Course Leader: Rhona Patterson
Clay Dream
Clay as a threshold to deep rest . A weekly evening of slow hands and dream states...
A weekly Thursday evening of collective rest, beginning with a ‘material meditation’ using the weight and stillness of clay to slow the body down past thinking — toward the hypnagogic, drifting states of dreams space.
Recent studies in neuro-psychology have revealed that our handling of clay literally changes our brain-waves. Researchers recorded brain activities of people working with clay versus a pencil and found that clay produced significantly more alpha-wave activity - the brain waves associated with relaxation, calm and flow-state - actively reducing stress and boosting creativity. The levels were aligned to those seen in daydreaming and meditation. Humans are hardwired to used their hands yet our experience is increasingly 'flat': digital screens and keyboards are not enough to stimulate our brains in this primal and essential way, yet clay has the perfect sensory and material elements to connect, calm and reset the mind.
Rhona W Paterson is a Glasgow-based artist with 25 years’ experience as a professional sculptor and author. Her practice spans sculptural and experiential work, and for the past five years she has focused on researching clay and its relationship to human consciousness — exploring how working with material by hand can shift states of mind, body, and presence.
Rhona is the founder of First Hand Studio, a ceramics studio offering hands-on, embodied experiences that use clay as a tool for connection, creative healing, and slowing down. Her events include Soft Sundays, monthly day-long group studio sessions; Prima Materia, 90-minute 1:1 sessions; and Claydream, group meditation sessions paired with clay work at partner venues.
Drawing on decades of sculptural practice and years of research into clay’s psychological and physiological effects, Rhona creates spaces where people can reconnect with themselves through material, touch, and presence.
Price: £30
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