Upcoming pottery workshops at Tryon Arts and Crafts School

Tryon Arts and Crafts School

Upcoming Pottery Workshops

Obvara Firing - an ancient Russian technique April 23
with Tom Banfield

What do you think would happen if you took a red hot piece of your pottery directly from the kiln and plunged it into a bucket of cold liquid? Sounds crazy, right? But that is exactly what we will be doing during our Obvara Firing Workshop. And believe it or not, it's very exciting and a lot of fun ... and no, they don't explode. During our workshop you'll learn a little of the history of the Obvara process. You'll learn how to make your own mash, the liquid the pots are plunged into. But most importantly, you will have the opportunity to experience it yourself, as everyone will fire their own pieces and create something truly unique. There will be a lot of "hurry up and wait" as we can only fire 4 or 5 pieces at a time, but this will give us plenty of time to relax, learn and enjoy.

Saturday, April 23, 10am to 4pm

$100/members $130/non-members Materials included


Greenware Decoration - Creating your own style May 14
with Raine Middleton

One of the biggest challenges that potters face is creating pots that reflect their own personal style. We all want customers to recognize our pots without even checking the bottom of the pot for our mark. Glazes and firing atmospheres are the most common decorating techniques. But for the students who create in studio environments or with kiln restrictions, these techniques may be limited and pots can start to look alike. Decorating at the greenware stage gives potters the opportunity to develop their style with their own maker's mark. This fast paced workshop is hands on, informative, challenging, and most of all - fun! If you don't feel like an artist or the idea of drawing/designing makes your heart skip a beat, then this workshop is designed just for you. Techniques covered will be sprigging and stamping (and yes, you'll learn how to make your own sprigs and stamps), wax resist, paper resist, painting, slip trailing, carving, and sgraffito. We'll end the day with designing our own independent project. All work will be done on greenware tiles that I will supply. Students will need to bring brushes and their pottery tools. Whether you evaluate decorative pots by "less is more" or "more is more ," greenware decoration techniques will help to create your own personal pottery style.

Saturday, May 14, 10am-4pm each day

$240/members $270/non-members Materials fee: $40

More info here: http://tryonartsandcrafts.org/product-category/workshops/