Throw, Cut & Pastewith Prue Venables

Throw Cut & Paste: A workshop in three sessions with Prue Venables

Wheel throwing with porcelain is challenging enough but altering and firing brings a whole other set of challenges! Prue Venables is one of Australia’s most accomplished ceramicists. Practicing her craft since 1977, her work has transcended from the traditional object to a sculptural entity that mimics the useful and everyday.

With a mastery of porcelain, she has experimented in working with high temperature porcelain across studio and industrial domains. For Venables, throwing provides a source of components and forms to be altered and reconstructed; procedures in this particular material are complex, risky and require great skill, yet, produce an outcome that appears simple and seeks to deny the inherent difficulty of their origin. A decade of learning silversmithing enables Venables to add new textures and forms, plus further extensions into invention and discovery, previously prohibited by the technical limitations of porcelain alone.

Content: In this special workshop you will be guided to design, plan and make multiple wheel-thrown components that will then be trimmed, assembled and joined by you to create unique new objects! Everything will be fired in-house by us and you’ll get them back a few weeks later. Prue’s methods of joining and firing will be addressed in detail to reduce risks and whilst success is never guaranteed, you will not be in better hands to learn how to manage the whole process!

This workshop comprises three sessions. Students must be able to attend all three:
Three sessions:
Friday 2 August 6-9pm
Saturday 3 August 9am-12pm
Sunday 4 August 10am-4pm

Price: $625 Full price/ $595 Earlybird Discount

Bookings: online or via our office with 50% deposit.

Terms and Conditions: Tickets are limited to 12 lucky people and the balance must be paid three weeks before the start date. If you change your mind or something happens and you can’t attend we will always try to help by emailing our waitlist but there is no guarantee. If successful: no refund but can hold your payment in credit. There is a $25 admin fee or you are welcome to share the love and transfer it to a friend for no charge. You can also take out the refund insurance at the payment gateway. This is for online purchases only and please make sure you understand their terms by going to the link.

Prerequisites: It is important that students are at a minimum solid intermediate level with plenty of experience throwing on the wheel. We suggest a minimum of about 18 months attending weekly classes but it’s a very flexible guideline! Please call us on 99437844 to chat if you are unsure of your level.

Prue Venables is represented in Australia by Sally Dan-Cuthbert Gallery. Sydney. Venables has received many national and international awards that recognize her contribution to the art and craft of ceramics, including being elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, UK (2003), President of Craft Victoria (2006), Finalist, Officine Saffi Project, Italy (2014, 2017), She is Australian Design Centre’s 9th ‘Living Treasure – Master of Australian Craft’ (2018) and is a member of the International Academy of Ceramics. Prue was a founding tutor at Slow Clay Centre and conducts specialist workshops for us.

Image: Betty’s Kitchen, detail, 2017. Limoges porcelain, thrown and altered, silver, copper, thread, various dimensions. Photo by Terence Bogue.

Slow Clay Centre is a specialist ceramic education centre based in Naarm (Melbourne) established in 2012 by ceramic artist Jane Sawyer. Please join our monthly e-newsletter to keep up with all new courses, workshops and events!