Craftspace

The Project Group, based in Oswestry in Shropshire, is working with Craftspace to organise five masterclass workshops with leading artists between February and June 2008.

The Project Group have existing skills and have been producing art commissions for the public sector and some products for a local market. The aim of this series of workshops is to skill the members further and raise the quality and ambition of their creative work.

The second masterclass was led by ceramicist Andrew Tanner and was based on mould making, slipcasting and decal transfer. Using a milk bottle to create a basic but iconic shape which individuals could embellish, the theme of Messages in a Bottle emerged with the aim of showing how everyday objects can be transformed to create bespoke moulds for the creation of small scale batch produced craft pieces.

The group spent the first two days learning about different processes within manufacture and slip casting, and set about making ceramic plaster moulds using different types of bottle. On the final day they focused on surface decoration using decal sheets, underglaze pencils and glazes. Andrew brought in some existing decal design sheets salvaged from a ceramics factory to use for collage effects. Individuals also used their drawings which had been transferred onto decal sheets.

Andrew will be doing a follow up session towards the end of May once the group have had more time to practice some of the new techniques they have learned.

Artists

Andrew Tanner

Curation And Partners

VSM (UK) Ltd  and Craftspace have received an investment from the Arts & Business Investment Programme.

The Project Group in Oswestry has received funding from the European Regional Development fund through the Shropshire Regenerating Communities Action Plan. For information about the project group please go to their website.