Skill Share Series
Curious about transfers? Want to know more about caring for your body while working with clay? We got you!
Join us in the studio for a quick demo where artists will share a single technique they often use in their clay practice. A 30 minute demo will be provided, with no hands-on clay activity for the attendees. A pay what you can event where all funds go directly to the artist. Skill Shares are limited to 20 attendees and will be held on Sundays, 4:00-5:00pm. We’ll see you there!
Sunday, October 27th from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Wondering why people choose one clay body over another? Bewildered by all the choices available at Clayworks and online? When you’re ready to move beyond just “white or tan” - what other factors should you consider, to find a clay that make your job easier and will give the best possible results for your own preferred style of work?
We’ll go through some of the types of clay available, specific use cases, and the simple tests we’ve used to find our own favorite clay bodies.
Sunday, October 6th from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Learn to slip cast a variety pieces with premade, commercial molds! We will discuss where to find molds, the basics of slipcasting, and some tips for post-casting clean up.
Sunday, September 22nd from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
If you find plaster mold making intimidating, bisque molds are an excellent alternative. In this skill share I will demonstrate bisque mold use, and the bisque mold making process. Once you get a handle on the basics of bisque mold making, you will be overwhelmed by the options by either finding interesting forms out in the world to make molds (thrifting will never be the same) to creating your own forms.
Sunday, August 11th from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Do you wish you remembered what glaze you put on that one vase, or knew how many mugs you actually made last month? Kat Donnally & Rebecca Gricus Thompson track their ceramic creations with a combination of apps (Airtable), spreadsheets, notebooks, and marking the pieces themselves. If you’d like to learn how to keep track of your pieces digitally, attend the database workshop on August 11!
Sunday, June 23rd from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Have you ever thrown a piece and wonder how you'll be able to trim the bottom? When it comes to trimming there is no "one size fits all" approach - the classic trimming method of putting a piece face down on the wheelhead only works for certain types of thrown shapes/forms. If your piece has a narrow or uneven rim (small-necked bottles and vases, pitchers with spouts), a rim that's too fragile or delicate to support the weight of the piece, or a rim that's too wide to fit on the wheelhead (large bowls and platters), it will probably need to be trimmed on a chuck! Chucks are a type of support made of clay or other material that allows unique and sometimes strangely shaped pieces to rest atop the wheel to assist with trimming. In this skillshare, we will explore the benefits of a chuck, how to make our own chucks and a step by step tutorial on how to use them on a variety of different thrown vessels. Join Kestrel and other participants to learn more about this alternative trimming technique that'll be sure to come in handy next time you trim!
November 12th, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Elevate your pieces without a ton of effort! In this 1-hour workshop, we'll learn about underglaze transfers and how to apply them to leatherhard or bisqued pieces. Underglaze transfers are screen-printed onto rice paper with liquid underglaze and are applied much like a temporary tattoo. Transfers can help participants achieve detailed results, especially beginners or those without a steady hand.
October 22nd, 4:00-5:00pm
Join Kelly to explore her surface design process using wax resist's cousin, liquid latex! She'll share a step-by-step from initial hand sketch, latex application, and underglazing techniques; to the anticipated final step: the peel (arguably the most fun part of using latex).
September 24th, 4:00-5:00pm
Throwing and hand building with clay are wonderful ways to explore your creativity and improve skills. Working with clay combines the cognitive, emotional and physical. Often the physical involves repetitive movement which can be cumulatively hard on your body. Starting the journey to know how you move, how you might improve how you move, and how you can practice self care to relax and relieve musculature used during clay work is a useful tool to add to your ribs, wiggle wires and needle tools.
