Back to the Basics: Beginning Handbuilding

Are you wanting to take a break from the wheel or try clay for the first time? Interested in making shapes other than a cylinder? Let’s handbuild together! During this 10-week course we will be covering many of the foundations of handbuilding from coiling to pinching but will spend most of the time on slab building. In this class we will be discussing soft vs. hard slab construction to create bowls, mugs, cups, and workshop ideas for more sculptural projects!

As an ongoing discussion, we will be covering a variety of surface decoration techniques using underglaze, stencils, and paper resists. We will also be covering how to glaze and finish our pieces. Each class will have a demo and allow plenty of time for personal exploration and be able to practice the newly learned skills and forms.

This is a Beginner level class. No prior clay experience is necessary.

Learn more about instructor Ash Campbell.

We believe clay is for everyone! Need tuition assistance? Please visit our tuition assistance page for more information.

What’s included:

• Access to use our studio during open studio hours every day, for the duration of the class, from 10AM to 9PM.
• 1 bag of clay (pick-up first day of class)
• Personal half shelf for storage of tools, clay, and in process work

What to bring:

• A good attitude and a mind open to learning.
• A basic pottery tool kit. (This should include a cut off wire, wooden knife, wooden rib, metal rib, needle tool, sponge, trimming loop tool and double-ended ribbon tool.)
• An apron or clothes that can get dirty.
• A notebook or sketchbook.

Pottery NW has communal tools available. Personal toolkits, bat pins & additional clay can be purchased at the online student store. All items purchased from the store need to be picked up onsite.

Please Note:

• If you are new to the Pottery NW studio, or if you have not attended orientation as of summer 2023 quarter, you must attend the first class to receive the mandatory studio orientation. New students who do not attend the first day will be dropped from the class without a refund of the class fee. On the first day of class, late arrivals beyond 15 minutes after the class start time will not be permitted to join. Returning students should still attend the first day of class as the instructor will not be able to reteach missed lessons and demos to absent students in the proceeding classes.

 • We are in Pioneer Square, so please plan ahead so that you have enough time to park. You don’t want to miss anything!