Sculpture and artistry in Clay & Lime plaster

Excited about Natural building? Enjoy being creative in nature? Join us for an enriching, hands-on workshop where you'll dive into the wonderful world of natural plasters from an art and sculpture perspective. Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of wild West Wales while honing your skills and connecting with fellow creatives.

Sculpture and Artistry in Clay & Lime

Location: Penpynfarch, West Wales (Close to Llandysul)

Dates: September 7th (Afternoon) - September 11th (Afternoon)

Expect to learn the fundamentals of working with cob, clay plaster and lime plaster in a sculptural and artistic way. We will have 4 days of hands-on immersive learning nestled in beautiful surroundings. We’ll be working together to create a large scale sculptural wall art piece in lime and clay plasters and you will also have the chance to create your own smaller piece of work to take home with you.
 

Workshop Highlights:

- Introduction to materials: Exploring clay and lime as binders, aggregates, fibres, and additives such as oils.

- Creating suitable mixes: Learn to formulate sculptural mixes, fine finish mixes, colored plasters, and more for various outcomes.

- Pigments: Discover the sourcing and processing of natural earth pigments to use in your plaster projects.

- Relief sculpture in clay & lime plasters: Selecting and preparing your surface, designing and applying your sculpture, and mastering different sculpting techniques.

- Sgraffito: Carving through multiple layers of colored plaster to create vibrant and textured designs.

Full Immersive Experience:

- Nature Connection: Stay on-site at Penpynfarch, a beautiful forested valley in the heart of wild West Wales. Four nights of camping/live-in vehicle space are included, or you can stay in a shared yurt glamping dorm which overlooks the valley.

- Enjoy optional morning or evening yoga/stretch sessions, river dips, and woodland walks, connecting with nature and new friends.

- Communal healthy, simple and nutritious lunches and evening meals will be provided from Thursday to Monday, starting with dinner on Thursday and finishing with lunch on Monday. Please bring your own breakfasts and extra snacks or treats you know that you will want. Tea and coffee will be available, but feel free to bring your personal favorites.

Tools, PPE and materials are all provided (though you are welcome to bring any favourites of your own) but please bring with you clothes that you don't mind getting messy, everything you need to camp in Wales for 4 nights in September (if you are camping), instruments/ stories, curiosity, a willingness to learn and a sense of adventure! 

Facilitator Bio:

Rebecca is a craftswoman, artist and natural builder who is on a mission to promote the use of natural materials in art, events and the built environment. Her work is mainly focused on sculptural and decorative plasterwork using clay and lime but is as diverse as structures and buildings, furniture and large scale land art. After spending the last few years learning from as many skilled natural builders and master craftspeople as possible around the UK and abroad, she is excited to share some of what she knows with others in this playful and informative hands-on workshop.

You can view her work on instagram here