Ceramic Fat Birds
Published May 29, 2011
My ceramic Fat Birds are hand coiled and daubed with metal oxides before they are placed in a galvanised dustbin and set alight. The process of smoke firing is unpredictable and can throw up many variations; you may think that you’ve treated two sculptures the same way – yet they emerge from the flames two entirely different entities.
All the Fat Birds have had their eyes glazed with Botz brush-on and then, after glaze firing, I daubed them in manganese and copper oxide. The manganese can sometimes turn yellow and orange in the smoke fire as can be seen on two of the cockerels – but the middle hen remains grey, brown and charcoal.
I rubbed some iron oxide on the cockerels, but not on the hens. I just love the random way the smoke has left its mark on the surface…
I’m running ceramic and smoke firing workshops in my studios in Dudley Road, Hastings, and if you would like to know more, please go to www.annakeiller.com/workshops to find out more.
New ceramic and smoke firing workshop dates for April and May
Published April 4, 2011New Dates for April and May
Five Sessions Workshop; Starting on Tuesday 12th April 6.30-9pm in Dudley Road Studios in Hastings, East Sussex. The course will run on Tuesday 12th, 19th, 26 of April and Tuesday 3rd and 10th of May. Cost is £120 inclusive all firings and materials plus refreshments.
One day Wonders;
Saturday 9th of April 10-3pm; Come and make your own sculptures using new and exciting techniques at Dudley Road Studios.
Today we’ll focus on coiling and slab building. Cost is £40 including all materials and firings, coffee, tea and cake. Please bring a packed lunch!
Saturday 16th of April 10-3pm; Bowl making without using a potters wheel. Cost is £40 including all materials and firings, coffee, tea and cake. Please bring a packed lunch!
Saturday 30th of April 10-1pm; glazing and smoke firing. Cost is £30 including all materials, firings and refreshments
Sunday drop in workshops; Every Sunday from 10.30-1pm you are welcome to come and join our ceramic workshops. This option is perfect for those of you who have been to my workshops previously and would like to explore more. The cost is £25 and includes all materials and firings and is payable on the day. The group is small with max 6 people, so please let me know if you plan to come by emailing me here
Another ceramic workshop finished
Published March 14, 2011
After five weeks of producing ceramic work, it is time to set fire to it all in my trusty galvanised dustbins!
We covered the bisque fired bowls and sculptures in copper and manganese oxides, added copper netting from kitchen scourers, as well as banana peels, coffee grinds and salt to maximise the effects of the smoke firing!
And then! 
Rosie does her thing! 
Merlin came, too!
If you would like to find out more about my ceramic workshops, please go to www.annakeiller.com/workshops
Ceramic Workshops in March and April
Published March 3, 2011
A new series of workshops start Sunday March 20th 10-1pm at Dudley Road Studios.
The workshops cover essential hand building techniques such as coiling, press moulding and slab building. We will also do some smoke firing 
The classes will run on Sunday 20th and 27th of March and then on the 3rd, 10th and 24th of April. There is a gap of two weeks between the 4th and 5th session so that all the work can be properly dried and fired for the last sessions glazing and smoke firing! To find out more and to sign up please go here.
Clay and glass workshop Feb 2011
Published February 10, 2011
I’m running a one day workshop on Sunday 27th Feb 10-3pm in my studio in Dudley Road, Hastings.
The plan is to make ceramic bowls which we decorate with glass tessarae. The glass will melt in the firing and create lovely patterns in the bottom of
the bowl.
This bowl was made during last week’s workshop – the tessarae has been pressed into the side of the bowl and as I fire it in the kiln I assume the glass will dibble down the sides. But I really do not know – and I can’t wait to see the end result.
If you would like to join us on the 27th please go here to find out more.
Sunday workshop
Published January 25, 2011
The next workshop in Dudley road will start this Sunday January 30th at 10.30-1pm. During the first session we will make bowls 
like these
using press moulds like this!
There are still two places available – so if you would like to try your hand at pottery then please email me
Bowl Mould Making
Published October 5, 2010
Many of my ceramic bowls are press moulded inside plaster casts, and I also seem to need an endless supply of moulds for my workshops. Luckily, making moulds using of plaster of Paris is pretty simple and here are the steps;
Place your model bowl upside down on a slab of clay and fix it to the base with a thin fillet of clay. This is important as otherwise the bowl will start to float as you pour in the plaster. I’m using a pyrex bowl because I like its shape, but plastic or ceramic bowls are fine, too.
Start building clay walls around the bowl.
Make sure you leave enough space between the walls and the bowl for the plaster…and fix the walls in their place with clay.
Now mix and pour in your plaster of Paris and let it cure. This will take a few hours.
Remove the clay walls when the plaster has cooled down…I tend to re-use the clay walls as I make several casts in one sitting. 
Remove the glass bowl and there you have your mould. Smooth down rough edges with a sureform and sand paper. It will take a week or so to dry and then it is ready to use.
Art is for everyone!
Published May 16, 2010I sometimes hear people say that they ‘haven’t an artistic bone in their body’ and I can’t help feeling both sad and a little bit upset. I believe that art and artistic expression is our birth right; everyone is born creative, curious, expressive and full of joy and exuberance. Most of that is ‘educated’ out of us at an early age. We are taught that for art to be considered ‘good’ it must be expensive and forbidding, the artist should preferably be dead, and his/her work hung behind bars in a museum.
I am delighted to find that most people who come to my ceramic workshops produce expressive, individual and beautiful work and that they have a fantastic time doing so. During one of my first classes a lady psychiatrist in her fifties suddenly exclaimed that she hadn’t had this much fun since she was a child!
And this is exactly what I want to deliver; a space for you to rediscover just how much fun it is to create something with your own hands!
Smoke firing and pottery classes in April
Published April 7, 2010
Welcome to new and exciting ceramic workshops in Dudley Road, Hastings, East Sussex!
The next workshop is set to start on Sunday April 18th.
This is a two day workshop where we produce ceramic pieces during the first session on the 18th, which I will bisque fire in readiness for the second session on May 2nd when we smoke fire the work in the garden outside my studio.
The workshop will run from 10am-3pm both days, and a lovely lunch with fish from local fisheries in Rock a Nore, bread from the famous Judges bakery and organic vegetables is included in the price which is £70 for both days. All materials and tuition is also included.
No previous experience is necessary in order to enjoy this course.
To find out more, or to sign up, please go to my website at www.annakeiller.co.uk or email me 
Workshops re scheduled because of snow!
Published January 9, 2010
It has been a couple of wonderful and absurd days here in Hastings when nobody has been able to use my road – except for walking. This morning, the only people out were two foxes playing in the street…
So I have had to postpone the start of my new ceramic workshops by one week.
New Starting Dates;
COURSE OPTION ONE: A five sessions workshop covering essential ceramic techniques such as coiling, slab building, press moulding and glazing. Each session is 2.5 hours long including a teabreak, and the aim is for you to have fun and come away with bowls and sculptures you are really happy with. The groups are small, so please sign up early to avoid disappointment.
Starting date; Tuesday Jan.19th at 6.30 pm
Course costs just £110 + materials (approx. £10)
COURSE OPTION TWO: A five sessions workshop where we focus on techniques covered during previous workshops plus an exploration of unique smoke firing techniques which I have developed over many years using sawdust and galvanised dustbins! A lot of fun and amazingly easy to learn. The sessions are 2.5 hours long, including a teabreak.
Starting date; Saturday Jan.23th 11am-1.30pm
Course costs just £110 + materials (approx. £10)
Please email me here to find out more or sign up.
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