SODA IMPROV Bali…Spontaneity with Bruce McWhinney

With lightness of touch and deftness of handling, Bruce McWhinney coaxes inspired objects from the shapeless mass of clay---objects that evoke ancient, wordless memory: tactility as inheritance, material as wisdom, form as three-dimensional poetry. Drawing upon over four decades of creative research, teaching, and travel centered on clay culture, Bruce brings an eclectic and masterful approach to the handling and firing of this expressive material. He will share many and varied methods of building, stimulated by the inherent qualities of the clay itself. Guiding participants in the mindful improvisation of ceramic art both functional and sculptural, the workshop will culminate in the alchemy of atmospheric firing in Gaya’s “BaliCat” soda kiln. This will be an immersion in materiality from start to finish, and the fine balance between technique and spontaneity.