Kitchen Table Clay! Hand-building Tableware at Home

Dates: October 6, 8, 13, 15, 20 and 22
Time: 7pm – 8:30pm
Tuition: $175 members / $200 non-members
Class limit: 10

Students will learn various hand-building and surface decorating techniques that have been practiced for centuries. Hand-building allows us to create unique functional and sculptural objects that do not require access to a wheel. Throughout this three-week session, demonstrations will include use of slabs, coils, molds, and pinch pots to create functional pottery. This workshop will take place virtually over Zoom.

We’ll cover hand-building and decorating basics, including pinch, coil, soft slab and hard slab construction (with the option of using templates), slump and hump molds, scoring, inlay, scraffito, stamping, and lastly working with slips and underglazes. If you do not have access to clay, many of these techniques translate well with Oven Craft Clay (Sculpty) and AirDry Clay.

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Week One: Pinch Pot and Coiled Tableware

Needed Materials:

• Sketchbook + pencil
• Clay
• Water
• Old paintbrush or toothbrush
• Fork
• Knife
• Wire cutter or string
• Ruler

Helpful to have, but not necessary: a rolling pin, banding wheel, wooden or canvas-covered board to work on, and any other clay tools you feel necessary.

Week Two: Combining Pinch and Coiled Techniques with Slab and Mold Construction

Needed Materials:

• Sketchbook + pencil
• Clay
• Water
• Old paintbrush or toothbrush
• Fork
• Knife
• Wire cutter or string
• Ruler
• Newspaper
• Pencil
• Black marker
• Soft plastic bags (grocery bags will work)
• Various towel sizes (small, medium, large – whatever you have on hand)
• For templates, choose a material that can take some wear: tar paper, craft foam-core, or watercolor paper (newspaper will also work if you’re in a pinch)
• Tableware of your choosing: ceramic, plastic, paper, or glass (think plate or bowl)

Helpful to have, but not necessary: a rolling pin, banding wheel, wooden or canvas-covered board to work on, and any other clay tools you feel necessary.

Week Three: Surface Design: Inlay, Scraffito, Stamping, Slips, and Underglazes

Needed Materials:

• Sketchbook + pencil
• Sponge
• Towel
• Paintbrushes
• Newspaper
• Found objects to make various textures! Get creative!
• Any other painting and clay tools you think you might need.

Suggested Materials:

• Loop tools
• Color mixing tray
• Multiple leather hard slabs, approximately 6×6”