What will I learn? 

Join wildlife artist Liz McLelland and learn to create a ceramic mackerel. Liz will guide you step by step through the process as you learn wildlife observation skills and hand-building techniques that will breathe life into the clay. You’ll see your creation emerge over the course of three hours as you refine and add texture to your design. Liz will take your finished creation back to her home kiln to glaze and fire for you ready to collect from the Hub around 6 weeks later.

Liz’s guided step-by-step workshops are designed to teach core clay sculpting skills that can be applied to other hand building projects should the clay bug bite. This session will help participants develop their wildlife observation skills and learn how to apply these to capture the likeness of an animal in 3 dimensions.

What will I take away with me?

You will be able to collect your ceramic Mackerel from the Hub around 6 weeks after the workshop.

Do I need to bring anything with me? 

No – all tools and materials are provided. Ideally you will have short nails and minimal jewellery on your hands to make it easier working with clay.

Is it suitable for beginners?

Yes, no experience is needed.

About the Artist/Facilitator 

Liz McLelland is a Lincolnshire-based ceramic sculptor creating artworks rooted in close observation of wildlife and a deep fascination with nature. Her practice centres on a connection to the natural world and reflects real encounters with wildlife. She never tires of the joy she feels in those moments when a wild animal allows her briefly into its world. That quiet sense of privilege, of shared presence, stays with her and is expressed through her art. Liz works in stoneware clays to capture the illusion of softness from a material that is solid and enduring, holding fleeting wild moments in clay. As a self-taught artist, Liz is constantly experimenting with the material and thrives on challenging herself to find new ways to capture the individuality of the subject through subtle gestures that suggest something just beyond the visible. Working in clay is compelling in its unpredictability and Liz loves that unnerving and exciting moment when she opens the kiln to discover how the oxides and glazes have interacted with the clay. The result is that every one of Liz’s sculptures is entirely unique. Liz’s work invites viewers to slow down; to notice the world we share with countless wild species, and to remember that we are not separate from nature – we are part of it.

Access Information - Workshop

When you enter the Hub, head to the shop reception and a Visitor Experience Assistant will be able to show you to the room.

The workshop is on the ground floor, you can see a picture of the room below.

The workshop is temperature controlled and well lit.

You are close to all toilet facilities, also on the ground floor. You will have access to two disabled toilets.

You are welcome to take drinks or snacks into the workshop if required.

If you would like to talk to a member of staff about access, please email info@hub-sleaford.org.uk or call 01529 308710.