A few weeks ago, I took a Christmas tree workshop. We were introduced to three different techniques for making the clay trees. I’m usually not into making seasonal pieces, but I really enjoyed making Jack O’Lanterns a few months back, so I thought I would try out a tree making class. As I’ve mentioned before, I love taking one or two day clay workshops where I can come home and immediately start applying what I learned.
The first technique used scissors to create the branch texture. I had no idea when I saw the class ad that kids’ safety scissors were what created the v-shaped textures. I was surprised and this was my favorite method from the day. We started with a sphere, rolled that into a pyramid shape, and then carved out most of the inside. The carving is essential so that the walls are not too thick for firing. We then used the tip of the safety scissors to cut into the outside of the clay to create the look of branches. You could add a star on top if you wished.
Our second technique of the day was a coil built tree. Now coil building is not my favorite but the instructor did a great job explaining and gave me a different insight to coiling. Basically as I’m rolling the clay out I should only put pressure on the coil as I’m pushing it away and not applying pressure as I’m rolling it back towards me. Also, as we built the tree, each new coil needed to be placed near the inside of the previous coil, creating the pyramid form. I guess I’ve been coil avoidant, not really liking the look previously and getting frustrated. I really like this tree and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.
Our third technique was a layered, stacked tree. Now my end result was pretty sad, but I enjoyed making this tree. We rolled a succession of large to small spheres and then flattened each sphere to create a “pancake” layer of the tree. We started with the largest and ended with the smallest. As this was the last tree of the workshop, we started running out of time. If I were to recreate this piece, I would go slower with each layer and try to curl and form the edges more carefully. We also had to score and slip each layer and I think I flattened my piece more because I tend to get heavy handed with scoring and slipping. Overall, I’m glad I tried out the technique, even though it doesn’t look fabulous. 😉
I really enjoyed this workshop, with the first technique being my favorite. I normally use a white clay for almost every thing I make, but now I have the urge to buy a bag of brown speckled clay. I love how the brown speckled clay and the beautiful glazes worked together and created rustic, charming trees.
