Creating Figures with Reusable Armatures

Explore zoomorphic and/or human figurative, legged forms and learn how to integrate surface decoration into your work, including majolica stain techniques with Visiting Artist Natalia Arbelaez! You’ll learn how to build your own reusable armatures using wooden dowels and boards and will learn how to build and troubleshoot making medium pieces with mid-range stoneware.

This workshop will use Laguna Red Sculpture clay (WC-390), which fires from cone 2 to cone 5. You’ll focus on making and learning skills to continue working with armatures and at mid-scale on your own and will be able to take your in-progress greenware work home when the workshop ends. This workshop is a process-centered educational experience. Bisque or other firing is not included in the workshop fee but is available to PS members and contract firers (the general public).

Experience Level: This workshop is open to all levels. You’ll get the most out of the workshop if you have some experience handbuilding with coils, slabs, and pinching, but experience is not required. This workshop includes hands-on guidance on constructing armatures using hand saws, drills, and other tools.

Register Here

Throwing & Carving Composite Forms

Learn how to throw, carve, and pierce larger multi-part forms and develop confidence troubleshooting challenges you may encounter when working with substantial volumes of clay.

Visiting Artist Justin Paik Reese will demo and discuss how he creates detailed surface and dimensional designs both on paper and as he works on the wheel. Justin will guide students through the steps involved in imagining and then developing patterns for large thrown forms, and will show how he maps out geometry and repetition to create cohesive designs.

This workshop will use Laguna B-Mix cone 10. A tool list will be provided, and Justin will share best practices and show his favorite tools for carving and perforating stable, large hollow forms.

Experience Level: You’ll get the most out of the workshop if your wheel skills are technically sound. 

While Justin will adapt his teaching throughout the weekend to support every participant, please note that the pace and scope of the workshop curriculum cannot accommodate instruction on basic wheel skills such as centering, pulling, and shaping walls.

Register Here

Throwing & Carving Composite Forms

Learn how to throw, carve, and pierce larger multi-part forms and develop confidence troubleshooting challenges you may encounter when working with substantial volumes of clay.

Visiting Artist Justin Paik Reese will demo and discuss how he creates detailed surface and dimensional designs both on paper and as he works on the wheel. Justin will guide students through the steps involved in imagining and then developing patterns for large thrown forms, and will show how he maps out geometry and repetition to create cohesive designs.

This workshop will use Laguna B-Mix cone 10. A tool list will be provided, and Justin will share best practices and show his favorite tools for carving and perforating stable, large hollow forms.

Experience Level: You’ll get the most out of the workshop if your wheel skills are technically sound. 

While Justin will adapt his teaching throughout the weekend to support every participant, please note that the pace and scope of the workshop curriculum cannot accommodate instruction on basic wheel skills such as centering, pulling, and shaping walls.

Register Here

Preparing + Throwing Larger Volumes of Clay

Live Demo + Discussion

Demo Focus: Join Visiting Artist Justin Paik Reese as he demonstrates and talks about centering, opening, and throwing 25 lbs of clay and discusses how he approaches making larger composite forms on the wheel.

Experience Level: Open to everyone at any level of experience with clay, including no experience!

Register Here

Studio CLOSED in observation of Juneteenth.

Work must be on the bisque rack, bone dry and ready to load by MIDNIGHT in order to be bisqued before the move. Any work that is not on the shelf at that point or is wet will not be fired and can be picked up from the shelving in the parking lot. KILN SPACE IS LIMITED! GET THINGS BISQUED BEFORE THIS DATE.

All Member glazes must be REMOVED by 11:59PM on this day. ANY REMAINING GLAZES WILL RESULT IN A $100(PER BUCKET) GLAZE DISPOSAL FEE. Please help us in smoothly and efficiently moving over to the new building. Disposing of glaze waste is cumbersome and labor intensive, help us avoid that!

This is the LAST CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR WORK GLAZE FIRED. You MUST have your work on the racks by MIDNIGHT for it to be fired. Work added after this point, will not be fired. KILN SPACE IS LIMITED! GET THINGS FIRED BEFORE THIS DATE.

This is the LAST DAY FOR MEMBER CUBBIES. All member cubbies must be CLEANED OUT BY THIS DATE! Please assist us in our move by removing everything you can. Anything remaining in cubbies will be discarded. Thank you!

THIS IS THE LAST DAY OF PAID EXTRA STORAGE. All paid extra storage must be cleared out by this time. Please assist us in the move and have your shelves cleared and wiped down. Contents remaining on shelves after this date will be DISCARDED!

The Glaze Lab will be CLOSED after this date.

The Potters’ Studio Second Sale! LOW LOW prices on work, tool and studio gear.

The damp room will be deconstructed and locked after this date. All work must be removed by MIDNIGHT. Any work remaining in the damp room after this time will be DISCARDED!

After this date, THERE WILL BE NO MORE CONTRACT FIRINGS OR DAY USE PASSES ACCEPTED.

The Studio is CLOSED for Memorial Day. Have fun!

Bring your creative energy to decorate a 6x6-inch tile for the new Studio! Bisque tiles and decorating materials will be provided. First tile is free! Additional tile for a $10 suggested donation. Email events@berkeleypottersstudio.org to register!

This is the last day to have your glaze buckets labeled with the YELLOW labels. Any buckets unlabeled will be purged and the glaze disposal fee ($100 per bucket) will be charged to your account. Thanks for helping us guarantee and smooth and efficient move!

One month left for ALL FIRINGS! All work must be on the shelf by 11:59 on JUNE 15. Start to finish and fire work NOW! Firing space is limited and if your work doesn’t fit on the 16, we unfortunately will not be able to fire it.

There is ONE MONTH left to reserve an electric kiln! The last day to load a personal kiln is JUNE 11.

Bring your creative energy to decorate a 6x6-inch tile for the new Studio! Bisque tiles and decorating materials will be provided. First tile is free! Additional tile for a $10 suggested donation. Email events@berkeleypottersstudio.org to register!