Workshops and Classes
Saturday Skills Workshop:
Clay Characters!
with Ross Smart
In this all levels Saturday Workshop we will create both realistic and imaginative characters out of clay. Students will learn the basics of figurative sculpting techniques including pinching, coiling and slab construction. Have fun taking a deeper look at the human form while opening up to creative character possibilities from the animal kingdom. Instruction includes problem solving around structural questions, joining methods, glazing and firing. Ages 16 and up. Due to the coronavirus we wear masks at all times and classes are limited to five students.
May 22 and 29, 2021: Saturdays for 2 weeks from 9 AM-Noon
$100 fee + $20 for clay and firing.
email to register!
Rise and Shine Wheel-Throwing for Beginners +
with Shari Zabriskie
This fun morning class will introduce you to the fundamentals of throwing pots on the wheel. Over the course of eight weeks learn techniques in clay preparation, centering, throwing, trimming, decorating and glazing. This class is geared towards beginners or those continuing work on their basic skills. Demonstrations, discussions, coaching and daily practice time! Ages 16 and up. Due to the coronavirus we wear masks at all times and classes are limited to five students.
Begins June 17, 2021: Every Thursday for 8 weeks from 9 AM-Noon
$300 fee + $40 for each bag of clay used.
email to register!
Weekend Workshop:
Covered Butter Dishes!
with Diane Echlin
In this all levels Saturday Workshop we will create decorative butter dishes using soft slabs of clay. Students will create a template for the lid and learn a variety of tips for working with soft slabs. We will address options for knobs and handles, and discuss the use of texture and decoration as a precursor to glazing. Students will need a beginner tool set including a knife, a scoring tool, a sponge and a wooden stick tool. Ages 16 and up. Due to the coronavirus we wear masks at all times and classes are limited to five students.
June 19 and 26, 2021: Saturdays for 2 weeks from 9 AM-Noon
$100 fee + $10 for clay and firing.
email to register!
Rise and Shine Wheel-Throwing for Beginners +
with Shari Zabriskie
This fun morning class will introduce you to the fundamentals of throwing pots on the wheel. Over the course of eight weeks learn techniques in clay preparation, centering, throwing, trimming, decorating and glazing. This class is geared towards beginners or those continuing work on their basic skills. Demonstrations, discussions, coaching and daily practice time! Ages 16 and up. Due to the coronavirus we wear masks at all times and classes are limited to five students.
Begins July 21, 2021: Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from 9 AM-Noon
$300 fee + $40 for each bag of clay used.
email to register!
Weekend Workshop:
Colored Clay: Layers Revealed
with Naomi Lindenfeld
Natural objects with patterned imagery surround us in the environment. These will provide inspiration for making pieces from layered, colored clay. It is an exceptional medium for expressing the beauty of fluid movement, the effects of water and wind that transform shells, rock and wood. We will wedge stains into porcelain and layer the different colors into a block. By slicing, carving, rolling, pinching and throwing on the wheel, multi-dimensional effects are revealed. The colored clay integrates the designs with functional or sculptural forms, connecting hand with water and earth. A slideshow of work by artists using colored clay will be shown. Prior experience with clay is helpful but not essential. Due to the coronavirus we wear masks at all times and this workshop is limited to six students.
July 17th and 18th 2021: Saturday and Sunday 9 AM-Noon. $125 plus $42.50 for materials and firing ($30.00 for porcelain and stains and $12.50 for firing).
email to register!
Rise and Shine Wheel-Throwing for Beginners +
with Shari Zabriskie
This fun morning class will introduce you to the fundamentals of throwing pots on the wheel. Over the course of eight weeks learn techniques in clay preparation, centering, throwing, trimming, decorating and glazing. This class is geared towards beginners or those continuing work on their basic skills. Demonstrations, discussions, coaching and daily practice time! Ages 16 and up. Due to the coronavirus we wear masks at all times and classes are limited to five students.
Begins August 17: Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from 9 AM-Noon
$300 fee + $40 for each bag of clay used.
email to register!
Rise and Shine Wheel-Throwing for Beginners +
with Shari Zabriskie
This fun morning class will introduce you to the fundamentals of throwing pots on the wheel. Over the course of eight weeks learn techniques in clay preparation, centering, throwing, trimming, decorating and glazing. This class is geared towards beginners or those continuing work on their basic skills. Demonstrations, discussions, coaching and daily practice time! Ages 16 and up. Due to the coronavirus we wear masks at all times and classes are limited to five students.
Begins September 23: Every Thursday for 8 weeks from 9 AM-Noon
$300 fee + $40 for each bag of clay used.
email to register!
Weekend Workshop:
Outdoor Barrel Firing!
with Shari Zabriskie
Join Shari and six other potters for an exciting dive into primitive firing using many different decorating techniques resulting in surprising surface color and patterns! Participants should plan on arriving to the first session with 4-5 already thrown (white clay) pieces at the leather hard stage. In the first session, learn to make and use terra sigilata and burnish pots to a shine. During the second session, participants will decorate and wrap each piece with combustible materials from nature creating individually wrapped saggars.* Learn to tumble-stack pots in barrels and light it all up! Come back the next morning to discover the results deep within the ashes; learn how to clean up and shine your work on your own.
Saturday October 23: 9 AM-Noon.
Saturday October 30: 9 AM-2 or later
Sunday October 31: 9 AM-10:30 AM
$225
email Shari for a short list of materials to bring and to register:
*participants are encouraged to save and bring dried fruit and vegetable peels including but not limited to: banana peel, avocado skin, citrus peel, seaweed, nut shells, pine cones and branches, coconut shells, tall grasses and other interesting combustibles.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wheelhouse staff will require all class participants to be wearing masks while in the studio. Additionally, we have spread out our wheels and have reduced class size to allow for more space between us. We are following strict daily sanitization routines and guidelines. Please do not hesitate to ask for any and all details. The health and safety of our community is of the utmost importance.