Description

3-Day Handbuilding Masterclass with Camille Biddell

3rd, 4th & 5th September

10am – 4pm at Clay College, Middleport Pottery

Join us this September for an intensive 3-day Hand-building Masterclass with Clay College Alumni and professional potter, Camille Biddell. Camille will guide you through her signature surface decoration techniques to create a series of joyful, hand-built pots.

This 3-day course will encourage you to experiment with bringing texture and depth into your hand-building by using different methods of slip application, paper stencils and layering colour. Camille will help you to make your own stamps and roulettes to add texture to your slabs and create an original design that can be repeated at home or in the studio.

Participants will focus on creating a variety of slab-built pots such as mugs, jugs, soap dishes and vases. At the end of the class, you will choose 2 of your best pieces to fire with the option to take other pieces home to finish in your own time.

Concessions tickets

Clay College offers a small selection of tickets at a reduced rate for early career potters and those who otherwise could not afford to attend. Please only book tickets at this rate if you are unable to afford the full price. If you are unsure of whether you are eligible, please contact us at contact@claycollegestoke.co.uk. Book here.

 

About Camille Biddell:

I make sculptural pottery rooted in traditional ceramic processes that are reimagined playfully, respectfully acknowledging their origins whilst questioning ideas of functionality and ritual. Themes of heritage and place underpin my explorations in clay. I enjoy the freedom of hand-building which lends itself to complex surfaces and forms. My pieces are assembled using found textures and patterns which I translate into vessels using moulds. Layers of slip are built up to create complex surfaces which reference opulence and decay.

I studied Fine Art at Edinburgh College of Art and came to ceramics through an Erasmus year abroad in Strasbourg. In 2020-21 I was an Associate Artist at Open School East, Margate. Driven to deepen my technical skills in ceramics, I studied at Clay College Stoke from 2022-24.

I advocate using clay as a catalyst for conversation and collaboration and am driven to use its heritage to pose social and environmental questions. I have taught workshops across the UK, including for The Portland Inn Project, Stoke; LEVEL Centre, Derbyshire; Absolute Beginners, London; Middleport Pottery, Stoke; Airspace Gallery, Stoke; and Rural Arts Hub, Shropshire.

Instagram: @cambiddell

Website: camillebiddell.com