Level 2 Sgraffito Storytelling Workshop with guest artist Clara Holt
Join guest ceramic artist Clara Holt at The Mud House in Brighton for a two-day Level 2 intensive exploring expressive sgraffito and storytelling in clay.
This weekend workshop is designed for improvers and intermediate potters who want to deepen their surface design practice and develop a more personal visual language through carving, mark-making, and narrative.
Over Saturday and Sunday (10am–4pm), Clara will guide you through her approach to sgraffito, sharing insights from her own artistic practice while supporting you in applying these techniques to your own work. The focus of the course is on storytelling through surface — exploring how imagery, pattern, and gesture can bring meaning and voice to ceramic pieces.
Across 12 hours of teaching, you will work with both flat and curved forms, building confidence through demonstrations, structured exercises, and supported making time. You will also gain an introduction to essential tools, materials, and methods, along with insight into Clara’s wider influences and creative process.
What You Will Learn:
Introduction to expressive sgraffito techniques
Working with slip, underglazes, and carving tools
Developing storytelling through surface design
Applying sgraffito to both flat and curved forms
Building composition, confidence, and personal style
Understanding tools, materials, and process in depth
Course Details:
📅 Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th
🕙 10am – 4pm (both days)
💰 £290 per person
Includes:
One large piece (vase / tumbler / tile) for carving
All materials, tools, firing & glazing
Refreshments throughout the weekend
Participants are also welcome to bring their own leather-hard greenware to carve. Please note pieces must be at the correct leather-hard stage to be suitable.
Who This Course Is For:
This workshop is ideal for:
Improvers and intermediate ceramicists
Makers with some experience of handbuilding or wheel work
Those looking to develop sgraffito and surface decoration skills
Anyone interested in storytelling through clay
A focused and supportive weekend designed to help you refine your technique, explore narrative in your work, and develop confidence in expressive surface design.
