Jim Robison Workshop at Shadbolt Centre Jim Robison demonstrating the many stages of a slab built pot. By Gayle Oyama Having seen Jim Robison’s large outdoor ceramic installations and garden pieces online and in books, I eagerly anticipated his two-day slab building workshop at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts on March 24 and 25. [had done some slab building in my years of taking pottery classes, but Jim Robison’s techniques, the creative use of slabs and the assembly process were the greatest value of the workshop to me and created the desire to get back to the studio and put these methods into practice. I realized, even with some knowledge of slab building, I was a little out of my comfort zone. I felt more at ease when we started with smaller manageable pieces that were built and stretched by hand. Base and accent slabs were created using slips, impressions, combing and stencils from fabric. The base slabs had strips of the accent slabs applied both top and bottom. With the application of more slip and score lines and the final stretching of the slab the design emerged. Using molds, both decorative and functional pieces were created. Next we moved to the slab roller. Using the same methods used for the smaller slabs, larger ones were created. This time however Jim scored the slab in a few select places. The slab was put through the roller and dramatic patterns were integrated in the slab and tears appeared where the slab was scored: order and pattern had been created. You could tell we were all impressed as each piece emerged from the slab roller. We now have a hint of how Jim's larger pieces were created. ‘This was all leading to the large planter. We watched Jim use the clay slabs as a canvas creating the windswept scenery on his planters: stencils to anchor the ground, slip for the scenery, and combing and scoring for depth and movement. Jim was ready to use the large, wooden half barrel like molds: we had all been waiting for this demonstration from the time we first laid our eyes on the molds. Once the “canvas” was sufficiently dry and the slabs were placed in the curved molds and allowed to set up, the sides of the two curved pieces were joined together and the base added with neat precision. Then we moved onto the rims which Jim created with extrusions. I had been looking forward to seeing the rims applied as I had admired the beautiful curved flowing forms on his work. His development of the rim for “our” large planter did not disappoint. The rim he created had movement as the extrusion curved over the clouds, finally rippled and cascaded down the sides of the planter. I couldn't wait to use this method on my workshop pieces. At the end of the workshop, my extruded rims are applied and as I stand back, in my mind I hear one of my early instructors: “stop touching the piece”. I guess I still haven't learned—there are finger marks everywhere. Where were all of Jim’s finger marks? There were none to be found. At the end of the workshop, I looked at my fellow students’ work— amazing. There were works that emphasized colour, others design and yet others pattern. They were all different and, while they had embraced Jim’s techniques, they used their own creativity. We had graduated from creating small slabs using Jim’s techniques to larger more intricate pieces and, finally, Jim worked on and finished “our” planter. I look forward to seeing all of Jim's workshop pieces displayed at Shadbolt to continue to inspire both myself and all who take courses at and visit the Centre. @ Many thanks to Gayle Oyama for sharing her workshhop experience with PGBC members, even though she is not a member herself. Our newsletter welcomes submissions from anyone about anythying clay-related. GUT up of BRITISH COLUMBIA Potters Guild of BC Newsletter - May 2012 10