Handbuilding is a technique to make functional pottery without use the wheel. This class will explore several major techniques to give you a solid foundation in clay.

This class will teach handbuilding techniques including slabs, pinching, coiling, and carving to make functional and artistic forms. Students will learn a broad range of skills while working on cups, mugs, bowls, figures, or sculptural forms of their own choosing. Fortune cookies? Vases? Sushi trays? Tulip bowls? We’ll help you hone your creativity. Classes are led by demonstration as well as one-on-one guidance. We will use colored slip and plaster hump molds to broaden endless possibilities. You’ll learn the glazing process and will take home multiple finished pieces over 8 weeks.

We’ll begin with pinching and coiling. The next lesson will teach you how to use our clay extruder to create coiled bowls or vases. Afterwards we’ll move onto slab construction, which is similar to working with sheets of pastry dough. You’ll learn how to use our slab roller and plaster molds. We’ll continue with carving, colored slip applications, and surface decorations. Students will learn how to glaze their pieces so they’re food-safe.