Led by Clare Mahoney, Ceramic Artist, with historical insights on the botanical casting practice from Neil Crump, Founder of Asterion & Co.
Join us at The Old Vicarage in Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset, for a one-day, hands-on botanical casting masterclass set between garden and studio. This immersive experience invites you to slow down, look closely, and preserve a fleeting moment from the garden through clay and plaster.
Working with foraged plant material, you’ll learn how to translate leaves, flowers and grasses into finely detailed plaster reliefs that capture texture, structure and form. The day balances gentle outdoor exploration with focused studio making, resulting in artworks that feel both intimate and enduring.
If you are unable to attend this May date, this masterclass will be repeated on: Wednesday 17th June
Ceramic artist, Clare Mahoney, will begin the day with a gentle forage through the gardens, gathering botanical material that inspires you. Returning to the studio, Clare will guide you step-by-step through rolling clay tablets, creating impressions, forming moulds and casting your work in plaster with Cornish stone. You’ll explore how subtle surface treatments can lift detail and bring depth to the finished piece, producing work that reflects the quiet beauty of the natural world.
All materials are provided, and no prior experience is required.
Guests will create a small practice plaque in the morning before moving on to a larger, more resolved plaque in the afternoon. Both pieces are yours to take home.
Your plaster casts dry quickly and can be taken home at the end of the workshop.
Spaces are limited to eight guests to ensure close guidance, a calm working atmosphere and time for thoughtful making at each stage of the process.
What you Will Learn
An introduction to the history and contemporary practice of botanical casting
How to select and prepare botanical material for casting
Rolling and preparing clay tablets for impression-making
Creating moulds and casting in plaster with Cornish stone
Techniques for lifting relief and surface detail
How to finish and present your work for display
Who This Course Is For
This course is ideal for:
Gardeners, artists and craft enthusiasts
Those curious about working with clay and plaster
Anyone seeking a mindful, hands-on creative day
Beginners and those with prior creative experience alike
All abilities are welcome.
Workshop Details
Date: Saturday 9th May 2026 or Wednesday 17th June 2026
Time: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location: The Old Vicarage, Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset
Price: £220 per person (a 10% discount is available for two or more guests booking together with code TWOTOGETHER2026).
Includes: Full tuition, all materials, refreshments throughout the day, a seated seasonal lunch, creation of two plaster plaques
Buying this as a gift? Let us know on the registration form at checkout and we can create a gift package for you, either emailed or posted to you directly.
This workshop includes:
Guided foraging in the gardens
All clay, plaster and casting materials
Creation of two plaster plaques
A choice of ribbons to personalise your finished piece
Refreshments and a seated lunch
Need Accommodation Nearby?
We’re happy to recommend local places to stay in and around Leigh-on-Mendip and the surrounding Somerset villages.
Your Hosts
This course is hosted by Neil Crump (Founder, Asterion & Co.) at The Old Vicarage in Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset — a beautifully reimagined 16th-century farmhouse surrounded by a two-acre, richly varied garden.
Our guest team will be on hand throughout the day to offer guidance, hospitality and insight, bringing Asterion & Co.’s heritage-inspired learning philosophy into every corner of your visit.
Weather permitting, you’ll enjoy time in the gardens and glasshouse, gathering inspiration directly from the landscape.
About Clare Mahoney
Clare Mahoney’s ceramic practice is rooted in close observation of the natural world. Time spent outdoors — attuning to seasonal rhythms, textures and patterns — informs work that is calm, considered and quietly expressive.
Back in the studio, Clare captures these elements through press-moulded plant casts, porcelain forms and collaged reliefs. She studied Art and Design at the Glasgow School of Art and completed an MA in Ceramics at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Her work has been exhibited widely across the UK.
Alongside her gallery practice, Clare is a passionate educator, creating welcoming, reflective spaces where others can explore materials, develop skills and experience the joy of making.
Learn more about Clare’s practice on her website.
Led by Clare Mahoney, Ceramic Artist, with historical insights on the botanical casting practice from Neil Crump, Founder of Asterion & Co.
Join us at The Old Vicarage in Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset, for a one-day, hands-on botanical casting masterclass set between garden and studio. This immersive experience invites you to slow down, look closely, and preserve a fleeting moment from the garden through clay and plaster.
Working with foraged plant material, you’ll learn how to translate leaves, flowers and grasses into finely detailed plaster reliefs that capture texture, structure and form. The day balances gentle outdoor exploration with focused studio making, resulting in artworks that feel both intimate and enduring.
If you are unable to attend this May date, this masterclass will be repeated on: Wednesday 17th June
Ceramic artist, Clare Mahoney, will begin the day with a gentle forage through the gardens, gathering botanical material that inspires you. Returning to the studio, Clare will guide you step-by-step through rolling clay tablets, creating impressions, forming moulds and casting your work in plaster with Cornish stone. You’ll explore how subtle surface treatments can lift detail and bring depth to the finished piece, producing work that reflects the quiet beauty of the natural world.
All materials are provided, and no prior experience is required.
Guests will create a small practice plaque in the morning before moving on to a larger, more resolved plaque in the afternoon. Both pieces are yours to take home.
Your plaster casts dry quickly and can be taken home at the end of the workshop.
Spaces are limited to eight guests to ensure close guidance, a calm working atmosphere and time for thoughtful making at each stage of the process.
What you Will Learn
An introduction to the history and contemporary practice of botanical casting
How to select and prepare botanical material for casting
Rolling and preparing clay tablets for impression-making
Creating moulds and casting in plaster with Cornish stone
Techniques for lifting relief and surface detail
How to finish and present your work for display
Who This Course Is For
This course is ideal for:
Gardeners, artists and craft enthusiasts
Those curious about working with clay and plaster
Anyone seeking a mindful, hands-on creative day
Beginners and those with prior creative experience alike
All abilities are welcome.
Workshop Details
Date: Saturday 9th May 2026 or Wednesday 17th June 2026
Time: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location: The Old Vicarage, Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset
Price: £220 per person (a 10% discount is available for two or more guests booking together with code TWOTOGETHER2026).
Includes: Full tuition, all materials, refreshments throughout the day, a seated seasonal lunch, creation of two plaster plaques
Buying this as a gift? Let us know on the registration form at checkout and we can create a gift package for you, either emailed or posted to you directly.
This workshop includes:
Guided foraging in the gardens
All clay, plaster and casting materials
Creation of two plaster plaques
A choice of ribbons to personalise your finished piece
Refreshments and a seated lunch
Need Accommodation Nearby?
We’re happy to recommend local places to stay in and around Leigh-on-Mendip and the surrounding Somerset villages.
Your Hosts
This course is hosted by Neil Crump (Founder, Asterion & Co.) at The Old Vicarage in Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset — a beautifully reimagined 16th-century farmhouse surrounded by a two-acre, richly varied garden.
Our guest team will be on hand throughout the day to offer guidance, hospitality and insight, bringing Asterion & Co.’s heritage-inspired learning philosophy into every corner of your visit.
Weather permitting, you’ll enjoy time in the gardens and glasshouse, gathering inspiration directly from the landscape.
About Clare Mahoney
Clare Mahoney’s ceramic practice is rooted in close observation of the natural world. Time spent outdoors — attuning to seasonal rhythms, textures and patterns — informs work that is calm, considered and quietly expressive.
Back in the studio, Clare captures these elements through press-moulded plant casts, porcelain forms and collaged reliefs. She studied Art and Design at the Glasgow School of Art and completed an MA in Ceramics at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Her work has been exhibited widely across the UK.
Alongside her gallery practice, Clare is a passionate educator, creating welcoming, reflective spaces where others can explore materials, develop skills and experience the joy of making.
Learn more about Clare’s practice on her website.
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