Easter Group Ceramics Workshops

Due to the success of 2015's Christmas group workshops, this year I'm going to be running several group workshops, where we will create a different item each time. There's something to suit everyone, including bird feeders, home wares, Easter & Christmas workshops!

I'm running 2 Easter workshops, where you will create Easter themed ceramic decorations; which you can bring out and treasure year after year!

*The Easter Workshops coincide with the children's Easter holiday (for Leicestershire & Northamptonshire) so why not bring the kids along for a crafty activity.

Hanging Easter Egg - Facebook event page

Set of 3 hanging Easter decorations - Facebook event page

The 2016 group workshops list is ready, follow the link to my website where you can have a browse. If you have any questions or would like to book a place please get in touch!

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 There's only 6 places available on each workshop! Book your place today!

For the full list of 2016's group workshops please visit my website!

www.katherinefortnumceramics.com/

My first ever Green Man!

I've been teaching ceramic workshops for a few years now, teaching many things from plaques to vases, children's workshops to Christmas decorations. The most popular is always making a Green Man.

I've never made one before, I never spend the time to make things for myself so I indulged! This was back in May 2015, I was and am still so happy with how he came out! 

I made him using White Stoneware Clay using a wide variety of hand building methods to achieve the design I set out for. Once the body was finished I decorated with a variety of different coloured handmade ceramic slips. 

Green Man Greenware stage, Stoneware, by Katherine Fortnum, 2015, photograph by Katherine Fortnum

I always put my own explorations on the back burner and put work first, its been a busy year with workshops, commissions and making new ceramics for craft fairs; so he was made in May 2015 and only bisque fired before Christmas 2015!

The New Year is here and I've finally glazed him and I'm extremely happy with how the colours have transformed, its exactly as I had planned! And as all ceramicists know ...that rarely happens!

What do you think? Please let me know :) 

Green Man, hand built, White Stoneware, Katherine Fortnum, 2016, photographs by Katherine Fortnum 

Slip testing

This week I've been experimenting with Slip Testing.

To create a standard ceramic slip I blend up some of the same clay body the slip is going to be applied to with lots of added water to a thick creamy consistency; which then gets sieved.

*Another way to create slip is to dry out clay then add water to turn it into a liquid.

 I measure out the slip into litre's (1000ml)then add the percentage of coloured stain / oxide to the slip. This particular clay is a sandy coloured buff stoneware, to get a strong colour I add 10% to the slip. 

You can use less stain to achieve lighter colours, the percentage you use depends on the clay body you're applying it to and the finish you wish to achieve. If your using oxides, they are much stronger than stains so the percentage is likely to be less.

As you can see I have done 2 tiles of each colour, this is because I shall glaze 1 tile of each colour so I have reference to the colour without glaze. When you apply glaze it enhances the slip's colour and it becomes much brighter. The colour difference would be from a pastel shade to a bright strong colour.

 The remains of the tiles I made are left on the fabric, I love seeing this as it reminds me of the tiling that can be created with the pieces I've cut out.

Which do you prefer to add colour to your slips, oxides or stains?

Autumn Colours inspiring glaze tests

The best bit about Autumn has got to be the change in season, Autumn turning into winter. Yes its FREEZING and the weather is mostly miserable... but the nature is just glorious!

I just love walking out in nature and seeing the change, the colours transform to beautiful shades of auburn, yellows and reds; who needs to find inspiration for creative work on the internet when its right there outside.

I wasn't out in a beautiful park, I was actually at the hospital, but it goes to show you can find inspiration anywhere.

I seen the most stunningly coloured bush amidst the dying trees losing their leaves for the winter was this bush ablaze with colour, it caught my eye and I couldn't help but capture it!

I cant wait to try and capture the colour change in my ceramics.I feel some glaze testing is on its way!

The individual leaves are what I want to inspire some colourful glaze tests.

Glaze Tests in the kiln all ready to go!

The Great British Pottery Throw Down

I'm very excited that the next new show to hit our TV's is 

'The Great British Pottery Throw Down'!

For all you pottery lovers out there (including me) this will be great to watch, and for those of you have never given it a go! It will give you an insight into ceramics and the different processes that are involved, no doubt as with the Great British Bake Off we will see tantrums, complete and utter disasters and of course no doubt some beautiful ceramics.

I can't wait! 

There's a very interesting article in The Guardian, have a read.

If your fingers get twitching at the thought of having a go yourself come along to one of my workshops, I can personalise a workshop session just for you or why not come along with a friend. For more info please visit my website or get in touch!

www.katherinefortnumceramics.com

If your a ceramicist / a potter, would you dare to enter yourself into the competition? I would love it, challenging yourself to do things you thought you'd never attempt 

...minus the fact your on TV live for millions of people to see! 

Christmas Ceramics Workshop

This November I'll be running a large group Ceramic Workshop, in which we'll be creating a handmade Ceramic Christmas decoration. 

If you have any questions or would like to book a place please contact Katherine

at Conservative Club Function Room, The Conservative Club, The Lilacs, Fairfield Road, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England, LE16 9QQ

*You don’t need to be a Conservative club member to attend the event, feel free to invite friends & family!

To check out some of the decorations made in our previous workshops please visit the Facebook event page!

https://www.facebook.com/events/604318426383233/

Made with Katherine Fortnum Ceramics Workshops

New Workshop is finished!

The new extended workshop is now finished! ...on the outside at least!

I've given it a few coats of paint so it matched all over, you'd never know they were two separate!

I absolutely love seeing solar lights in gardens they are so pretty and make any garden more homely and welcoming, so I brought 30ft long solar lights to reach the length of my workshop. I think it looks quite pretty during the day as well!

As a little finishing touch I got a path joining from the patio to my workshop. Its a lot more practical than walking over the grass; especially if its raining! 

My Nanna calls it the yellow brick road!

New extended Ceramics Workshop

My current workshop was very cosy but it was quite small, which is quite a big problem for a hoarder! My workshop is for my ceramics only but my collection of tools, various clay's; continues to get bigger every day! Plus as most creatives do, they spread! A 20ft table would still be insufficient!

So here it is, the beginnings of my new large workshop, I extended my current workshop, it came delivered very handy in flat packed form ready to join onto my current workshop.

My lovely dad and brother were kind enough to construct my workshop for me.

Below images show the end of my old workshop has been taken off so the new part of the workshop can be joined on the end.

(The pole in the middle is holding up the ceiling so it doesn't collapse whilst being put together)

Side views of the construction. You can see the old and new sections from the colour difference.

The end is now being added on after the sides were put up. I was so excited, seeing the size of my new workshop, I knew I was going to be in heaven working away in my (not so little) workshop! 

Just a coat of paint so it matches the other side and a lot of work on the inside to go!

*Next post I'll show you the finished studio!*

*So keep posted!*

Large group workshop for fundraising for Women Vs Cancer!

I was contacted and asked if I could run a large group ceramics workshop in aid of fundraising for Women Vs Cancer charity. 

Here's how it went!

I demonstrated and helped people make a hanging decoration for the house or garden. A large group of 27 people attended, most who had never even experienced clay before! It was a fantastic evening, attendees loved getting their hands dirty with clay; with a cheeky glass or 2 of bubbly!

I had a stall of handmade ceramics to purchase.

The pieces were left to dry out for a week before they could go into their first firing, the first firing clay goes through is called a 'bisque or biscuit firing', this turns the soft clay into hard durable ceramic.

Here they are ready to be loaded into the kiln ...along with a few of my ceramic mushrooms!

Here are the lovely pieces created at the Ceramics Workshop charity evening! 

Some attendees chose to have their pieces glaze fired (finished pieces below). You can see the difference in finish between the unglazed and glazed finished pieces, they are the exact same colours applied, but with glaze the colours really pop and become much more vibrant!

I had a nice surprise during the evening when the local paper came and took some photos for an article!

Surprise article in the Harborough Mail

(That's me second from the left)

 Are you looking for activities for an event? 

Please get in touch!

Meet Katherine Fortnum Ceramics Workshop ...in the beginning

My workshop is like my second home, I love it! My own little get away where I can create and indulge myself in clay! I first started planning my own studio whilst I was at uni, saving little by little out of my student loan; eventually that added to a bit of savings came my workshop. I had a lot of help my wonderful dad putting it together, insulating, making me shelves and other bits n bobs.

I started to add little touches like adding solar lights to the roof, they lit up lovely all multicolored at night time, lighting up like a fairy house! I take a lot of pride in my little workshop, saving up and planning it for so long, I loved organising...well at least trying to organise all my tools and glazes, it hard when you end up accumulating so much!

This is how my little workshop started out, there's a long bench down the other side that fits 3 chairs for making. As I'm only just starting my blog, I'm showing how I initially set my studio up and all the bits along the way. So keep popping back for more, I cant wait to show you my new workshop!

Hello! Welcome to my blog!

Hello!

This is my first ever blog post, I'm not sure how this works yet so bear with me!

My names Katherine I'm a ceramicist based in Leicestershire, England. 

I create functional and sculptural ceramics inspired by delicate structures in nature. I run fun ceramics workshops for both adults & children teaching a wide variety of items & techniques!

In my blog I aim to share my knowledge of ceramics, making techniques, getting to know my studio, hints & tips and share my work with the world :) 

Thanks for reading my blog!

Keep popping back for exciting updates!

Katherine

http://www.katherinefortnumceramics.com/

https://www.facebook.com/KatherineFortnumCeramics

https://twitter.com/KFortnumCeramic