Flower Bricks with Joan Bruneau

There’s something very satisfying about making something that fits.

Not just visually, but physically. A lid that settles exactly where it should. A flange that feels intentional, not forced. A form that comes together in pieces, but reads as one.

It’s also… not the easiest thing to do.

This November, we’re spending three days getting into exactly that kind of making with Joan Bruneau in Flower Bricks, a workshop that’s less about producing a perfect final piece and more about understanding how complex forms actually come together.

Flower bricks are a bit of a quiet challenge. At first glance, they seem simple enough - structured, contained, functional. But once you start building them, you realize how much is going on: galleries, lids, proportions, the relationship between interior and exterior space.

Joan approaches all of this with a kind of steady clarity. Her work is deeply informed by history, ornament, and daily use and the way she teaches reflects that. It’s thoughtful, precise, and rooted in process.

Over three days, you’ll move through a series of forms and components:

• Throwing bottomless cylinders and building galleries for drop-in lids
• Measuring for proper fit (because this is where things tend to go sideways)
• Altering forms into oval and square shapes
• Building slab bottoms, foot rings, flanges, and lids
• Thinking about composition in a way that connects form and function

It’s not fast work. And that’s kind of the point.

You’ll make multiple test forms, adjust, refine, and start to understand where your own tendencies show up - where things get tight, where they loosen, where decisions become more intuitive.

There’s also an artist talk on the Friday evening, which feels like a natural extension of the weekend, another way to step back and look at the work from a different angle.

We’ll be at our Dupont studio November 6–8, with a small group of 18. This is best suited for intermediate to advanced throwers who are already comfortable on the wheel and ready to dig into more complex construction.

If you’ve been wanting to slow things down a bit and really understand how pieces come together, not just how they look, this is a pretty special opportunity.

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These workshops are presented in partnership with Fusion Clay & Glass, a not-for-profit acting as a vital voice for the clay and glass community across Ontario. Their work supports connection, continuing education, and the ongoing development of thoughtful, high-quality craft. 

A big thank you as well to Pottery Supply House for supplying the clay used in these workshops, free of charge. Their support plays a crucial role in helping us keep these programs accessible to a wider community of makers.