Ceramic experience workshops
Published June 25, 2012
I’m now running One to One and One to Two ceramic workshops from my pottery studio in Dudley Road, Hastings.
If you would like to create a special item; be it a christening bowl for a new member of the family, a memorial plaque or an ashes casket for a funeral, an exuberant sculpture for a wedding – I can help you catch that elusive idea and turn it into an artwork you will be proud of.
Perhaps you like Rhinos…
Or perhaps you always wanted a plaster cast of your own feet…
Maybe smoke firing tickles your fancy? 
Please email me at studio at annakeiller.com or have a look at my website, where I will be updating new ceramic workshop dates shortly. My mobile number is 07722171818 if you would like to discuss a potential project.
Whales!
Published May 6, 2012
My totem pole is almost finished and this is the top sphere – a smoke fired globe with whales and water
I have only used metal oxides to colour the clay
I used manganese, red iron and cobalt oxide – the smoke did the rest!
My inspiration for the sculpture is Dylan Thomas’s poem ‘The green fuse’ I wrote about it in an earlier post http://annakeiller.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/the-green-fuse/.
Sold – ceramic owls
Published November 25, 2011
All my little owls have sold without me actually noticing it…They are all smoke fired ceramic.
I thought I made a lot of them, but I now notice that I haven’t got any left…
Must try harder.
Sold
Published November 5, 2011
A group of Belgian people dropped by my studio this week to pick up some ceramic sculptures. I particularly liked this Fat Bird because of the small, star like white spots on her side, and I am actually sorry to see her go.
The white spots are caused by salt exploding during the smoke firing. The grey and black markings are painted by the smoke – the original colour of my clay is white.
I have used red Botz brush -on glaze for her eyes.
I daubed some red iron and manganese oxide on this Fat Bird, but the black markings appeared during the smoke firing. Again, she is made from white clay.
Even though this Fat Bird is also smoke fired, the smoke has only left a gentle grey hue and the markings comes mainly from manganese, copper and iron oxide.
New Ceramic House Gods – Angel
Published April 23, 2011
This is a ceramic sculpture of an Angel. She is really a House God, and she will protect your dreams. 
She is approximately 11′x5”, smoke fired, and here is a link to what she looked like as she came out of the smoke chamber a few weeks ago http://annakeiller.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/house-gods-and-angels/
Vase making – smoke firing.
Published April 5, 2011I recently wrote about a ceramic vase I was making…I have been circling around it for weeks, building up courage to place it in a dustbin and set fire to it. 
So last night I did the deed and torched my vase…
I placed a few of my Angels in there for good measure… And this was what I found this morning…
It was still smouldering as I hoiked it out of the bin. I had no gloves and was far too impatient to go and fetch some, so I used my sweather as a fireblanket. Not a good idea. I set fire to the grass as well, which is worse, but the vase survived. It is still too hot to clean up – I think it looks pretty good so far.
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.
Ceramic Workshops in Hastings Autum 2010
Published August 17, 2010
I have now had a chance to update my ceramic workshop diary with new dates for the autumn, and here they are..
http://annakeiller.com/workshops/workshop-diary/
There are two different workshop types to choose from;
Introduction to sculpting, plaque or bowl making without a wheel. These classes take place on Sundays from 10am – 3pm and include lunch, tea, coffee and cake. We basically work from 10am until lunch which is home made pasta with local sea food and salad followed by pud and coffee. I use organic produce and bread from Judges bakery.
After lunch we finish what we started during the morning session. Two weeks later, when I have fired the work, we meet up again to glaze and smoke fire.
These workshops are suitable for beginners and for people who have worked with clay before . The groups are small with max. 6 people.
The cost for two workshops is £70 including all materials, firings and lunch.
The 5 session workshops take place on Saturday afternoons and cover coiling, slab building and press moulding techniques as well as glazing and smoke firing. The sessions are 2.5 hours long and the cost for all 5 sessions including materials, firings, tea and refreshments is £120. Groups are small with max 6 participants.
More Pomegranates
Published June 30, 2010
I have finally got some proper pictures of my pomegranates, and this is one of them.
I have made eight pomegranates now for various summer shows. I’m kind of tempted to keep making them because it is so much fun, and I have worked out how to get them the way I want them…but I think this is it for now. They will be at Rye Society of Artist’s Summershow in Rye, East Sussex http://www.ryesocietyofartists.co.uk/ and Saffron Art Gallery in Battle http://www.saffrongallery.co.uk/
I have used paperclay and then botz brush on glazes. They have all been smoke fired, or barrelled, in sawdust in order to get a deeper glow to the glazes.
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