Workshops
One of my favorite things is traveling to conduct workshops of from one-day to two-weeks or longer. I have conducted over 100 successful workshops across the country and overseas at colleges, universities, art centers and guilds. Below are three ideas for workshop options. I am happy to discuss a blending of these options or to create a custom workshop to fit your needs. All can be either demo-only or participant hands-on.
The Painted Pot
This workshop will explore both wheel-thrown and hand-built pottery and drawing/painting on the clay with a focus on building a personal approach to form and imagery.
The workshop can be presented as hands-on or demo only. Demonstrations, slide lectures and group discussion in this workshop will focus on basic forming and painting skills, but more, we will seek to clarify strategies for creating articulate individual pottery forms.
Forms created will be decorated with a direct and simple approach to painting, with a homemade earthenware underglaze. The technique is suitable for single-firing.
Suitable for beginning through advanced level and one day to two week programing.
Wheel Throwing
Working on the potter’s wheel can be transformative and magical. I have found it has the potential to change and inform us in ways that go so far beyond pottery. I love sharing my over fifty years of making on the wheel and find that it is a very rewarding way to spend a couple of days or even longer at a workshop. Don’t we all need a little more time at the wheel!
Through demonstrations, slide lectures and group discussion, this workshop will focus on basic wheel forming skills such as: throwing various forms based on cylinder/bowl/plate, lids, handles, spouts and trimming. In addition we will explore enhanced throwing skills and concepts such as altered forms, inverted throwing, gesture and "skin" of the pot. We will seek to improve student throwing skills, but more, we will seek to clarify strategies for creating inspired pottery forms.
Wood Firing
My wood firing experience includes building and firing single chamber, anagama, noborigama, and train kilns. I have been working with wood firing since my time in graduate school at The University of Iowa 30 years ago. All this to say, there is still so much to learn and joining with a group of folks to explore the potential of wood and atmospheric kilns builds a strong sense of community and shared commitment. It is also a lot of work!
Usually these workshops are longer term - a week or two. Often they will expand to include soda/salt firing exploring atmospheric firing as a whole. We can include making or simply have participants bring work for the firings. We will examine making work for the atmospheric firing, glazing and oading and firing strategies. Participants will get hands-on experience with firings.