Wild CLAY WOrkshop
Together with artist Caitlin Zachow, Amy Joy Hosterman will lead residents through the entire process of creating ceramic work with the local wild red clay, from sustainably harvesting to firing your work. Students will work together to dig the clay from the ground, collect natural temper materials, process and mix clay bodies, and fire ceramic work on site. We use simple and widely-accessible tools, techniques, and materials to build a practice that can be duplicated almost anywhere, with what you have at hand. This is an immersive workshop and an exercise in making art from the natural world.
We will give demonstrations of various building methods and decorative surface techniques that work best with this clay, and give technical advice and conceptual guidance as needed.
We have a couple treadle wheels at camp for those who prefer wheel throwing, but the focus of our instruction and demonstrations will be on handbuilding methods including slab-building, coil-and-scrape, and small sculpting projects. We will teach sgraffito carving, slip and mineral pigment decoration, burnishing surfaces, and methods for glazing work successfully.
We will collect and use natural, local materials for “tempering” our clay bodies, including sand from the shore of Gitche Gumee / Lake Superior. Amy will provide wild clay slips of various colors that she’s collected from across the country, and hand-harvested pigments made from ground minerals, for use in surface decoration.
Because of the clay’s ultra-slow drying time in this very humid environment, we often must “force” our pieces to dry, while being very cautious to monitor them and dry them evenly. Because of this, and because we are all sharing kiln space, Residents should plan to make several/many small pieces, rather than one/fewer large projects. We will limit the size of work to no larger than 8 inches in any direction. Anything larger must be made and fired in separate pieces (but is not recommended).
Amy will present on her years of research into the local glacial-lacustrine clay, which we affectionately call “Yooper YumYum” for its likeness to chocolate pudding when in slip form. We will discuss the basics of making wild clay bodies suited for particular uses, and options for firing without costly equipment, including converting old electric kilns to gas or wood for use in remote locations.
This workshop is intended for those who have some previous experience with clay. If you are newer to ceramics, you will be guided through the processes with suggested projects and demonstrations of techniques. If you are experienced in ceramics, you will greatly broaden your material knowledge and practical skill set by exploring this world of wild clay! Residents should expect to work cooperatively through all stages of the process.
CLAY WORKSHOP STUDENTS CAN EXPECT TO:
Collect and process raw clay on site using simple methods and basic tools
Learn how to locate, identify, analyze, and harvest clay in the wild
Formulate simple clay bodies for specific uses
Create hand-built or wheel-thrown work (instruction focuses on hand-building)
Decorate/glaze, fire, and finish work on site using natural materials and accessible techniques
Learn to fire kilns of various types: outdoor surface/barrel wood firings, electric w/kiln-sitter, and propane gas kilns
Share kiln space and fire all work cooperatively
Work together through all parts of the ceramic process, helping each other with clay processing and drying, loading and firing kilns, and mixing slips/glazes
Keep shared workspaces clean and accessible to all Residents at all times, with emphasis on clearing worktables after each building session and cleaning/putting away buckets/tools/brushes in a clean-as-you-go manner
Be responsible for your own work and safety, asking for help when you need it
Prepare extra clay for “Day In Clay,” and assist members of the public through making their own wild clay pot at this drop-in workshop.
We receive grant funds and donations for this annual event, which offset the price of our Residency fees. We host this free event as a way to connect and to give back to this small-but-generous, remote-but-resourceful community.
It’s a half-day of hand building little creatures and pots with friendly families, at the local school, just down the road from camp. And Mel will play his accordion for us!
CERAMICS FACILITIES INCLUDE:
Large work tables, workspace, tool cubby space in the Seeger Studio Barn
Outdoor covered workspace (the Clay Cathedral) for rainy-day drying clay and firing propane kilns
All the clay you can harvest & process
Buckets, screens, mixers, drying bats, etc, for clay slip processing
Two treadle potter’s wheels
Various throwing and sculpting tools available
Barrels and fire-rings for primitive-style firings
2 Propane gas kilns for glaze firing and in case of rained-out surface firings
Electric kiln for bisque and oxidation firings
Slips, mineral pigments, and low-fire glazes provided (no personal glazes allowed)
Firing safety gear (welding gloves, tongs, heat aprons)
RESIDENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL SAFETY GEAR:
Safety glasses
Dust masks (N95 for clay dust)
Work Gloves (heat safe/leather)
Work Boots (heat resistant)
Non-Flammable Clothing (overalls as a 2nd layer recommended)
Brimmed Hats, Bandanas/Handkerchiefs (recommended)
