Bas Relief with Water-based Clay with John Leon, August 28 - 29, 2026

An excellent intro to learn how to make relief sculptures in clay. Learn about high, middle, and low (bas, pronounced “bah”) relief.
About this Event

Bas Relief Class Syllabus

Learn to make relief sculptures in clay. Learn about high, middle, and low (bas, pronounced “bah”) relief. This will be an excellent introduction to working with clay in general, as well.

Everyone will first make a 6x6 inch plaque in order to get down the basics. Then we’ll move on to more and/or larger pieces, which, for examples, could be 8x10, 12x12, or 10x15 (15 inches will be the maximum dimension). Contact John in advance of the class to discuss source materials for your subject matter. Or, come to class and wing it!

We will work with water-based clay. But John will also discuss working with oil-based clay and making molds for reproduction purposes.

All materials will be provided—clay, tools, easels, boards to work on, etc. However, if you have any clay tools, feel free to bring them. A paring knife is also very useful. I will have a few, but if you want exclusive use of one, bring your own.

John will fire your clay reliefs in his kiln after they have dried sufficiently a week or two after the class. The cost for firing will be from $2 for the 6x6 inch plaques to $10-$15 for the larger plaques.

Students need to bring a tarp to protect the floor