Ruthanne Tudball Workshops

Ruthanne Tudball

Internationally renowned ceramicist

Soda-glazed ceramics

Workshops in McGregor, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth & Gauteng, April/May 2014

Millstone Pottery has invited Ruthanne Tudball to present a 3-day workshop at our studio in McGregor in April. The workshop will include slide presentations, throwing demonstrations, kiln packing and soda glaze firing.   Whilst in the country, Ruthanne will also give day-long workshops in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Gauteng.**

 Ruthanne is an expert in the art of soda glazing, and has published a highly acclaimed book on the subject “Soda Glazing” published by A&C Black. Ruthanne’s ceramics are distinct in several respects. Foremost is the method she uses to create her work. “All of my work is thrown and manipulated while wet on the wheel. In an attempt to capture the softness in the finished piece, I do very little turning, and when the turning is done, it mainly happens at the soft stage. After firing and transforming the clay to stone, that softness can still be seen.” Her work is very organic and imprecise. She draws her inspiration from the natural world around her and the energy in the evolving landscape. Ruthanne’s second unique approach is in her firing technique. She uses a combination of wood and gas – uses no glazes but instead slips and the heated ash to transform her work. The careful stacking of the kiln encourages the flow of the flame and vapour through the chamber and around the pots.“Sodium vapour glazing emphasises the marks and rhythms of making, picks out every line. Spouts and lips for pouring, handles to invite lifting and balance, feet for stability and elegance – these are some aspects of looking at function and sharing with others which hold my attention when making pots. My inspiration comes mainly from the natural world around me and the energy in the evolving landscape, celebrating the rhythms and creative forces of the earth and the human body.”

 Come and learn her techniques... see Ruthanne demonstrate throwing, manipulating and assembling pieces while fresh on the wheel. She will also share a slide presentation of her techniques for creating slip-decorated stoneware vapour fired in a wood/gas kiln. To find out more about Ruthanne, visit her website: www.ruthannetudball.com.
 Take Hennie Meyer’s advice: “Everyone working with clay should attend this workshop, whether they throw or not. Ruthanne works with clay in a magical way, really understanding and working with the properties of soft clay. I think this is the workshop that people will refer to as the one they wish they had attended." The 3-day workshop will be held at Millstone Pottery in McGregor, from 26 to 28 April 2013 and will cost R3 000, including meals. You will have an opportunity to put pots into a wood-fired soda kiln during the workshop. 

The 1-day workshops, at a cost of R450 per person, will be held at:**

• Art in the Forest, Cape Town on 23 April
• NMMU, Port Elizabeth on 3 May
• The Pottery Studio, Bryanston, Gauteng on 6th May

	To book, or for more information, please contact: McGregor: Nina Shand or Paul de Jongh, 023 625 1599, 072 544 2145, info@millstonepottery.co.za Cape Town: Bianca, Almarie or Christine, 021 794 0291, info@artintheforest.com Port Elizabeth: Lisa Walker, 082 516 9220, ceramics.easterncape@gmail.com Gauteng:  Colleen Lemkuhl, 073 481 0889, colleen@potterystudio.co.za