Local artist Daisy Freestone from Kingsclere  shared her skills in a workshop for our art scholars. After studying Architecture at the Glasgow School of Art, Daisy worked as an Architectural Designer. More recently she trained in Mould Making and Casting at Central St Martins, London,  and now likes to work with Jesmonite, which has similar properties to plaster of Paris. She uses this environmentally low impact gypsum-based resin composite to create intriguing vessels inspired by natural compounds. She explained her techniques and showed how vessels can be manipulated in size, texture and colour through using silicon moulds, Jesmonite dyes and natural materials, such as mussel shells, rice and quinoa. Each of the scholars managed to successfully create a decorative dish and keyring for their own personal use.

Daisy was discovered during last year's Art in Action and opened her workshop to visitors during last year's West Berkshire and North Hampshire Open Studios event. Examples of her work can be viewed on her website www.tipstudio.co.uk/.