WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
Thanks for attending our pottery workshop! We hope you enjoyed letting your heart be creative.
If you had a good time, we’d love to hear what went well and if there was a particular aspect or moment you enjoyed the most. Share your experience in a quick Google review, or, if we missed the mark, reach out to us via our contact form so we can follow up and make things right.
Your feedback means a lot as it lets us know if we’re on the right track. We take all feedback on board to help guide how we approach future events, as we are committed to delivering experiences that continue to inspire, excite and positively impact our community.
Thank you for taking the time, we really appreciate this opportunity to hear from you.
A LITTLE ABOUT US
Everyday Clay is a one-person run, small-batch ceramics studio nestled in the leafy foothills of Healesville in the Yarra Valley. We design and deliver workshop experiences that invite meaningful connection with ourselves, each other, and the ever-changing present moment through the slow craft of pottery making.
Rather than rely on a throwing wheel for its speed and ease, our events uniquely celebrate the age-old tradition of hand-building as both art form and therapeutic method of making. Hand-building wields the extraordinary power of bringing our bodies into direct and unaided contact with clay, the breathing earth itself. Its method of honouring our hands as the primary tool for creating something beautiful places value on who we are, and the abilities we have been gifted.
To this day, we have travelled to countless venues across Victoria facilitating workshops for schools, universities, councils, conferences, nonprofits, and businesses and corporations alike.
Our work begins and ends with a simple invitation: to get us out of our heads and into our hands, so that we may rediscover a magic lost to us who have grown: our ability to dream, imagine, and experience the real in its wonder.
AFTER-WORKSHOP CARE instructions
1 Dry slowly and evenly: Air-dry clay shrinks as it dries and may crack if the drying rate is too fast or uneven. To minimise cracks, let your piece dry in a cool area away from direct heat, sunlight and drafts.
If you attended our upcycled clay vase workshop, surface cracks are expected due to the clay shrinking against a fixed object. For the first few days, we recommend wrapping your piece in a damp paper towel or cloth, and loosely covering it with a plastic bag, to slow the drying rate. After 4 days, remove the paper towel/cloth but leave the bag, and turn the piece over or place on wire rack to allow its base to dry for about 2 days.
Let your piece dry completely for at least 8-10 days, depending on the thickness of the clay. Once dry, the clay should feel firm and turn white-grey (for white clay), or orange-tan (for terracotta clay).
2 Repair cracks: If cracks have appeared, don’t be alarmed as you can use the extra clay given to you to reduce their appearance. Once your piece is completely dry, wet the affected area with a brush and press fresh, moistened clay into the crack. Spread the clay around the surrounding area and repeat this process for any other cracks. Let the filled piece dry again completely for about 3 days. Any small, hairline cracks that are difficult to fill with clay can be concealed by the acrylic paint applied in step 3, so patience is key!
3 Paint your piece: Gather a few brushes and high-quality acrylic paints (like this Reeves Acrylic Paint Set from Officeworks) for the ultimate painting session at home. If the paints have a thick consistency, add a drop of water to help it apply more smoothly. Apply 3 coats of paint for sufficient coverage and allow each coat to dry between applications.
4 (Optional) It’s time to gloss-up: Use a brush to apply a thin layer of clear liquid varnish to your piece, available for purchase online and from most art shops. The varnish will add a water-resistant coating to protect your piece against scratches. Apply the varnish in stages (e.g., top areas first, then bottom areas), and clean the brush between applications to prevent the bristles hardening.
4 Enjoy your piece: Hooray! Your piece is now ready to use, display and enjoy. Wipe clean with a soft cloth and do not submerge in water. Air-dry clay also cannot be used as tableware, so please refrain from using your piece for eating and drinking.