Creative with Clay - Coiling & Botanical Vases Workshop at the Haddenham Arts Centre - March 2025

It was great to teach such a fabulous group of students at yesterday's Creative with Clay experience!

After their welcome tea & biscuits, everyone joined Simon and I in the workshop where we spent the morning embracing the freedom and mindfulness of creating pots & mini sculptures using the coiling method. Everyone was thoroughly absorbed in the process.

I always use a camera and large screen to help demonstrate some of the more delicate or trickier elements of any technique, so everyone can see up close how to achieve their desired design.

After breaking for lunch, each student spent the afternoon creating two large slab vases each. Again, everyone embraced the techniques and processes, ultimately creating two completely unique vessels.

The photos here give an insight into the day.

Despite the Fen roads, we managed to get all the creations back to the Blended Monkey ceramics studio unscathed. All the pieces will now dry slowly in the studio before they are bisque fired, provided with glaze colours already chosen by each student, and then high fired.

Our next Creative with Clay experience focusing on coiling and botanical vases will be held on

• 31 August - Creative with Clay - Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey in Waterbeach - BOOK HERE

I'm also hosting a small-group botanical vases experience here in our Blended Monkey Studios in Upwell on

• 30 November - Botanical Vases - Blended Monkey Studios in Upwell - BOOK HERE

For more info about all our other fabulous guest tutor group workshops, visit our website https://www.blendedmonkey.co.uk/category/group-workshops

Our experiences make ideal CRAFTY GIFTs & we can post or email you a complimentary personalised voucher if you'd like to make any of our experiences a present for somebody.

Botanicals ready to be pressed into clay.

A student's coiled creation.

Students' coiled work.

Students busily creating coiled creations.

The lovely group of students at the Creative with Clay experience.

Lovely coiled creation.

Coiled work by a student.

Some sample glazed coiled creations.

A selection of coiled pieces made by a student.

Arty shot of botancials.

Fabulous coiled creation by one of our students.

The lovely group of students at my Creative with Clay experience.

Student making her slab vase.

Busy group of Creative with Clay students.

Student making her slabbed vase.

All the slab vases and coiled creations now drying in the studio.

Group Creative with Clay Experience

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REVIEWS

"The pottery day was fantastic. I learned a great deal and it was a lovely relaxed atmosphere.  I found the instructions easy to follow and was pleased to be able to explore my own creativity. You were both very friendly, really informative, along with being very knowledgeable in your craft. I would very much like to do more glasses and bring along friends and family."

 - Julie -

"I attended a 'Creative with Clay Workshop'  run by Louise and Simon, the whole experience was wonderful.  Louise and Simon couldn't have been more welcoming and were so friendly, helpful and encouraging throughout, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I hope to do more workshops with them in the future and would highly recommend them.  Thank you Louise and Simon for a memorable day."

- Chris -

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