Unconventional Wheel Throwing, Unconventional Clay and Moulds, Unconventional Photography!
3 x sessions: 3 x guest artists!
Join Aaron Scythe (Day 1), Paul Leathers (Day 2) and Trudy Golley (Day 3) as they lead you each session!
Our annual Studio Practice Program (SPP) SPRING SCHOOL is titled Unconventional Clay, and will run three sessions over 2.5 days from 18-20 September 2025(note session times differ daily). With three international teachers and inspiring subjects, the SPP is targeted to serious students of ceramics who are looking to fill some gaps in their learning. This year we are very excited to announce we have Aaron Scythe (NZ/Japan), Paul Leathers (Canada) and Trudy Golley (Canada). The three artists will guide you with their demonstrations, presentations and discussions. Join them as they share their journey with clay and teach you some of their unconventional approaches! (Note: all workshops are demonstration only, not hands-on)
Day 1 Session: Thursday 18 September, 6-8pm. Aaron Scythe (NZ/Japan) Unconventional Wheel Throwing. Aaron is a powerhouse maker who calls upon his rigorous Japanese training, incorporating a fresh physicality and connection with the clay whilst creating his unique “free” style! Fresh from workshops in Canberra and NZ, where he has wowed audiences, this session kicks off our Spring School with a bold challenge to connect deeply with clay, with muscle memory and with the freedom that comes from the repetition process.
Day 2 Session 1: Friday 19 September, 2-5pm. Paul Leathers (Canada). Unconventional Photography. Photo-documentation is the last step in finishing an artwork; a necessary one that, in our increasingly busy schedules, is all too often neglected. By focusing on the basic principles and methods, Paul will demonstrate the ability to see beyond the artwork and into the image to produce high quality images for publication. This is also an invaluable session for ceramic artists wishing to document their work for awards/exhibitions/websites/social media. He will demonstrate setting up the photoshoot for use with a smartphone or digital point-and-shoot camera and discuss various accessories and software that can be used to improve image quality. The point is to keep the process simple and inexpensive…so that it gets done. Being a committed educator, he’ll also throw in a surprise bonus demo about 3D printing ceramic tools!
Day 2 Session 2: Friday 19 September, 5.30-8pm. Soup & Social: Stay around after Paul’s session for a bowl of yummy soup, chat with your new friends in the cohort and hear from the three guest artists as they present their stories and their work to us on the big screen! An evening of conviviality and friendship.
Day 3 Session: Saturday 20 September, 9.30-4.30. Trudy Golley (Canada) Unconventional Clay/Unconventional Mould making. Join experienced university educator/artist Trudy Golley as she opens the door to making paperclay and paper plaster moulds. Participants will be exposed to the working properties and advantages of paperclay in hand-building and press moulding. They will also understand how to create and use silhouette templates for personalised form development and gain strategies for integrating texture with form using unconventional approaches. You’ll learn how to make and use lightweight PaperPlaster moulds for efficient studio practice and leave with new ideas, techniques, and inspiration for expanding your ceramic practice.
Early Bird price: $325 ($50 discount! Cut off: 1 August)
Slow Clay Students/Concession: $355
Normal Price: $375
Slow Clay Centre
13 Keele St, Collingwood, Victoria
Tel: 03 99437844
Email: info@slowclay.com
Web: www.slowclay.com
The Spring School will be held in person at Slow Clay Centre – for the best and most meaningful and fun learning!
*Prerequisites: We reckon if you’re keen and you’ve been learning ceramics in a weekly class for a year or more or so you’ll be super ready for this. Think about it like a mini Clay Festival! No requirement to do anything except soak it all in! But feel free to call us to discuss your needs first: 03 99437844
Bookings: Reserve your spot with 50% non-refundable deposit (Early Bird ticket is due in full at time of booking) Pay by credit card online (see buttons on left) or through our office on 99437844.
Reviews: “The Studio Practice Program at Slow Clay Centre is one of the best pottery related experiences I’ve had so far, it was a week packed with information with great teachers and guidance.”
“A great opportunity to pause and reflect on what motivates and inspires my practice”
“I loved my subjects. They tapped into a lovely creative headspace. As a creative professional, I did not think it was going over old ground as there is no limit to how much help we need generating creative ideas and getting unstuck.”
“I was most stimulated by the unlocking of new creative territories via my special object…”
“I was left itching to explore some of these ideas!”
Terms and conditions: A full refund is always given if we cancel. We do not give refunds for any other circumstances however we know life doesn’t always go to plan so please consider purchasing the refund insurance at the check out gateway when you book online (Note refund insurance is not available when you book direct through our office). If you do not purchase refund insurance and we cannot find a replacement for you your fees paid will be forfeited. You are welcome to spread some love and give (or sell) your ticket to a friend – just let us know please. If we find a replacement we will create a credit note for your fees paid valid for two years. If we cannot find a replacement we will keep your payment but we can offer keep you in mind to offer you a spot in any future courses if there’s a vacancy. We will deduct the agent’s booking fees regardless.
Contact: Tel 03 99437844 Email: info@slowclay.com
Aaron Scythe is a New Zealand ceramic artist who spent over 16 years in Japan. He originally trained at Sturt Pottery, Mittagong, NSW, and then with Ryoji Koie in Japan. He returned to New Zealand with his family after the Fukushima earthquake. Japanese traditions such as Mingei and Chadōgu (tea ceremony wares) greatly influence the philosophical approach and techniques which can be seen in his work today. Aaron’s current work reflects both his New Zealand and Māori heritage. Scythe is heavily inspired by Māori Prophets & Japanese Comics – this influence has evolved the outcome of Aaron’s creative expression & is the stimulant for this synthesized cultural blend. He has had over 60 solo exhibitions in Japan, and his work has also been widely shown in both New Zealand and Australia and is held in private collections around the world.
Trudy Golley is a Canadian ceramic artist and educator who received undergraduate training at the Alberta College of Art and the University of Calgary (BFA 1988), and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, (MFA 1991). She has been invited to participate in artist residencies, exhibit, lecture, and give workshops in Canada, Australia, China, Denmark, the USA, Hong Kong, and Malta. Trudy has been an instructor at the Alberta College of Art and Design, the University of Calgary, University of Tasmania, University of Manitoba, the Kootenay School of the Arts, and most recently, Red Deer Polytechnic. Her work is represented in numerous international public and private collections she was inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) in 2002, and the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC) in 2019. She is currently focusing on her full-time studio practice.
Paul Leathers is a Canadian metalsmith, photographer and educator who received his undergraduate training at Sheridan College’s School of Crafts and Design and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (BFA 1984), and earned his Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Calgary (MFA 2003). He has been invited to participate in artist residencies, exhibit, lecture and give workshops internationally. Paul has been an instructor at the Kootenay School of the Arts, the Alberta College of Art and Design, and the University of Calgary. Paul is currently a full-time studio artist. His work is represented in numerous public and private collections in Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He is the recipient of numerous grants, awards and honours, and was inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) in 2006.
Not interested this time? See examples of past subjects below and get on our mailing list to be informed before the next one!
- The Middle Glazes with Matt Katz
- Ceramics and Culture with Gary Mcphedran
- Surfacing with Janet DeBoos
- Mould Making for Slip Casting with Gregory Bonasera
- Developing Personal Expression with Prue Venables/Pilar Rojas
- Setting Up Your Ceramics Studio with Jane Sawyer/ Alana Casey
- Clay, Kilns & Firing with Judith Roberts/Robert Barron/Pie Bolton/Janet DeBoos
- Ceramics in Context with Gary Mcphedran
- Glaze Development with Greg Daly/Pilar Rojas
- Concept and Meaning with Jane Sawyer
- Surface Design with Prue Venables
- Contemporary International Ceramics with Jane Sawyer
- Drawing for Design and Expression with Sarah Tomasetti
- Unleashing the Inner Critic with Jane Sawyer
- Design Basics with Simon Lloyd
- Design for Slip Casting with Somchai Charoen