Slab Building the Unconventional

Service Description

This is a course designed to help you understand the endless opportunities for making with clay using the slab building technique. The course will attempt to outline the basic principles of the technique which will underpin the making of simple and complex pieces alike. This course will be undertaken by Patrick Colhoun, a ceramic artist who uses the slab building technique to make complex pieces that have been exhibited widely and who has a fairly non traditional approach to the ceramic process. The course will take you through the various techniques involved in the construction of pieces with leather hard clay and then move into the finishing and finessing processes that are required prior to firing and decorating. Whilst focussing on making a simple form, the course will also outline what is required in order to make more complex pieces. This will take you through the process of planning, drawing, templating and preparation. It will also focus on the potential for interaction of the clay with other materials within the piece and also the pitfalls to look out for when undertaking this process. In summary, a course designed to show the absolute endless potential of a very simple process. Originally trained as a ceramicist, Patrick Colhoun's practice is now multi-disciplinary with sculptures and installations combining ceramic with unconventional materials such as hosiery, neon, latex, and piercings. This unconventional approach reinforced an early decision by the artist to move away from ceramics with a traditional craft approach to a version of what the artist terms ‘Anti Ceramics’. Patrick Colhoun has exhibited locally, nationally and internationally. His work is owned worldwide including the Arts Council of Northern Ireland permanent collection. He is elected as a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors. Social media link: www.patrickcolhoun.com Instagram @patrickcolhoun