NBA: Beginners Hand-Building Pottery with Nico Benella
Join Nico for an eight week journey into pottery, where you'll explore hand-building techniques to create unique ceramic pieces.
Description
In this beginners class we'll craft a slab-built plate, a keepsake mug with a chain handle, and a charming ceramic house set, learning surface decoration, underglazes, and glazing along the way. In the final weeks, you'll have the freedom to develop your own project with guidance. Perfect for beginners, this class is all about creativity, texture, and fun with clay!
Week 1: Slab-Built Plate with Fun Decoration
- Introduction to clay, tools, and basic hand-building techniques.
- Demonstration of slab rolling and using wooden press molds.
- Students create a plate using the slab roller and press molds.
- Experimenting with textures and hand-building small decorative elements to place on the plates.
- Plates set to dry and bisque for another session.
Week 2: Hand-Built Keepsake Mug with Chain Handle
- Introduction to cylinder forming and joining techniques.
- Demonstration of slab construction for mugs.
- Students hand-build their mug body and shape ceramic chain elements for the handle.
- Attaching handles and refining surfaces.
Week 3: Decorating & Glazing the Plate
- Introduction to underglazes, oxides, and basic glazing techniques.
- Students refine, smooth, and decorate their plates.
- Application of glazes or underglaze details.
- Plates set aside for firing.
Week 4: Decorating & Glazing the Mug
- Adding surface decoration with underglazes or carving techniques.
- Applying glaze (full or partial coverage).
- Mugs set aside for firing.
Week 5: Ceramic Tea Light House & House Vase – Construction
- Introduction to working with templates for structured hand-building.
- Cutting and assembling walls and roofs for the tea light house and house vase.
- Learning how to create texture, carve windows, and add small details.
- Pieces left to dry for next week’s finishing.
Week 6: Decorating & Glazing the Ceramic Houses
- Refining details before decorating.
- Introduction to underglaze painting for fine details and layering colors.
- Applying transparent glaze where needed.
- Pieces set aside for final firing.
Week 7-8: Open Studio & Individual Projects
- Discuss project ideas with students – they can create a personal piece or revisit a previous technique.
- Individual guidance on project design, construction, and decoration.
- Optional demonstrations based on student interest (e.g., textured surfaces, sgraffito, carving).
- Time to refine and glaze projects in the final session.
Clay and firing are cost extra.
Prerequisites
Beginners welcome.
Supplies
What to bring with you:
An Apron,
A Towel
A basic pottery tool set which you can purchase from any $2 store or KMart
Membership
Current EAC members will receive 10% discount.
To find out more about how to become a member click on this link.