LUSH Liverpool: Beginners Ceramics with dot-art

Over 6 weeks, get to know the basics of hand building your very own ceramic pieces to come away with in beautiful glazes and fired for you.

Monday evenings 6:30pm – 8:30pm, starting 17th February

£125 for 6 week course

*To avoid a booking fee and pay by card, cheque or cash, please contact dot-art Services directly on 0345 017 6660*

BOOK HERE

Programme:

For those new to ceramics or wanting to polish up their skills, this course will take you from the basics of hand building right through to finished, glazed and fired pieces to proudly display in your home or kitchen cabinets.

Week 1: introduction to pinch pot making

Making a pinch pot, the Beginner skill that starts all hand building journeys. How to pinch up pots to create simple vessel forms and how to create pinch pots as the basis for larger vessels works.

Attendees will learn the basics of working with ceramics and build a number of pinch pots across the session. I will demonstrate how these can be built upon and added to.

Week 2: Introduction to coil pottery:

Learn the basics or rolling out, storing your coils and working with coils to produce vessels. Within the session we will discuss how to plan the form of vessels and how to follow these plans when building a coil pot. This traditional technique has been used for 1000s of years and can be used to make anything from small pots, cups, jars and homeware upto and beyond human scale vessels and objects.

Attendees will learn how to hand roll quality coils, how to work with and build up coils, how to follow form and design plans, how to smooth and finalise the clay body for firing.

Week 3: Introduction to slab-building

Slab building involves using rolled flat slabs of ceramic. The rolled slabs need to have dried out somewhat to what is called ‘plastic’ or ‘leatherhard’ this consistency allows us to build sculpturally with the clay to create more angular/straight line forms. These ar very different to the organic natural forms of coil, pinch and thrown pottery.

Attendees will learn how to roll slabs, at what consistency slab are best to work with and how to build slab forms.

At the end of this session I will ask attendees to consider the skill they have learnt and to come up with a plan for the 4 sessions around what sort of vessels or objects they would like to make.

Week 4: Exploration of skill:

In the session I will ask all attendees to work in one or a mix of the skills we have learnt across the first 3 sessions. Design will be led by attendees across the 2 hours and I will be offering support and guidance with production.

These object alongside the other made in earlier sessions with then be fired.

Week 5+6: introduction to surface design Glazes and Underglazes.

We will provide a sort of overview on how to apply both of these different surface designs. Over the two final sessions participants will paint and glaze objects produced across the first half of the course. This will then go for a final firing and then will be ready for delivery/collection.

Materials you will need to bring:

• Your tutors will be providing the clay and specialist equipment but there are a few basic things that you must bring with you. Having these means you can continue your ceramic learning well after the course has finished.
• Cass Art Liverpool branch are kindly giving all our dot-art students 10% off materials in store. Simply show your course tickets at the checkout to redeem this offer. You can browse and check stock here.

• 1 x wooden rolling pin (any untreated wooden from anywhere)
• 1 x twisted wire or cheese wire / 1 x Modeling set / 1 x Rubber or metal kidney (all in a kit here )
• 1 x pottery kit
• Painting brushes assortment

Tutors: Aurélie & Sophie

Two creatives who recently joined forces to open their own pottery studio in the vibrant North Dock area of Liverpool.

With years of experience in the craft, they offer intimate pottery throwing and hand-building classes, where they share their love of clay with others. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to refine your skills, their classes are designed to inspire creativity and build a strong sense of community.

In addition to teaching, Aurélie & Sophie both create and sell their own handcrafted pottery, with each piece reflecting their unique styles and commitment to the craft. They believe in the magic of creating with your hands and the joy it brings—both to themselves, their students, and their customers alike.

Dates:

Monday evenings 6:30pm – 8:30pm, starting 17th February

17th, 24th February

3rd, 10th, 17th & 24th March

Venue:

3rd Floor

LUSH Liverpool

46 Church Street,

Liverpool

L1 3AW

Cost:

£125 for 6 week course

Notes:

There are a maximum of 15 places available on each session, so early booking is essential. To avoid a booking fee and pay by card, cheque or cash, please contact dot-art Services directly on 0345 017 6660.

Cancellations / Refunds:

Once you have made your course booking you are committed to it. This is because our courses have very small student numbers, and often sell-out and are unavailable to others. Therefore any cancellations may result in a place not being filled, or a course not being able to run.

Cancellations are permitted up to 30 days before the start of a course, and a full refund will be issued. Refunds will not be made for cancellations less than 30 days before the start of a course. If you are unable to attend due to illness, personal or professional commitments you do not have the right to a refund.

If you wish to cancel your place on a course that has not yet started and you have a friend or colleague who can take your place we can accommodate this substitution.

dot-art may use your details to contact you about forthcoming events, classes or developments that may be of interest.