- Tim Copsey
Tim Copsey – Glazing & Fast-Fire Wood Firing
£300.00
Dates:
23 June, 2027 - 25 June, 2027
Tim Copsey’s ceramics combine the opulent and the organic. The Peak District, which surrounds his home and studio, is a lively landscape filled with motion, flux, texture and luster, providing both inspiration and material. The gold and silver burnishes on many of Copsey’s pieces are a response to rushing waterfalls and the dark reflections of peat pools.
8 Spaces Available
Tim Copsey
The Peak District Pennine landscape and seasons are the backdrop to everything Tim makes: Described as beautifully ugly, he in essence makes bowls, bottles, cups and vases that inhabit the border between function and sculpture.
Your Course
This 2.5 days workshop offers participants from the making workshop the opportunity to develop the surfaces of their work through glazing before experiencing the distinctive results of a fast-fire wood kiln.
We will work with a deliberately focused palette of wood-firing glazes, exploring the characteristics and possibilities of shinos, wood ash and oribe-style glazes. Rather than attempting to replicate a highly complex multi-stage glazing and firing process that Tim does, the workshop will concentrate on understanding how a relatively simple glaze palette can interact with the flame, ash and atmosphere of the wood kiln.
There will be an opportunity to consider glazing as an extension of the making process, looking at how colour, surface, layering and placement can enhance the form of each piece. Glaze recipes and approaches will be provided, alongside discussion of how they can be adapted and applied to different surfaces.
The workshop will culminate in loading and firing the fast-fire wood kiln. Participants will gain an insight into the practical realities of wood firing, including kiln preparation, loading, firing schedules and the unpredictable nature of the final surface. The results will demonstrate the important role that the kiln and firing atmosphere play in transforming the work.
The glazing and firing element is intended primarily for pieces made during the three-day workshop, although additional participants with suitable bisqueware may be able to join, subject to available kiln space and compatibility of clay and glaze materials.
Because wood firing is inherently unpredictable, the workshop will also address realistic expectations around outcomes. The aim is not to guarantee a particular surface or finish, but to embrace the dialogue between glaze, clay, flame and ash and to understand how these variables contribute to the character of the finished work.
Suitable for: Participants from the making workshop, plus experienced ceramicists with compatible bisqueware, subject to space and suitability.
Glaze palette: Shinos, wood ash and oribe-style glazes, with recipes and guidance provided.
Key Information
- Suitable for: Intermediate to Advanced
- Timings: 2.5-Day masterclass from 10am – 4.30pm
- Catering: A light lunch and refreshments will be provided each day. Last day will be half day so no lunch but biscuits and refreshments provided. Please specify any dietary requirements at time of booking.
- Venue: The Waldron Gallery & Studio, TN21 0RA
