GOLD LUSTER
Friday, December 6th from 6:30-9pm // $95
Saturday, December 7th from 4-6:30pm // $95
A workshop on yellow gold, white gold, and mother of pearl luster techniques.
Gold lustre is an overglaze, which is applied as a third firing. The binder burns off during the third firing, leaving a layer of gold on the pieces. It is typically used as accent or decoration. Over 2.5 hours you will learn painting techniques, proper safety and have time to paint your pieces. Depending on intricacy, students will paint 5-10 pieces.
Each attendee receives their own 2g bottle of gold overglaze (white gold or yellow gold.) Students must bring their own work to paint, already glaze-fired or commercially produced. Information will follow on types of pieces to bring. Work will be fired and ready for pickup on the following Wednesday.
GLASS MAKING:
Fuse Your Own Glass Coasters
Friday, October 11th 6:30-9pm // $120
Learn how to work with glass! We’ll teach you how fusing glass works. You’ll learn to cut pieces of glass into shapes, layer them, and create your designs. You’ll be able to choose between black, white, or clear glass backings and a variety of solid colored, transparent, or marbled glass for the patterns. We also have rods and spirals.
In this 2.5 hour class you’ll make four 4” glass coasters. We will fire them in our glass kiln after the class and have them ready for you a week later. $90 per person at 6:30pm.
GLAZE DESIGN & MIXING
Sept 2025: Saturdays at 10:30am for 6 weeks.
A weekend exploration of glaze formulations and mason stains. The class will teach students to make clear and white base glazes and how to make double-cross blended line tests with colorants. Students will learn to mix basic glazes, and do line blends, as well as the proper mixing, measuring, and sieving techniques for each individual material including safety precautions. Hands-on demonstrations include how to make test batches, full batches, measure specific gravity, flocculation, and deflocculation.
$400 including all glaze materials. Students will only be permitted to mix glazes on Saturdays during class and Saturday afternoons due to dust concerns. Week 1: Colorants, composition and learning mixing and measuring techniques through colored slip. Week 2: Base glazes and opacity. Week 3: Line blends. Week 4: Double line blends. Week 5: Minor and major adjustments. Week 6: Review of all tests (300+!) and making 1 gallon batch.
The studio will provide base recipes, colorants, glaze materials, and test tiles. Students will leave the final class with a 1-gallon batch of their custom recipe.
Email ashley@hickoryclay.com with questions. Signups will be posted in summer 2025.
This is the final class in our 4-part “Glazing” series. #1 Glaze Techniques, #2 Oxides/Slip Making, #3 Wild Clay, and #4 Glazing Mixing. Class #1 is being taught Nov 2024.
TECHNIQUE: THROWING BUD VASES
Sunday, June
2:00-4:30pm // $70
An afternoon throwing intensive on bud vases. Have you wanted a guided lesson on bud vases? These small vases require specific techniques to close the mouth, but still allow them to be light and airy. This workshop will teach you how to turn 1.5 lbs of clay into handheld vases with small necks, or flare openings.
This is a technique class; work will not be fired unless students are enrolled in other classes or memberships at Hickory Clay. Outside students may purchase Drop In sessions if they wish to trim and glaze work from this workshop.
Students need to be comfortable on the wheel and able to center 1.5lbs of clay. Centering will not be taught.
