Online Zero Waste Glazes Workshop

This live two hour online workshop offers a unique opportunity to learn how to make environmentally and socially conscious ceramic glazes and pigments using only repurposed materials. Suitable for artists, designers and craftspeople with any amount of ceramic experience.

Join the next wave of creatives changing the status quo in the field of ceramics with an ethic of care and a deep connection to the source and impact of all chosen materials. Participants will learn how to source and process a range of their local ‘waste’ materials as well as make their own triaxial glaze tests to develop recipes.

Triaxial glaze tests use percentages to blend three materials or glazes together and are the easiest way to develop glaze recipes without extensive glaze chemistry knowledge.

Claire Ellis has experience teaching this one-of-a-kind workshop in her Melbourne studio for the past two years and it’s now available internationally due to popular demand. Claire is committed to making alternative approaches to materials more accessible and sharing her knowledge. Her teaching environments are relaxed and welcoming.

The workshop is part webinar and part tutorial with questions and discussion at the end. It will be recorded with subtitles available in any language.  

Workshop Outline:

• Material Custodianship

• Why do this work?

• Semantics & Communication

• How to source

• How to process

• Food safety and occupational health & safety concerns

• How to develop your glazes

  • Making your test tiles

  • Choosing your materials

  • Substituting materials

  • Mixing your tests

• Selecting application methods

• Recipes & Results

• Troubleshooting

• Q&A

We will explore ‘waste’ from:

• Ceramic studios

• Restaurants

• Glass manufacturing

• Metal working

• Stone quarrying and distribution

• Mining exploration and operation

• Building and demolition

You will learn:

• how to develop environmentally and socially conscious glazes

• how to make triaxial test tiles

• how to source and process local by-products, surplus materials and industrial waste steams for ceramic glazes

• Basic glaze chemistry to inform your material selections

• OHS, food safety, environmental safety

Included in the workshop:

• A PDF workshop summary

• A recording of the workshop

• Live Q&A

• Resource list

• Private facebook group for community and support

What to bring on the day:

• Questions

• A notebook and pen

What you will need afterwards:

• 3M mask

• Hammer, block splitter, or electric crushing tool (options covered in workshop)

• Face shield or safety glasses

• Sieve (options covered in workshop)

• Scale (preferably micro)

• 21 small dishes or cups

• Clay for your test tile

• Underglaze pencil

Optional:

• Ball mill

• Shock absorption gloves

• Sagars

Important note:

Workshops are non-refundable but are recorded

“The future will either be green or not at all.” - Bob Brown