Create a personalised portrait pot with ceramicist Catherine Claasen.

Join us for a hands-on ceramics workshop where you’ll design and craft a unique clay cylinder, bringing it to life with expressive facial features inspired by portraiture. Under the expert guidance of ceramicist Catherine Claasen, you’ll learn essential pottery techniques and explore the use of colourful underglazes and slips to give your portrait pot a personality of its own. Your finished piece will be fired for later collection.

The workshop begins with an introduction to the basics of working with clay. You’ll roll, measure, and cut clay slabs to form a cylinder, attaching a base using the traditional score and slip method.

Next, you’ll visit the Seeing Each Other: Portraits of Artists exhibition for inspiration, where you can sketch ideas for your pot. Back in the studio, you’ll cut and shape the facial details from clay slabs and attach them to your cylinder. Finally, you’ll bring your creation to life by decorating it with vibrant slips and underglazes, adding personality and colour to your portrait pot.

Please be advised that your pot will remain at the gallery to be dried, bisque fired, glazed with a clear glaze and fired by Catherine, which may take up to 3 weeks. You will be notified when it is ready to collect from the Gallery.

This workshop costs £95 and can be booked here.