Melbourne Clay School

A huge thank you to everyone who gave up part of their long weekend to join our Introduction to Glazes workshop this weekend.

I am fortunate to have learned from some incredible teachers throughout my ceramics career, and with the closure of all TAFE ceramics programs and most university ceramics courses in Vic, I feel a responsibility to help keep this craft alive by passing that knowledge on.

There are plenty of books, articles and videos online, but ceramics is a practical discipline and usually attracts people who learn best by doing. Clay, ceramics, glaze chemistry and firing are all part of a merry-go-round of knowledge. The concepts are deeply interconnected, and we return to them again and again throughout our practice. Each time around, they make a little more sense, revealing new connections and a deeper understanding of the whole. Ceramics knowledge is built through repeated encounters rather than a single moment of understanding.

Sometimes people just need a hand getting onto that merry-go-round. That’s the role of a teacher, and it’s a privilege to help people step up on our ceramic merry-go-round.

Thank you all for your curiosity, enthusiasm and thoughtful questions. I hope you leave with a few more tools to make sense of the endlessly fascinating world of clay and glazes.

1 seat has opened up in tomorrow’s Glazes for the Absolute Novice.

Workshop is 2 sessions:

Saturday 6th JuneLearning and Mixing Glazes
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday 7th June5:30–7:30pm
Review and Discussion

I think after 20 years I may have finally got my head around Brongniart’s Formula.

And in the end, it wasn’t that complicated.

It has me wondering why some things seem like mountains one day and a stroll in the park the next. The formula didn’t change. I didn’t suddenly become smarter. I just finally had enough experience and context for it to click.

Maybe that’s one of the rewards of sticking with something for a long time. Every now and then a concept that has sat just out of reach for years suddenly makes perfect sense. Does the learning ever end? I hope not, it’s the best part of my job.

A cold Melbourne day outside, but plenty of warmth, learning and creativity inside at Melbourne Clay Pottery today.

Our Images to Clay workshop with Jessie Pittard was packed with techniques, ideas and experimentation as participants explored ways of translating imagery into ceramic surfaces and forms. From mark-making and texture through to image transfer approaches, there was no shortage of new skills to take home and continue developing in the studio.

This is the third year running that we’ve hosted this workshop, and it continues to be met with great enthusiasm. It’s easy to see why. Jessie puts in many hours of preparation to ensure the day runs smoothly, and her generous approach to sharing knowledge creates an engaging and rewarding experience for everyone involved.

It was wonderful to see participants so engaged, sharing discoveries, solving problems and embracing the possibilities that emerge when images and clay meet.

A huge thank you to Jessie for such a well-run and inspiring workshop, and to all the participants who braved the winter weather to join us.

And finally, a completely unrelated but important observation: the poinsettias in the around the studio are looking absolutely spectacular right now. 🌺

Today’s one-day workshop with Csilla Csongvay and Matt Blackwood explored design thinking through making.

Starting with structured and open-ended cardboard exercises, participants investigated form, constraint and material efficiency before translating ideas into clay through slab-building techniques. By the afternoon, brains had folded themselves almost as much as the paper as sketches became structures and structures became objects.

The day focused on process over outcome, encouraging experimentation, iteration and material awareness across disciplines. A brilliant group of ceramicists, designers and curious makers all pushing ideas around through material.

Spiral wedging workshop with Colin Hopkins today. Huge leaps and bounds in skills from everyone by the end of the session.

One of those techniques that looks simple until you try it — then suddenly everything clicks. Great energy, lots of laughs, and a lot of very well wedged clay.

Last night in this beautiful space after 19 unforgettable years. Feeling all the nostalgia as we close this chapter.

Tomorrow, a new story begins here with .studio 🤍