Face-to-face teaching

Thanks to all who came to 2024’s portrait sculpture classes. My Portrait Heads in Clay at Art Junction will kick off teaching in 2025 followed by Morley College. Further dates for next year are firming up including my summer school at Art Junction (Billingshurst), Phoenix Brighton, The Art Academy (London). To be first to hear about new dates, sign up to my email newsletter.

Portrait Heads in clay, Art Junction, Billingshurst

Five days: Thurs 27 February; Wed 5 March; Thurs 13 March; Thurs 20 March; Thurs 27 March 2025, 10-4pm each day, £465

5-day Summer School: Monday 14 July to Friday 18 July 2025, 10-4pm each day, £465

Have you ever wanted to capture someone’s face or expression in a sculpture? Working a portrait in clay from a live model is a really rewarding experience. This course will explore how to observe heads – how to see their differences and similarities, and in turn learn how to translate this understanding into a sculpture which captures a likeness of the sitter. During the five days a life-sized clay portrait of a live sitter will be built on an armature. This concentrated modelling will be interspersed with fun exercises – with clay and without – to help train up the eye and hands. This course will be taught in a way suitable for those with experience of sculpting in clay and those new to it. There will be an opportunity to hollow-out the heads after the course, for an additional fee. The studios are by the platform of Billingshurst station (on the London Victoria line).

Email Marji Tallbot – info@artjunction.uk – for the summer course or for the Feb/March 2025 course book here (the dates on my website are correct).

Portrait Head and Expression: Sculpture Master Class, Morley College, London

Four day Easter school: 14 April 2025 – 17 April 2025, 11-5pm, £275 (£205 concessions)

Fired clay sculpture of Daniel Marcus Clarke, with his eyes closedAre your portraits feeling staid? Do you want to learn techniques to capture more character and expression? This four-day course combines a study of one long life-size head pose across the four days, with smaller, quicker expressive portrait exercises. Learn and develop observation skills, clay modelling, and individual approach focusing on achieving expression in a portrait head in clay. All levels, including beginners. Basic materials included, but extra charge for materials used over £8 materials’ fee.

For further details and to book

Mentoring

Whether you need advice on your first clay portrait head or need guidance and support as you tackle the journey towards becoming a professional sculptor, I can be there for you. It could be a one-off session or on-going support, face-to-face or online. Email me for further details.

Advisory service to statue commissioners

Trying to navigate the creation and installation of a statue? I can provide advice to prevent you falling into some of the pitfalls, including in relation to budget-setting and the process of briefing, selecting and supporting a public art sculptor. Email me for further details.