Polished earth spheres are central to our practice – a way of working that brings earth, hands, and time into close contact. In this workshop, participants are guided step by step in shaping and polishing clay soil into a small shiny globe.
The process is slow and attentive. As the surface tightens and begins to shine, we work closely and intuitively with the material, noticing how it responds to pressure, moisture, and care. Working at this small scale opens wider questions about making, place, and the effects of how we ‘use’ the ground beneath our feet.
Many earth skills in Scotland have been lost or forgotten. This workshop offers a practical way back in, through shared instruction, making, and conversation with material, land, and each other.
Becky is an artist, builder, and teacher whose practice centres on unfired earth and natural fibres. With a background in construction and conservation, she works closely with local subsoils and seasonal materials to create buildings, sculptures, and material-led artworks. Her work explores earth as a living, intelligent material, and asks how practices of making might move from extraction towards care, reciprocity, and repair.
Workshop content
- Earth building principles, explored at a miniature scale
- Dorodango: the Japanese practice of polished clay spheres
- Preparing an earth mix and forming a clay sphere
- Guided polishing techniques and surface care
- Completing at least one finished earth sphere to take home