This hands-on course invites you to explore the art of porcelain design by creating captivating silhouettes inspired by your surroundings. Through a blend of drawing and sketching, wheel-throwing, and various manipulation techniques, you will develop both your artistic vision and practical skills in ceramics.

Aims:

• To inspire creativity by encouraging you to observe and interpret their environment.
• To teach the fundamentals of porcelain manipulation and assembly techniques.
• To explore the potters wheel as a design tool

Objectives:

• To guide you in creating original designs through drawing, emphasising the translation of visual inspiration into ceramic forms.
• To provide instruction on wheel-throwing techniques specific to porcelain, including shaping, trimming, and finishing, achieving larger shapes by assembling multible pieces. You will be able to try a multitue of tools brought in by tutor to apply to the shaping process.
• To explore advanced methods of assembling pieces, such as cutting and hand-building thrown forms, to create unique silhouettes.

Learning outcomes By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Conceptualise and sketch innovative designs for porcelain shapes, reflecting your personal interpretation of the environment
• Demonstrate proficiency in wheel-throwing techniques, producing well-crafted porcelain forms
• Apply various manipulation and assembly techniques to enhance your designs and create cohesive silhouettes
• Present your final pieces with an understanding of the design process, from inspiration to execution
• Through a themed project, individual exploration, and guided instruction, you will leave the course not only with a range of unique porcelain shapes but also with a deeper understanding of the creative process in ceramics

Summer School Highlights
The Summer School week is an immersive learning experience with more time to develop your creativity and embrace opportunities for creative development beyond your chosen course. A detailed timetable for your Summer School week will be given to you on arrival. This will include:

• Short inspirational talks by tutors and displays of their work
• A short creative experience session in another discipline/media or course
• An optional evening at the Chichester Festival Theatre (discounted if pre-booked through West Dean)
• An optional lunchtime tour of West Dean Gardens, the historic rooms at West Dean College, or West Dean Tapestry Studio
• A celebration dinner on the last evening themed on ‘Fantasy and Myth’. Feel free to respond to the theme if you wish
• Informal end-of-course group reviews and displays of students' work in studios

All lunches and evening meals are provided for residential and non-residential students during summer school due to planned activities/events in the early evenings.

Included

Most materials required for the specific project set by the tutor or shared by the group including the cost of clay and firing costs of work made – large work in size and quantity may be charged extra.

What students need to bring

• Yoga mat for morning warm up, if you have one
• Comfortable clothes and hair tie if needed
• Aprons and covered footwear for the pottery
• A3 Sketch pad and pencils or drawing tools of your choice

Available to buy

Available from shop: A range of drawing materials including sketch books and sketching materials

Additional information

Please wear appropriate clothing/aprons for the workshop or studio, this includes stout covered footwear (no sandals or open toes).

Firing and glazing options:

1. Leave a selection of your most successful raw finished pieces for biscuit firing, basic glazing and re-firing by the College, for collection within six months.

2. Leave a selection of your most successful raw finished pieces for biscuit firing at the College. You can then book a place on a Glazing Day and glaze your own work (allowing four weeks for your work to be biscuit fired). This work will be re-fired after glazing and available for collection within six months.

3. Take away your unfired pots for firing and glazing elsewhere.

Arrival day - first date of course
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm for registration  
Student welcome, followed by dinner: 6.45pm (dinner included)
Teaching session: 8pm-9pm (attendance is essential)

Daily timetable
Course teaching: 9.15am-5pm  
Morning session: 9.15am-12.45pm including coffee/tea break  
Lunch break: 12.45pm-2pm (lunch included)  
Afternoon session: 2pm-5pm including coffee/tea break  
Teaching finishes: 5pm    
Evening working: students may have access to workshops until 9pm, but only with permission from the tutor and provided any health and safety guidelines are observed.  

Departure day - last date of course
Course teaching: 9.15am-3pm (lunch included)  
Teaching finishes: 3pm  

All lunches and evening meals are provided for residential and non-residential students during Summer School due to planned activities/events in the early evenings.  
Residential students will need to check out of rooms by 10am.
Please note, the tutor may make slight variations to the daily timetable as required.  
Several evening events are planned throughout the week, a detailed timetable for your Summer School will be given to you on arrival.

Terms & Conditions