Home / 2027 Courses / 42A-2027 – Hamish Jackson – The Wild Palette
October 17 – 30 2027
Exploring glazes and clay bodies from found materials
Material research. Some experience is desirable, no experience with wild clay is necessary
Explore working with wild clays and creating glazes from local rocks and minerals! In this workshop led by Hamish Jackson, we will collect materials from the Italian countryside, process them, and learn to make pots uniquely connected to a place. Local materials offer endless possibilities. Using them gives interesting variations in colour, texture, and surface, and reduces the environmental footprint of your work.
During the first days, we will head out to collect local clays, rocks, minerals, and wood ash. Students are also welcome to bring their own materials – a wider variety only expands our playground! Once back at the studio, we process our foraged treasures under Hamish’s guidance.
In this part of the workshop, we clarify those intimidating expressions like line-blends, triaxial / quadraxial tests through hands-on practice. Hamish will explain how efficiently test found materials for using in claybodies, slips and glazes. Working in a group speeds up the process, as students benefit from each other’s discoveries. We testfire at both cones 6 & 10 making the learnings relevant for potters working at different temperatures. Of course, there will also be time for making pots! During the making process, we will focus on experimentation and pushing the limits of our materials.
During the two weeks, Hamish will give lectures about clays and glazes. He will also demonstrate how to test wild materials and lead students through every practical stage. We learn by doing: Participants will process clay and glaze materials and run the tests themselves. Later, Hamish will hold throwing demonstrations and also give individual guidance during the making. The course is open to both handbuilders and throwers – anyone interested in foraged materials is warmly welcome!
Students arrive on Sunday, October 17 and departure will be on Saturday, Saturday 30, 2027.
On all working days two coffee breaks and a freshly prepared and delicious lunch are provided by La Meridiana. At booking, you may select your preferred room type, choosing between: standard lodging, single or shared room; upgraded accommodation; private apartment. Please note that depending on the availability, certain types at times may not be offered.
The work made during the course will be fired before departure. We can assist with arranging shipment through a professional shipping company.
Halfway through his undergraduate literature degree, Hamish Jackson realized he wanted to become a potter. He first worked at Winchcombe Pottery in England, later completing a four-year apprenticeship with Mark Hewitt, followed by an MFA at Utah State University under John Neely. Currently he works at the Leach Pottery in St. Ives, England besides running his own studio, using local materials in his work. Hamish seeks to make pots that people love to use and connect them to the landscapes where his materials come from. He is also a tea enthusiast. To see more of his work, visit www.hamishjacksonpottery.com or follow @hamish.jackson.pottery.
| Artist | Hamish Jackson |
|---|---|
| Length of course | 10 working days in the studio |
| Level | Some experience is desirable |
| Technique | Handbuilding, Surface techniques, Throwing |
| Deposit for booking | Euro 900 |
| Workshop fee (without lodging) | Euro 3400 |
The costs listed include both the workshop fee and the lodging:
15 MINUTES WALK FROM THE STUDIO
Standard accommodation in shared double room with shared bathroom. Final course cost: Euro 3860
Standard accommodation in single room with shared bathroom. Final course cost: Euro 4200
PRIVATE APARTMENT
A maximum 15 minute-walk from the studio, with one bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and outside space. Final course: Euro 4840
The workshop fee includes the following:
A deposit is required at registration. After submitting the registration form, you may proceed with the payment on-line. If you choose to pay by bank transfer, the registration will be confirmed once the deposit has been accredited in our banking account. The balance must be paid at the beginning of the course.
Cancellation
You may withdraw within 14 days of registration without incurring any penalties. In this case, the deposit will be fully refunded, in accordance with Articles 53 and following of the Italian Consumer Code and relevant EU consumer protection legislation. In the event of a dispute, the competent court is Florence, Italy. After the 14-day withdrawal period, no refund of the deposit will be issued.
If you cancel more than 60 days prior to the course start date, you will receive a voucher for the deposit amount, minus a €50 administration fee. The voucher can be used for the current edition of the Programme or the edition held the following year.
Force majeure
If a course cannot be held due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, the deposit will be fully refunded.
If students must withdraw due to exceptional collective circumstances beyond their control, such as a pandemic or civil disorder, La Meridiana reserves the right to offer them a voucher for an alternative course. The deposit will be transferred to the new course.
