Adult Pottery Classes
Christien organises pottery classes for adults covering the following techniques:
- Working on the potters wheel
- Casting plaster moulds for personal tableware
- Creating items with clay slabs
- Coil building
- Painting with clay slip
- Various decorating possibilities such as scraffito, stamping and casting
- Glazing
Children’s Pottery Classes
Pottery courses and workshops cater for maximum of 12 children to allow for individual tuition and attention. This enables each child work at his or her own pace.
In the pottery classes children learn to work with clay in various ways, for example slab building, casting in plaster moulds, coil building and painting with coloured clay.
They also learn how to work with plaster: how to make it and how to decorate objects as attractively as possible.
Most classes are specifically designed for 4 to 12-years olds, but classes for teenagers can be arranged.
Adult woodturning classes
In the woodturning classes each student has his or her own lathe to work on, the maximum number of students per class is five.
Each session is of two and a half hours duration. This guarantees individual teaching and gives the possibility for both beginners and advanced turners to work at their own pace. In a short period of time beginners learn basic skills by making pieces like candle holders, wine goblets, mushrooms, lamps and bowls.
Experienced turners can enroll to further develop their skills to advanced items. Most of the timbers used are sourced locally and dried properly to avoid cracks and distortion.
Beech, cherry, oak, ash and yew are used to create well finished pieces with a beautiful and interesting grain which will show up even better after treatment with natural oils.
The course fees are inclusive of all materials and use of high quality equipment.
For those who wish to set up or already have their own workshop, Christien will be pleased to advice on proper layout and the correct choice of lathe and tools.
Children’s Woodturning Classes
Christien is one of the few woodturners who teaches young children from the age of 9. In small groups they learn all the basic techniques with the emphasis on safety.
They gain a lot of self confidence by starting with simple projects like candle holders, baseball bats and egg cups, but soon move on to more challenging projects like lamps, aeroplanes and bowls.
Everybody will be impressed by the beautiful crafted presents made!
Birthday Parties
Why not book a pottery birthday party in the studio or at your home.
Your child and their friends learn to make and decorate bowls, mugs or plates in a relaxed and fun filled atmosphere.
Christien provides all materials and aprons for a hassle free pottery party. She will bring the wheel so all children can have a go at a hands-on muddy experience!
They also make and decorate several items to bring home on the day, the pieces made of clay will be delivered after they have been dried and fired in the pottery kiln.
School visits
Christien welcomes invitations to schools. She organizes workshops where pupils have access to clay and plaster modelling.
The pupils learn to be creative with the versatile material clay and they understand the process of drying and firing the pieces.
She will then fire the finished work in her studio. The finished pieces offer a strong, durable, personal souvenir of the visit.
Together with the pupils Christien can also create murals and other outdoor objects with handmade tiles. These are finished with bright weather proof glazes which is a guarantee for a long lasting highlight in the school.
Christien van Bussel
Studio Upper Aughrim
Studio Upper Aughrim
Thistle Cottage
Upper Aughrim
Aughrim, Co.Wicklow
Y14A079
Upper Aughrim
Aughrim, Co.Wicklow
Y14A079
Mob. 086 - 85 97 267
Email: vanbussel.c@gmail.com
Email: vanbussel.c@gmail.com
