NATURE INSPIRED:
Free-form Hand-building
with Judit Varga
May 18-31, 2025
During our two weeks working together, participants will be individually guided to find their unique voice through clay, using the visual vocabulary of surrounding nature as a starting point for expressing their own emotions and feelings.
Judit will share her extensive knowledge of hand-building methods and clay-based coloring and glazing. Participants will explore ideas for forms, colors, and surfaces based on small artifacts found in the surrounding lush nature. Empty pods, withering flowers, fallen leaves, shells, and twigs will provide the visual vocabulary to create unique pieces from malleable clay.
The day will start with demonstrations, discussions, and sharing ideas, then will focus on individually finding the best hand-building technique for each person’s nature-inspired creation.
It is a free-forming hand-building workshop, welcome to professional artists and artistic enthusiasts, regardless of one’s previous knowledge or experience.
TUITION: USD $2200 inclusive of all studio materials, glazes and firings, catered lunches, welcome dinner, and excursions around the island. We will assist in making recommendations for bookings for nearby hotels, bungalows or home-stays in convenient proximity to Gaya studio (accommodation is not included in tuition).
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE - NATURE INSPIRED: Free-form Hand-building
As an artist, I am fascinated by the beauty of the transient nature of living beings. I use the visual metaphor of blooming or dying flowers to emphasize the impermanence of life. I am captivated by the balance and harmony of mortality: as loss of strength softens edges, fading colors accentuate the subtle details of imperfection.
I emphasize the drama and struggle of form, surface, color, and texture, and how the passing of time affects all of this to highlight our daily struggles in life, in such a turbulent time that seems to affect us all. Nature always desires harmony and feeds on balance—an energy that needs dissonance and conflict. The blooming flower symbolizes HOPE, embodies the FUTURE, while embracing the elusiveness of TIME.
During my two-week workshop, participants will explore the power of colors, the symbolic connotations of flowers and pods, and learn about the Golden Ratio and the basic elements of design. The objective of the course is to encourage participants to find their own unique voices in the visual language of clay.
They will create individualized, dynamic sculptures representing a personal, poetic interpretation of a feeling or emotion. Symbolic forms will be strongly based on locally found pods, shells, flowers, or any remnants of nature, using hand-building methods with soft slab techniques and colorful slips and engobes.
Sunday, May 18th: Welcome Dinner
6:00 pm We will begin the workshop by getting to know one another over a casual dinner. Judit will offer a brief presentation, sharing insights into her artistic journey and the work that has influenced the development of this workshop.
Monday, May 19th:
Spending the morning discussing ideas, looking at found objects from nature, talking about concept, composition, visual communication through forms, shapes, colors, balance or dissonance. Sketching ideas, taking notes, finding some base ideas for the pieces.
12:30 Lunch family style
The afternoon is spent preparing hump molds and props for the hand building process. Finalize the design composition of two elements, Prepare the clay and get all the tools and materials ready for the making. Introduce working with special GayaCAC mix clay, feel the material, understand its limitations. Play and observe, make notes.
Tuesday, May 20th :
Slab building demo, discussion about material, clay quality all the way down to the molecular level which is the key to understanding how clay behaves and use that knowledge to make strong slabs for future use.
12:30 Lunch family style
Making several slabs and storing them for future use. Continue on testing the material and making small spontaneous, gestural forms
Wednesday, May 21st :
Afternoon discussions and PowerPoint presentation about developing colors, using colored slips on wet clay slabs, color transfer, using stencils, layering and stretching. One to one consultation, discussion on final design project.
12:30 Lunch family style
Preparing all the tools, surfaces, props for a successful project.
Thursday, May 22nd to Saturday, May 24th
Hand building from soft slab. Start every day with a demo, discussions, and planning the day ahead.
12:30 Lunch family style
Addressing problems and challenges as they arise, focusing on individual needs but keeping the whole group on a mission to finish up small pieces for firing by 12:00 on Saturday 5/24.
Sunday, May 25th :
Free Day! - The day is yours and the studio is closed, kiln is firing.
Monday, May 26th :
Opening the kiln, and preparing small pieces for second firing.
12:30 Lunch family style
Continue working on large pieces. adjusting based on test kiln results. adding details on the first piece while letting it dry for firing. Removing props. Building separately constructed elements together. Learning about the importance of how to control the drying period and what can be still added during this time. Load a kiln for smaller pieces intended to be glazed for the second firing.
Tuesday, May 27th :
Working on larger pieces. Details. Finishes. Building smaller elements together.
12:30 Lunch family style
Finalize the look and proportions. Layering more vitrified colored slips.
Wednesday, May 28th :
Unload kiln (Small pieces)
Last opportunity to work on larger pieces, finishing touches. Start loading the kiln for large pieces at noon for cone 6 oxidation.
12:30 Lunch family style
Explore the possibility of sulfates and glazes. Load small pieces into the kiln for cone 06 low oxidation firing.
Thursday, May 29th :
Excursion. A day away from the studio
Friday, May 30th :
The big reveal! unload the reduction kiln, photograph the pieces, and discuss possible post firing finishes.
12:30 Lunch family style
Pop up exhibition in studio before packing up the works to bring home
Saturday, May 31th :
Departure day, studio is closed
**Details of schedule may be subject to change, but overall content will remain constant.