Crafting Hand-Built Ceramic Fountains with Francis River

Overview In this workshop, participants will join artist and ceramicist Francis River to design and construct hand-built ceramic fountains. Participants will explore coil building, and sculpting techniques to create functional and creative fountains. We’ll focus on water flow, pump integration, and artistic design. After bisque firing, we will reunite for a session to assemble the fountains with provided pump kits and test them for proper operation.  Day 1 - Building Fountain Components: (Saturday, August 2nd, 10am - 4pm) On the first day, participants will dive into hand-building techniques to create the main components of their fountains. Francis will demonstrate coil building methods, as well as sculptural techniques for creating basins, extensions, and decorative elements. We’ll discuss design principles for water flow and functionality. Participants will spend the remainder of the session constructing their pieces, with plenty of time for individual guidance and experimentation.