Workshop provided by Emmanuel Alexia
SESSION ONE
Goals
- To return to the source of pottery by rediscovering the environment in which the clay is found. To engage with the landscape by walking, observing and interacting with others.
- Reconnect with the physical reality of preparing the raw materials in their various states, to learn to observe and evaluate their color, texture, consistency and granularity.
Content
- Finding and collecting clays in the Lot, Lot-et-Garonne and Dordogne regions.
- Preparing the clays, clay pastes, engobes and slips for terra sigillata as well as minerals; drying, grinding, sifting and forming clay blocks.
SESSION TWO
Goals
- Moulding a ball of clay, without adding or taking away anything.
- Mastering the shape, thickness and carving out of a bowl’s foot.
Content
- Creating the three main shapes of teabowl: spherical, cylindrical and flared.
- Free experimentation with bowl shapes
- Application of engobes and slips on raw clay before bisque firing.
SESSION THREE
Goals
- Create original glazes from gathered raw materials
Content
- Addressing the principles of combustion: oxidizing, neutral and reducing atmospheres.
- Observing and understanding the behavior of wood fire while firing pottery using only the senses.
- Preparing glazes from ground and sifted minerals.
- Basics: frit and plant ash.
- Bisque-firing and glaze-firing.