Workshop
Course Title: Hand-Building with François Grenier
Level: beginners and intermediate
Course Description:
Unleash your creativity with hands-on ceramic techniques in this two-day workshop designed for beginners, enthusiasts, and the more experienced. Explore the art of hand-building through guided instruction, focusing on form, texture, and surface treatment. François Grenier, an experienced ceramic artist with a passion for large scale building and all ceramics materials and their chemistry, will lead you through each step of the process, ensuring a deeply personalized and high-quality learning experience.
June 7th and 14, 2025
Day 1: Building Your Vision
Duration: 6 hours
What to Expect:
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Introduction to Materials & Tools: Learn about different types of clay and essential hand-building tools.
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Techniques: Explore various hand-building methods such as pinch pots, slab building, coiling, and sculpting.
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Building Your Piece: You'll create your own unique piece under François’s expert guidance, whether it's a sculpture, a decorative form, or a functional dishware piece.
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Personalized Attention: François will provide one-on-one feedback and tips to ensure your piece is progressing according to your vision and give you advice and suggestions.
There will be a 45 minute break for lunch. Lunch is not provided.
Your piece will be wrapped in plastic to keep it from drying, ready for day 2.
Day 2: Surface Decoration & Finishing
Duration: 6 hours (following week)
What to Expect:
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Leather hard clay: Learn different techniques to refine your piece, harder clay allows you to work in smaller details, and is the perfect time to join other parts, a teapot spout, a cup handle, etc.
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Surface decoration: Explore techniques for adding texture, color, and depth to your piece.
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Introduction to advanced surface treatment: Through a short demo, you will learn about ceramics materials and their usage for other options than functional glazes.
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Firing Process: Explanation of the two-part firing process (bisque and glaze firing), with information on how your work will be handled and prepared for pickup.
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Conclusion of the workshop: Your piece will be left to dry, and once it is, François will fire it, then apply a glaze of your choice, and fire it for one last time. You'll receive a text or email notification once your piece is ready.
There will be a 45 minute break for lunch. Lunch is not provided.
Course Details
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Class Length: 2 Days (6 hours per session), 10 am to 4 pm.
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Group Size: 3–6 Students (Ensuring a personalized experience with expert guidance for each participant)
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Price: $275 CAD (inclusive of all materials, firing, and glaze)
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Materials Provided: Clay, hand-building tools, glazes, and firing services.
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This 2-day workshop will run every month, once a month. Class size minimum 3.
Please note, for those with mobility issues, the studio is on the third floor.