Jill Guillemin's Animal Sculptures - HARES & PIGS

Hello, I’m Jill Guillemin and I have been sculpting and playing with clay for 30 years. I just love the medium as it can be made into just about anything you can imagine. Over the years I have followed my heart with my love of animals and birds, so they are my main focus for my clay sculptures. A couple of years ago I made a series of Godwits and Dotterels to raise awareness of their fragility in our changing world. While last year just for the fun of it, I made eleven Hares, each with its own personality, sometimes clothed and others in the raw so to speak. Just hot out of the kiln are six sweet pigs, and of course they are all smiling, as pigs do!! We always need a lot more smiles and hopefully they will bring a smile or two to others too. Sometimes I have diverted from animals and to make old style houses instead. These can be used as bird feeders. I am about to embark on a new progression of that idea, so this is still very much a work in progress, so watch this space! I also really enjoy helping others to create their own sculptures. Over several years I have run classes for both children and adults, including a four-year stint teaching with the Auckland City Mission as part of their outreach programme. The hidden talent there was huge, and it was a wonderful opportunity to help the students see their potential.

All things going to plan, I intend to restart Animal Sculpting Workshops here at my home studio in Warkworth about July this year. Overall, the plan is to host a three-day workshop, starting with two consecutive days to carve and work on your clay sculptures, which will be followed about four weeks later to allow for the necessary drying time and the first clay firing, before we recommence for the final day for glazing and then you can take your sculptures home with you once I have fired the sculptures again. I have a large electric kiln on site which incorporates drying racks so your work can be left here during the drying interval. All the necessary equipment for the workshops will be supplied and is included in the workshop price, including free tea and coffee and a lot of fun! These workshops are for absolute beginners and for those who wish to further their sculpting passion!! However, numbers are restricted to six only. So please phone me for details about the workshop on 027 472-9866. You are always welcome to visit my home/ studio. The kettle is always hot! So just pop in or phone first to see if I am here - 109 Alnwick Street, Warkworth. (Pulham Road end) Jill Guillemin