In the first class we will cover basics including how to use the tools and equipment available in the studio such as the slab roller. You will start by making a good slab and then begin learning about texture decoration and carving. I will introduce you to a wide range of decorating techniques to help you find your own voice in clay. We will use molds, templates, or wheel-thrown pieces for all our projects. Discussions about glazing will begin at the first class as well. You will be encouraged to look at contemporary ceramics and to view pottery videos online. It’s important to learn how to look, to see the balance of good design. For those who are interested, I will demonstrate wheel throwing without a bottom – in other words, throwing a cylinder. It is a much more satisfying and easier way to learn how to throw than trying to make a bowl or pot, and I know you will be excited with the results whether you are a beginner or an advanced student. After you have a cylinder, you can reshape it and add a bottom and maybe a lid to make other items such as trays, platters, pots, boxes, and so on. After you have a form completed, either basic or complex, you can decorate the work with handles, slip decoration, stencils, and more carving. Your completed work will be fired in a bisque kiln, and then we will focus more seriously on glazing. We will discuss glaze types and select a glaze that is compatible with your work and goals. After you have glazed your work, it will be fired a second time in a glaze kiln. The last class will include time to examine all the work produced and discuss what worked and what didn’t, and why. We may even have a party.