Finding clay
Where clay might be hiding and what to look for when you find it.
Sunday 6 December 2026
A morning of making with wild clay.
This artist-led workshop is an introduction to working with clay gathered directly from the earth – from finding and processing it to testing, firing and making with it.
Throughout the morning, I will share the methods I use in my own practice, simple ways of testing an unfamiliar clay, troubleshooting when it doesn’t behave as expected, and how to approach firing a clay when you don’t yet know its limits.
We will also spend plenty of time making. You will work with wild clay I have gathered and prepared locally, exploring hand-building approaches, surface, texture and locally gathered materials. Rather than reproducing a set object, you will be encouraged to respond to the clay and make pieces that reflect your own creative expression.
No previous ceramics experience is needed. If you are completely new to clay, I will guide you through the making process. If you already work with ceramics but have never used clay from the ground, the workshop offers a practical introduction to bringing wild materials into your own practice.
From ground to hand.
About wild clay
Wild clay is clay gathered directly from the earth, carrying the particular character of the place it comes from – its colour, texture, minerals and surprises. Unlike a commercially prepared clay body, it isn’t made to behave in a predictable way. That’s part of what I love about working with it: you learn to observe, experiment and respond to the material as it reveals itself.
Trying it out
Simple ways to test a found clay, understand its limits and learn how it behaves.
Getting it ready
How to turn clay gathered from the ground into clay you can actually make with.
Making it personal
How suitable minerals gathered nearby can add colour, texture and something personal.
If you have found something in your garden that might be clay, you are welcome to bring a small sample. We can look at it together and talk about what you might try next.
After the workshop
One firing. The clay left true to itself.
Your pieces remain intentionally unglazed so the qualities of the wild clay stay visible. They receive one firing and are ready for collection from the studio approximately two to three weeks later.
Wild clay changes through drying and firing. Colour may shift; a form may move or crack. These transformations are part of the material and part of the workshop’s experience.
Materials, making and firing.
What is included
Prepared local wild clay
Studio tools and materials
Printed wild clay guide
Form and texture exploration
My wild clay knowledge & experience
One firing & tea