Handbuilding Pottery 4-Week Course

Dive into the creative world of ceramics with our hands-on 4-week session designed to spark your imagination and bring your artistic vision to life! Participants will: • Learn foundational hand-building techniques, including pinch, coil, and slab construction • Develop an understanding of clay behavior and its various stages • Gain hands-on experience with surface finishing and glazing techniques • Complete a set of finished ceramic pieces (estimated 3-5 per participant) Fee for the course is $200. (A discount will be granted to current Guild members.) This fee includes clay, materials, and firing fees for the duration of the course. mccookartguild.as.me/4-wk-clay-June-2026 =/=/=/=/=/=/= Session 1: Introduction & Pinch and Coil Techniques • Overview of studio materials, tools, and safety practices • Pinch construction (small vessel) • Introduction to coil building (small project) • Emphasis on joining methods and wall consistency Session 2: Slab Construction • Introduction to slab construction techniques • Construct a slab-based form (e.g., container or cylindrical vessel) • Surface refinement and structural correction Session 3: Surface Finishing & Decoration • Introduction to textural surface decoration techniques (pre-bisque) • Introduction to underglaze and glaze application • Demonstration of glazing techniques (dipping, brushing, layering) Session 4: Glazing & Kiln Processes • Begin and complete glazing bisque-fired pieces • Overview of kiln processes, firing stages, and safet protocols • Final preparation for glaze firing =/=/=/=/=/=