Learn Smoke Firing with Martine Becquet

Join local potter Martine Becquet for this 2-day workshop hosted in The Farmer’s Arms pottery over two consecutive Sundays (Sunday 19th & Sunday 26th June).

Day 1 – Sunday 19th June 2022:

During the morning we will be making pots by hand, making coil and pinch pots. Allowing your pieces time to dry over lunch, you’ll then start the burnishing process as all your pieces will need to be bisque fired during the week, ready for the sawdust firing on the second workshop.

Homework – you’ll need to collect and dry organic matter for the following workshop, which you’ll use to wrap around your pots. What you use will help to create unique patterns on the surface during firing.

Day 2 – Sunday 26th June:

The second day you’ll learn how to build a ‘sawdust kiln’ with bricks and also using an oil-drum to fire all the pieces. You’ll get your pots ready, load the kilns and start the fire after which, it will smolder for about 12-24 hours.

Your pots will then be available to collect from The Farmer’s Arms workshop from Wednesday 29th June.

About the Tutor: 

Originally from Belgium, Martine Becquet now lives and works in the Lake District. She began making ceramics when living in Friesland having learnt how to throw from a local potter.

She worked with clay for several years in different European countries and when she moved to England Martine set up her own studio (originally in Devon). She works mainly with white stoneware and decorates her tableware using the sgraffito technique. Recently she has become passionate about firing pieces in wood and sawdust, a technique that is both exciting and unpredictable.