Experience the excitement of atmospheric saggar firing in our electric kiln with the guidance of Alison Brannen.
Join us for a Pottery Retreat Feb 9-19 in Tortola British Virgin Islands.
Details will be forthcoming.
DIPTYCHS in paint, photography, assemblage, ceramics, video
Please BYOM (bring-your-own- mug) to use for refreshments.
We serve tea and snacks in the cozy Toronto Potters Studio.
Alison will talk about her work and artistic influences, followed by a demonstration of her techniques for slip-casting her small vases and applying terra sigillata.
Alison Brannen, Toronto artist, educator, and sailor, has been creating art for 35 years. Her educational background includes: M.F.A. - University of New Mexico, Albuquerque; B.F.A. - York University, Toronto.
o; B.Ed. - the University of Toronto. She recently retired after teaching for many years from her position as ceramics department head at Rosedale Heights School of the Arts in Toronto. In her artist practice, she offers workshops on saggar-fired ceramics in electric kilns and Kintsugi-inspired gold repair to various guilds and online audiences worldwide.
Her work has been recognized by awards: Best in Show Award: Toronto Potters 23rd Biennial at Craft Ontario 401 Gallery in 2025; Ann Sneath Best in Show Award: Hamilton Potters Guild Biennial at the Carnegie Gallery in 2016. Her large-scale sculptural vessels were showcased at the Gardiner Museum in 2020. Represented by Gagne Contemporary Gallery in Toronto and New York, she has exhibited in several group shows in Ontario: Art Gallery of Burlington, Carnegie Gallery, Todmorden Gallery, Oeno Gallery, Rails End Gallery and others.
August 6-16, she will be exhibiting her work in Parallell Play, along with Jenny Mendes and Annie McDonald at Gagne Contemporary Leslieville, in Toronto.
Currently Alison volunteers as Vice President of FUSION: the Ontario Clay and Glass Association. On Sunday, May 24, she will moderate a panel discussion with John Gagne of Gagne Contemporary Gallery and Jennifer Kerbel, owner of Vessels and Sticks, at the Art Gallery of Burlington as part of the Fusion Conference 2026.
January 16th, 2026 - 7-9pm (prepare objects for saggar) Alison will provide recipes etc.
January 17th, 2026 - 1-4pm (wrap objects for firing)
January 18th, 2026 - 1-3pm (unwrap and review results)
Make 2 pieces using smooth clay, ideally 1 white and 1 red clay, cone 6 - NO GROG
Do not burnish pieces (or the saggar will not adhere)
Piece size of 6” or smaller (to allow space for everyone’s work)
Pieces must be bone dry so need to be made/on drying shelves by January 5th (or the results may be poor)
Alison has some but you may want to add your own
*2 pieces (duh)
*Brushes (wide soft bamboo brushes ideal)
Washes - copper, iron, cobalt
Metal - Copper wire, mesh or scrubbies, also iron, steel wool
Botanicals - not dried - ferns, leaves
Compost (lol ... don't know what to call it) - coffee grounds, banana peels, tea bag (dry)
Weird chemical stuff - e.g. apparently Miracle Gro can sometimes give beautiful greens
If anyone has a banding wheel they can bring that would be awesome but not required
Space is limited to 6 people
To reserve a spot - etransfer to alisonbrannen11@gmail.com ($350) with title:
January Saggar Workshop
Link: Clayworx Ceramic Arts Learning Centre
An interactive hands-on workshop for intermediate level students. Through demonstration, lecture and discussion students will produce 3 finished saggar fired pieces. Here is what participants can expect to learn: how to prepare white and coloured terra sigillata; various methods of applying terra sigilatta to bone dry pots; how to create a depth of coloured surfaces with slips and combustibles on their pots; and, how to stack the saggar chamber for safe and successful practices in an electric kiln. Note: some pre-workshop preparation is required.
Detailed information/instructions and terra sigillata will be provided well in advance of the workshop to participants.
What's included:
1) A pre-made saggar chamber to fit everyone's pots in one of our electric kilns.
2) Terra sigillata - both in advance and at the workshop
3) 3 coloured slips for producing coloured surfaces on pots - iron red, Upsala clay light blue, and one dark blue/black.
4) Reclaimed clay to thinly roll out, add colourants and combustibles and wrap around your pots.
What to bring:
1) 3 smooth bone dry pots (white or light coloured clay bodies are best for this technique to show off the colours produced)
2) 3 smooth bisqued pots that had terra sigillata applied before bisque firing
*** all pots should be maximum 6 inches in size
3) Your favourite hake or fan brush to apply terra sigillata. We will have brushes to use, but if you have a favourite or unconventional one that you like to use please bring it.
4) Combustibles - such as leaves, pine needles, tea bags, seaweek, sawdust, etc. and steel wool, copper wire, copper pot scrubbers - you don't need to bring everything here, these are just examples
5) A ready to eat, packed lunch. There will only be 1/2 hour for lunch.
6) Your cellphone capable of running Zoom. Please ensure it is fully charged when you arrive and bring your charging cord. We are working out a method to allow quick charging over the lunch break for any phones that need it. You do not need to bring any kind of stand, we will be providing those.
A detailed list of materials, terra sigillata and instructions, and any additional information will be provided to registrants via email well in advance of the workshop.
The portions of the workshop containing Alison's demonstrations will be available for viewing by workshop participants for 3 months following the workshop to give you more time to absorb and make notes on the lessons!
--- Please note that the entirety of the workshop will be recorded, but only the demonstrations by Alison will be made available for viewing. We may use tiny snippets of the total recording for promotional purposes but WILL NOT ever include images/videos of your person without a signed release from you ---
Available spots: 11
Price: $145.00 Taxes not included
Intermediate level
Saturday May 24, 1pm-6
Sunday May 25, 10-3:30
Brantford Potters Guild
ClayWorks Studio
111 Sherwood Dr. Unit 3
Brantford Ontario
For registration and information contact:
brantfordpottersguild.ca
Contemporary gold ceramic repair
Beginner level
Saturday May 10, 1pm -3:30
Mississauga Potter’s Guild
Lorewood Plaza
1200 Vanier Drive Unit 3A, 3B
Mississauga Ontario
For registration and information contact mississaugapotters.com
Link: skopART
The Skopelos Foundation for the Arts was established as a non-profit organization in 1999 by the Founder, Gloria Carr. For years it was her vision to create a studio for artists. She wasn’t sure where it would be set up until 1996 when she visited the island of Skopelos.
The mission of the Foundation is to promote the visual arts and education in the arts through cultural exchanges. Guided by the Hellenic history and culture, the Foundation will promote artistic dialogue between the Greek, American and International communities of artists.
