Rock & Ash Glaze Workshop with Dr Steve Harrison

This workshop will include some hands-on activity relating to using natural rock or ash ingredients in glazes; how to prepare, combine, and fire. Participants will be grinding, weighing, and mixing ingredients to produce a number of tests (these will not be fired at the workshop due to time constraints).

In addition, Steve will talk and answer questions about kilns and firing. He has designed and built many different types, mainly wood-burning. For a wealth of information and plans see his booklet, “Laid Back Wood Firing”, available from TACA, along with a number of Steve’s other publications.

Steve is famous for many things, but probably the most visible are his exquisite bowls. Adorned in glazes made essentially from materials he has found in-the-wild they are cleanly thrown, neatly glazed, and elegant in their simplicity. Steve is passionate about sustainability, in all aspects of his life and practice, and has a lifetime of accumulated skills and knowledge about everything ceramic, acquired mainly through his own inventive resourcefulness.

Steve and partner Janine King live in Balmoral Village, a small township in the southern highlands’ region of NSW.  It was devastated by the 2019/20 summer bushfires. Read more here.

Participants should bring:

• BYO lunch. There are not any cafes/takeaway outlets near BIA so BYO lunch is recommended.
• Notebook and pen/pencil
• Dust mask
• Set of digital scales
• Specimens of igneous rock to test, or local ash; it will need to be crushed quite finely; optional. For tips on preparing rocks or ash refer to Chapter 4 of Ian Currie’s Stoneware Glazes.
• Plastic containers, such as takeaway food containers
• Small, fine brush (or ceramic pencils in dark colour) for marking test tiles.

Morning and afternoon tea will be provided by CAQ.

Tickets are $250 for CAQ members and $295 for non-members. Members – please log into your account and use the discount code ‘memberfee’ at checkout to access the discounted member rate.

About Dr Steve Harrison

Steve Harrison holds several academic qualifications in the field of ceramics, including a PhD from the University of Western Sydney. He has taught, published, and exhibited extensively over several decades. Harrison’s ceramic works are held in prominent gallery collections in both Australia and Korea.

He currently lives in Gundungurra/Dharawal country as a self-described potter, retired kiln surgeon, clay doctor, wood butcher and post-modern peasant. Read more at Dr Harrison’s website.