MAKE A MYCOLOGICAL MASCOT: SCULPT YOUR MUSHROOM SPIRIT USING AIR-DRYING CLAY

Ever wondered what kind of mushroom you’d be in another world? Well, here, you can choose yourself a mushroom character and bring it to life in clay.

Maybe you’d make something tall and elegant… Or perhaps you prefer yourself as something wee and wonky… Covered in texture… Or maybe even magical! The starting point is dead simple: have a li’l think about the kind of mushroom that most matches your vibe, then shape it into form.

You’ll work with air-drying clay to build your sculpture from scratch, learning simple techniques for shaping, smoothing, and adding detail as you go, and using tools to create texture and personality.

Once your ‘shroom’s nicely sculpted, you can leave it au natural or add colour if time allows – mixing paints to give your fung-ghi its very own character and finish.

This is a super relaxed and fun-feeling session that celebrates experimentation over precision. You don’t need experience or a fixed idea before you begin – just a willingness to have a play around with shape, texture and imagination.

You’ll leave with a one-off mushroom sculpture and a new way of thinking about character, texture, and form… And if you’d rather leave it to dry with us and collect it later, we’ll keep it safe for you!

If you’re properly into the magic of mushrooms world, then there are a couple of other workshops worth your attention: ‘MAGICAL MUSHROOMS: EMBROIDER A TINY FUNGHI UNIVERSE’ by The Wolves frpm 12:15-13:45 on Sat 1st August, and ‘WILD WOOD MUSHROOM WHITTLING’ by Kit Evans from12:15-1:15pm on Sun 2nd August.

Lisa Clarke (she/her) is a Bristol-based 3D and SFX artist specialising in sculpting and mould-making. Inspired by nature and fungi, she creates tactile, detail-rich work and approachable clay workshops.

IMPORTANT INFO

• Suitable for all ages (U16s to be supervised)