Shalya Marsh Stencil Workshop

Looking to spice up your surface decoration techniques? Consider making your own stencils for original textured and patterned surfaces.

We recently hosted a workshop led by Shalya Marsh at Common Clay Pottery in Roanoke, Va. Marsh’s work is characterized by dynamic surface designs inspired by the patterns and textures of everyday life. Original stencils are featured in her creative process. Marsh holds a BFA in Ceramics from the State University of New York at New Paltz and an MFA from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Marsh currently lives and works in Morgantown, West Virginia.

The morning started with a comprehensive overview of craft cutters such as the Silhouette Cameo and Cricut Maker. Marsh provided step by step instructions and demonstrations for turning an original pen and paper sketch into a ready to use stencil. In addition to providing helpful tips and tricks regarding the software and hardware, she also shared valuable insights about design elements to improve functionality of the end product.

In the afternoon, Shalya explored different stencil materials like paper, vinyl, craft foam, Tyvek, and tar paper. She touched on the pros and cons of the different materials, and considerations for choosing the most appropriate material for a specific project. She also shared a wealth of techniques for using these stencils to create both impressed and raised textures, and demonstrated how to incorporate them with underglaze, slip, and glaze to build rich color and surface imagery.

Learn more about Shalya’s processes, finished work, and upcoming workshop dates, on Instagram and through her website Shalya Marsh Studios