🏺 Pottery Experiences
🏺 Pottery Experiences
Pottery Experiences at The Studio Above the Clouds
You do not need experience.
You do not need to be “good at art.”
You just need to be willing to sit down and try.
These small-group pottery experiences are designed to take you through the ceramic process from raw clay to a finished, glazed piece.
Most experiences include two sessions: one to build and one to glaze. Between sessions, your work stays at the studio to dry slowly and go through its first kiln firing. After glazing, it is fired one final time and is generally ready for pickup about two weeks later.
Each project is a little different, so choose the experience that sounds interesting to you.
Current Pottery Experiences
Winter Luminary
Build: Tuesday, October 20 • 6:00–9:00 PM
Glaze: Tuesday, November 10 • 6:00–8:30 PM
Pickup begins: Tuesday, November 24
Build a ceramic winter luminary from raw clay, choosing between two versions of the project.
Beginner Build
A simpler slab-built structure designed for someone new to clay or still getting comfortable with handbuilding.
Intermediate Build
A more ambitious version involving multiple joined sections, additional structural support, and a little more ceramic problem-solving. You do not need to be advanced, but having worked with clay before will help.
Both options happen during the same workshop, cost the same, and receive guided instruction throughout.
Ornament Making
Build: Wednesday, October 21 • 11:00 AM–2:00 PM
Glaze: Wednesday, November 18 • 11:00 AM–2:00 PM
Spend the first session building a collection of approximately 20 handmade ceramic ornaments.
We’ll work with slabs, cutters, texture, stamps, carving, and other surface techniques so you can create a mix of ornaments rather than twenty identical little soldiers.
At the second session, you’ll glaze and finish the pieces before their final kiln firing.
This is a very beginner-friendly way to learn slab work, texture, surface design, and glazing while ending up with a surprisingly large pile of handmade things.
Ours Mugs
Build: Tuesday, November 3 • 6:00–8:30 PM
Glaze: Tuesday, December 1 • 6:00–8:30 PM
Make two regular mugs and one smaller mug using handbuilding techniques.
We’ll focus on creating forms that actually work as mugs: shaping the body, attaching handles securely, refining rims, adding texture and personality, and understanding how clay construction affects the finished piece.
Three mugs means three chances to experiment.
Make a matching set.
Make three completely unrelated mugs.
That is between you and the clay.
Make Medium Bowls: Three Ways Into Clay
Build: Thursday, November 12 • 11:00 AM–2:00 PM
Glaze: Thursday, December 10 • 11:00 AM–1:30 PM
Make three medium ceramic bowls, each using a different foundational handbuilding technique:
Pinch. Coil. Slab.
This is a particularly good class if you want to understand how clay actually works rather than learning only one project.
You’ll make one bowl using each technique, compare the different processes, and then return after the first firing to glaze all three.
Beginner-friendly, but also useful for anyone who wants more practice with the fundamentals.
How the Two-Session Process Works
Session One — Build
You’ll work from raw clay with guidance throughout the process.
Depending on the project, we may use slab building, pinch, coil, joining, carving, texture, templates, or a combination of techniques.
After class, your work stays at the studio to dry slowly before its first kiln firing.
Session Two — Glaze
Approximately three to four weeks later, you’ll return to a bisque-fired piece ready for color.
We’ll explore glaze choices, application, surface design, and what happens to glaze during the final firing.
Your work then returns to the kiln one last time.
Pickup
Finished pottery is generally ready approximately two weeks after the glazing session.
Pickup details will be coordinated during class.
What’s Included
Your registration includes:
- both scheduled studio sessions
- clay required for your selected project
- use of studio tools and equipment
- glazes and finishing materials
- all required kiln firings
- hands-on instruction throughout the process
Small Classes, Real Clay
Classes are intentionally small, with a maximum of six participants.
That means there is time to ask questions, troubleshoot something that has gone slightly sideways, try a different approach, and actually understand what you are doing rather than racing to keep up.
Most experiences are beginner-friendly. If a particular project benefits from some previous clay experience, that will be clearly noted in the description.
Ages
Pottery Experiences are designed primarily for adults.
Participants 13 and older may attend alongside a participating adult.
Minimum Enrollment
Workshops require a minimum of three registered participants to run.
If minimum enrollment has not been reached 96 hours before the first session, the class will be canceled and registered participants will receive a full refund.
Make Yourself at Home
The Studio Above the Clouds includes a refrigerator, stove, and oven, and you are welcome to bring snacks or drinks.
Tea and coffee will also be available during class.
📍 The Studio Above the Clouds | Suches, Georgia
And if you’re looking for a project or schedule you don’t see listed, I’d genuinely love to hear your idea.
