#ClayAtHome is back!

Join artist Alice Thatcher and let her guide you and your little ones through some fun and playful printing techniques. This two-part workshop is inspired by making the most of objects and materials you can find in your home and the shapes and patterns in nature. It is aimed at families, particularly with younger children aged 7 – 11 who want to learn new creative skills at home. Children must be accompanied by an adult for support.

Workshop Dates

Part 1
Wednesday 10 Feb, 2pm – 3pm

Part 2
Wednesday 17 Feb, 2pm – 3pm

Getting ready for #ClayAtHome: Printing with Clay Alternatives, Part 1

On your daily walk or in your garden – take a look at nature. What can you see? Can you see patterns in nature? What shapes can you find?

Collect fallen leaves, foliage, take some photos or draw some pictures of what you see. This research will be used to help you create your stamps for printing. (We will have some imagery you can use, so if you don’t manage to collect your own, that’s fine.)

Part 1: Printing

Wednesday 10 Feb 2pm – 3pm

You will need:-

• 1 cup of plain flour

• Half a cup of table salt

• Half a cup of water

• A mixing bowl

• Extra flour for your surface

• Tools for textures (pencils, keys, cutlery, twigs)

• A knife

• Food colouring/paints/inks.

• A plate

• Paper

• Paintbrushes

• Grease proof paper

• Cling film

Inspired by the natural objects and patterns that you have found – you will create your own salt dough and use this to create stamps. The stamps will then be used to print onto paper using food colouring or paint to create a bright and bold piece of work. You will also create some tools – using a similar technique to the stamps – these tools will be used in Part 2 of the workshop where you will create a new piece of work – a textured tile.

Getting ready for #ClayAtHome: Printing with Clay Alternatives, Part 2

Cook the tools you made in Part 1. You can do this by pre-heating your oven to the lowest setting, then lining a baking tray with baking paper. Pop your work onto the tray and cook for three hours in the oven. You can do this any time before Part 2 Workshop.

Part 2: Textured tile

Wednesday 17 Feb 2pm – 3pm

You will need:-

• Your cooked tools from Part 1.

• The rest of your salt dough from the previous session.

• Extra flour for your surface

• Rolling pin

• A cookie cutter or plastic cup

• A pencil or kebab skewer

You will use your homemade tools created in the last session to create texture on a tile which can later be cooked, painted and hung in your window to help bring some joy to passers by.

Finishing up – You can now cook your tile using the instructions above, then paint it using any paints you have in your home. You can also use a piece of string or thread to hang your work with. This can be done at any time if you wish but it isn’t compulsory.

Please note:

• This is a two-part workshop. Please book onto both dates when signing up. A Zoom link will be sent out ahead of the workshops.

• All children must be supervised by an adult

• BCB will be recording the session on Zoom to be shared on social media at a later date. If you do not want to be in the footage, leave your camera turned off

• Please mute your microphone unless you are asking for help from Alice.