Weekday Wheel Throwing (ALL LEVELS)

Service Description

Friday mornings (10am–12:30pm) A welcoming, all-levels 6-week wheel class where beginners learn core throwing, trimming, surface design, and glazing fundamentals, while returning students refine technique, experiment with new forms, and deepen their practice. Includes one week of hand building to support form development and combine techniques. Class includes all fees: clay, firing, and glazing Week 1: Throwing Foundations & Studio Basics * Introductions, studio policies, tour, and clay overview. * Demonstration: centering, opening, lifting walls. * Beginners focus on cylinders; returning students refine forms or explore variations. * Cleaning demo: why it matters & best practices. Week 2: Trimming, Shaping & Continued Throwing * Clay stages: wet/plastic, leather-hard, bone dry. * Trimming demo: centering, assessing thickness, creating a foot. * Continued throwing practice tailored to skill level. * Optional skill building: shaping, widening, or adding intention to form. Week 3: Form Refinement & Handles * Demo: refining silhouettes—tapering, necking, compressing. * Introduction to multiple handle methods: pulled, coil, slab, altered. * Attaching handles with good scoring/slipping habits. * Beginners make mugs; advanced students explore multiples or refined forms. Week 4: Hand Building & Surface Design * Basics of pinch, coil, and slab construction for all levels. * How hand-built components can complement wheel-thrown work. * Intro to surface design: underglaze, sgraffito, carving on greenware. Week 5: Final Trimming & Glaze Prep * Last trimming and surface finishing. * Glaze overview: wax resist, dipping, pouring, brushing, test tiles. * Students glaze first pieces. Week 6: Glazing Techniques & Wrap-Up * Glazing methods, application thickness, and how glaze moves in the kiln. * Glazing remaining work, troubleshooting, and final Q&A.