Soda Sundays: The Art of Soda Firing

In this class, we’ll cover setting up for a soda firing, wadding, slips, flashing slips and soda glazes. Students will have a special opportunity to fire their wares in a Soda kiln in partnership with Deb Schwartzkopf at Rat City Studios. We’ll play with surface design, textures, and forms that bring out the unique effects of atmospheric firing. Soda allows your clay body to shine through. We’ll experiment with areas of the kiln that allow for application of more or less soda and even leave all or part of the clay or slip bare to react with soda. Students will also have an opportunity for guided and independent glazing at Rat City Studios during the week prior to the firing on May 20-21st.

Note: Ware size is limited to 15 inches in any direction, and students will be allotted 1/2 cubic foot of space each. (Think of filling one full clay box with various sized ware for your share in the soda kiln). A 1/2 Cu. Ft. of space is 6" x 12" x 12".

Note: Class will not meet on June 8th. The class will meet for 9 sessions with the instructor and includes access to the Pottery Northwest studio for the full 10- week quarter to complete additional glazing in oxidation at PNW. 

This is an Intermediate Level Class. Some clay experience is necessary. Wheel and handbuilding techniques will be covered.

Learn more about instructor Alison Grevstad.

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 quarter 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!