May 4-8, 2026 – Creative Animal Sculpture with Tina Curry
Days: Monday-Friday
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
(with open studio hours Monday-Thursday until 6:00 p.m.)
Fee: $925
In stock
Discover the Art of Animal Sculpture with Tina Curry
We are so excited to host Tina Curry again at our new location. Tina invites you into an exciting creative realm where sculpting techniques come alive through clay.
In this dynamic, hands-on workshop, students will explore the fascinating process of bringing animals to life using your imagination and clay. Applying foundational principles of anatomy and proportion, you’ll learn to build expressive animal forms with clay using wood supports and shaping over newspaper armatures. Reference photographs will be provided, just bring your curiosity and creativity!
Each step of the sculpting process will be demonstrated, with plenty of individualized instruction to help you achieve success. While the workshop will focus on a select group of animals, you’ll gain the knowledge and techniques to sculpt any creature you choose long after the class ends.
Sculptures will be hollowed out before the end of the workshop. Firing details and a variety of finishing techniques will be covered.
Come create, learn, and tap into your deep well of creativity!
Finished greenware sculptures may be transported home for firing in your own studio or bisque fired at The Village Potters Clay Center for an additional firing fee (plus shipping if needed). Tina will also provide guidance for drying, firing, and finishing your pieces.
Recommended Student Skillset
This workshop is designed for seasoned beginners to advanced students. Some clay experience is recommended and some hand strength is needed for success.
Workshop Logistics:
- Demonstrations will begin every day at 9 am. Tina will work with students individually until 3 pm. Additional open studio hours will be from 3-5 pm Monday-Thursday.
- Students will purchase clay directly from The Village Potters Clay Center the week of the workshop. Cone 6 options will be available. Please note that the use of external clays is not permitted during the workshop.
- Students will purchase wood base & dowel at $40.00, and photo reference packet provided by Tina and will be available at The Village Potters Clay Center the week of the workshop.
- Students have the option to transport their greenware pieces home to be fired in their own studio, or have the work they make during the workshop bisque fired at The Village Potters Clay Center for an additional fee at at your own risk. Additional shipping fees may also apply.
- Several weeks before the workshop you will receive the details of what to expect, what to bring, materials list, and directions to the studio.
Please contact The Village Potters Clay Center if you have any questions about this workshop.
About Tina Curry:
Tina began working with clay over 27 years ago. She holds a BA from the University of Florida and worked for 35 years in Graphic Design. Now retired, she is a full-time ceramic and bronze sculptor living in Knoxville, Tennessee. All of her sculptures are hand-built, so each has its own distinctive personality and characteristics. The specialty pieces are one of a kind and born of pure imagination. Alternative firing techniques using natural elements of horse hair, sawdust, banana peels, coffee, manure, and salt create an organic fusion. The fire, smoke, and fumes dance to create more natural surface effects and colorations. Bronze sculpture was added to her body of work in 2019 - another artistic medium that she has always wanted to pursue.
She was the featured artist for the Southern Highlands Craft Guild marketing campaign in 2016 and was honored with a solo exhibition for the Tennessee Arts Commission in Nashville, Tennessee in 2018. Her animal sculptures have been commissioned by the Knoxville Zoo, Tennessee and the Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Canada. Tina was also recently featured in the 2022 September Issue of Ceramics Monthly Magazine. Her clay work is in collections of both national and international art enthusiasts.
Class Recommendations
- Inclusivity: We are committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for everyone. We value inclusivity and kindness.
- Footwear: For your safety, closed-toe shoes are required at all times in the studio. This protects your feet from dropped tools, clay, and other potential hazards.
- Hair & Clothing: We recommend that long hair should be tied back or tucked into a cap, and loose clothing should be avoided. This prevents them from becoming caught in moving equipment like the potter’s wheel or slab roller.
- Restricted Areas: Some spaces in our building are private working studios for other artists. Please enjoy only the spaces designated for HOW student use, and do not enter any other areas unless invited.
- Nonsmoking facility: Smoking/vaping are not permitted anywhere inside our clay center.
- Weapons-free facility: To ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in our community, firearms and weapons of any kind are strictly prohibited on our premises, whether concealed or openly carried.
Cancellation Policy
To provide you the best experience possible in the workshop, we restrict the number of registrants. By registering for a workshop, you understand you are making a commitment to the instructor and reserving a spot that someone else could potentially take.
Student Cancellation
- John Britt does not offer refunds for his workshops. However, if possible, The Village Potters will attempt to fill a canceled registration spot with a student from the waitlist. If the vacancy is successfully filled, the initial registrant will then have the option of a refund (minus a $75 administrative fee).
TVPCC Cancellation
- In the rare event that a class is canceled by The Village Potters Clay Center students will be given the option of transferring their registration to a different or future workshop, receive a credit on their account equal to the value of the workshop, or receive a full refund.