Paper & Clay
Business advice everywhere is to niche down.
To pick one thing and stick at it - which I guess makes me an artist first and business women second, because I just can't choose.
I love clay and making but equally, I love paper & painting....Maybe I'm greedy.
But I feel the two practices interlink. Often under the surface and in ways I cannot see, but I am aware that one without the other wouldn't be as strong.
Interestingly it’s the same when we add paper into clay - a matrix of interlinking fibres form creating an unseen layer of strength that isn't so obvious at first glance.
Adding paper fibres into the clay body allows the clay to be worked in ways that don't quite fit the usual clay norms. The clay can be made paper thin, be cut with scissors and move like fabric.
This year I will be delivering a number of paper clay courses one-day, if you fancy giving it a try.
During the course, we will:
——-> learn how to make paper clay
——-> create simple forms
——-> create paper clay paintings or flowers
——-> learn how to use underglazes and stains to paint with
——-> learn how to stain the clay body
Just like in these screen shot from a video showing how paper clay works we will be learning how to peel clay from a plaster batt through repetition, practice and patience.
There's something incredibly satisfying about peeling a sheet of paper clay off a plaster batt.
It reminds me of that feeling you got as a kid (*ahem adult) when you peeled PVA glue from your hand, or when you remove an apple or orange peel all in one go - you don't know why it's satisfying, but it truly makes you feel good!
Can you relate to this or am I just odd?!
If you fancy giving it a try, visit my in-person teaching page to find out and book into the latest courses.
Look at the stunners we produced last time - all of whom had never touched paperclay before - aren’t they stunning?
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ForM is by far my favourite group exhibition of the year to visit and I am honoured to have been one of artists involved in it this year.
If you missed the exhibition, here’s a round up.