and approaches to constructing pottery forms and generating new ideas. They will provide prompts and demos to promote experimental learning, risk-taking, and joy through making in this supportive, immersive Clay & Culture experience. Some experience is desirable for this course, but an open mind is the most important skill you can bring!

Logistics

Students will study in the beautiful environment of La Meridiana. Each studio day will have at least two demonstrations, one in the morning and one after lunch.   Lunches and coffee breaks will be used to have engaging conversations and to step out of the studio, if desired. Students are hosted in nearby accommodation and a full meal will be served on all course days. The last kiln opening will be in the morning of Saturday, plan your travels so to not leave La Meridiana before 9.30 am.

The artists

Kala Stein (b.1979) is a ceramic artist and designer working at the intersection of craft, design, and new technologies. Her work explores notions of beauty through efficient systems of making, intentional materials, and systematic approaches to fabrication including molding and casting techniques. Kala designs and produces custom work, from her studio in Sonoma, California, for private homes, hospitality, and corporations. She teaches and exhibits her work throughout the US and internationally including Jingdezhen, China and Italy. Kala received her MFA in Ceramics from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2009. https://kalastein.com/

Naomi Clement is a Canadian artist and educator who explores ideas of home and belonging through the powerful lens of functional ceramics. She received her MFA from Louisiana State University in 2017, and her B.F.A from the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design University in 2003. Naomi has participated in residencies, given lectures and workshops, published articles, and exhibited her work across Canada and the United States. She served as a board member for the National Council on the Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), and was named a 2017 Emerging Artist by Ceramics Monthly magazine. https://naomiclement.com/