Old School Clay and Ceramics

Make a Spaghetti Plate - December
2021-12-02 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Halifax) | Old School Clay and Ceramics, 145 Main St, Groton, Ma, 01450
Join us on December 2 and 9 to make the plate shown, or one very similar, that reflects your very own creativity! This plate, which is about 9 inches wide, and is oven and dishwasher safe, microwavable and food safe. It is deep, bowl like, making it a good spaghetti bowl.
During this 2 day workshop you will be led through the steps to make your very own plate. The first day, which will take about 2 hours, we will make the plate, and cover different ways to decorate it. The plate is made from a slab of clay, molded, and then finished on the wheel. Once the plate is made, you can finish it any way you want. A number of different methods of decorating will be covered, including use of texture, use of underglazes and stencils, and sgraffito, a popular Italian method of decorating pottery (as shown on the plate pictured). The focus will be on using the sgraffito method, but you can finish it as you like, but the class focus will be on creating a concentric sgraffito design of black, white, and a minimal amount of red as accent. The second scheduled day, we will finish the plate. Depending on how much is done the first class, the second class could take an hour to 2 hours. Your plate will be ready for you to take home within 2 weeks of you finishing it.
Click on the picture below to see spaghetti bowls made by other students:

The workshop will take place December 2 and 9 from 4 – 6 pm. The first class will be very short – probably an hour at most. The second class will likely take the full 2 hours.
No experience necessary! Register here: Spaghetti Plate
The class is limited to 6 people. Grab a friend and make an evening of it.
I have been teaching pottery and ceramics in a variety of situations, for all age groups, for more than 30 years. I absolutely love teaching and sharing my love of clay with others.

Learn to Throw - Adults Dec/Jan
2021-12-05 16:00 - 18:00
Learn to throw on a potter’s wheel. Group lessons limited to 4 students. This class is specifically for adults. Price is for 8 two hour classes and includes materials. The class will cover centering, throwing techniques, trimming and glazing . Techniques to decorate a pot, including adding clay, carving, sgraffito, and use of underglazes and washes will be covered.
This is primarily focusing on beginner techniques. Click here for a course outline . 8 week class outline
Three ‘Intro to Throwing’ classes will be offered this winter. One class will be for adults, and two others for teens. There will also be a class offered for adults who have already taken the intro class. This Adult class will take place Sunday afternoons, from 4 – 6 pm starting December 5. It will run 8 weeks: December 5, 12, 19,26* and January 2,9,16, and 23.
*There may not be class on December 26, and we will reschedule, depending on people’s schedules.
Click here for tickets: Intro Throwing

Make a Forest of Luminaires - December
2021-12-06 16:00 - 18:00
Make 3 luminaires similar to the ones shown, but reflecting your own creativity. Working with slabs of clay, and molds, you will form these cone shaped trees. The trees will not have bottoms, so it is best to use a battery operated light, or a votive with a plate underneath. This is a two day works shop. The first day we will make the trees, the second day we will glaze. Two hours is allotted for each class, but it will likely take a little over an hour.
To register, click here; luminaire trees

Make Soap Dishes - December
2021-12-06 19:00 - 21:00
Make two soap dishes, you will be led through the steps to make a soap dish which will resemble the one pictured that was made by a ceramic artist on line. (I will make something similar shortly) The soap dish that we will make together will keep the soap elevated so it does not become mushy. It will also be dishwasher safe. You will then have an opportunity to make a soap dish of your own design. I will give you technical help on how to achieve your design. I have created a page on pinterest of different soap designs to jog your creativity. The class will be limited to 8 people.
Soap Dish by Sarah Beth Elkins
The first class will be Wednesday, November 3 from 3 – 5 pm. During that class we will make the two soap dishes. The second class will be Wednesday, November 10 from 3 – 5, and will focus on cleaning up and glazing your soap dish.
Pictures forth coming.
Here are ideas from pinterest of soap dishes: pinterest
To Register – click here – soap dish

Open Studio - Dec 9
2021-12-09 19:00 - 21:00
Feeling creative!? Join us Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 pm to make your own creations. I will be available to provide technical assistance for you to achieve your clay ideas. Pretty much no limit on what you can make.
This will be a test run for the month of December, where clay and materials are included in the price. If you make something at home, or take something home to work on, you will be charged an additional fee for glazes and/or firing.
Prerequisite: 2 previous classes or workshops with me, or a completed Prescott Class. Limit of 6 people per class.
To reserve your seat – Click here – Dec 9
This workshop is best for students who can work independently, and are comfortable with the rules of the studio.

Intro to Throwing - December
2021-12-14 18:00 - 20:00
This is a 4 week class that will introduce you to the basics of throwing and pottery. The class will meet Tuesday evenings, 6 – 8 pm, December 14 , 21, 28, and January 4. The class is limited to 4 people. The outline of the class is as follows:

Week 1:

You will be throw 5 balls of clay, of which you will keep 3 that you like. Focus is on centering

Week 2:

You will trim the pots you made from the previous week.
You will make 1 slab plate using the wheel to finish.
You will throw 4 balls of clay, of which you can keep 2 of your finished pots. Focus is on shaping.

Week 3:

You will earn about different techniques to finish your pots. The plate you made in the previous week will be finished with a method called sgraffito.
You will make a slab bowl that you will finish on the wheel. The focus on the bowl will be using texture in the design.
You will trim the pots from the previous week.
You will throw 3 balls of clay, of which you can keep 1.

Week 4:

You will glaze all your pots made previously. You should have at least 8 pots that will need glazing – pending no disasters in the kiln.
You will trim your pot from the previous week. Underglazes will be used to decorate your pot.

Your pots will be available for pick up within 2 weeks of your last class.
To register, click here : Intro to Throwing – December

Open Studio - Dec 16
2021-12-16 19:00 - 21:00
Feeling creative!? Join us Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 pm to make your own creations. I will be available to provide technical assistance for you to achieve your clay ideas. Pretty much no limit on what you can make.
This will be a test run for the month of December, where clay and materials are included in the price. If you make something at home, or take something home to work on, you will be charged an additional fee for glazes and/or firing.
Prerequisite: 2 previous classes or workshops with me, or a completed Prescott Class. Limit of 6 people per class.
To reserve your seat – Click here – Dec 16
This workshop is best for students who can work independently, and are comfortable with the rules of the studio.

Make a Valentine's Plate
2021-12-20 16:00 - 18:00
I have yet to figure out what this will actually look like…I have been thinking about it, but have yet to create a design. Anyway, we will make a plate, about 9 inches across that when finished will be microwavable, dishwasher safe and oven proof if protected from thermal shock.
The class will be limited to 8 students, and no experience is needed. The plate will be made from a slab of clay molded into a form and then finished on the wheel. The workshop will take place on Monday afternoon, from 4 – 6 pm, December 20 and 27.
This is a 2 day workshop. The first day we will make the plate. Based on the ideas bouncing around my brain, I think it could take about 1 1/2 hours to make the plate. The second day, a week later, we will glaze the plate. That will likely take about an hour.
To reserve a seat at this workshop, click here: valentine
Pictures to come, hopefully.

Open Studio - Dec 23
2021-12-23 19:00 - 21:00
Feeling creative!? Join us Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 pm to make your own creations. I will be available to provide technical assistance for you to achieve your clay ideas. Pretty much no limit on what you can make.
This will be a test run for the month of December, where clay and materials are included in the price. If you make something at home, or take something home to work on, you will be charged an additional fee for glazes and/or firing.
Prerequisite: 2 previous classes or workshops with me, or a completed Prescott Class. Limit of 6 people per class.
To reserve your seat – Click here – Dec 23
This workshop is best for students who can work independently, and are comfortable with the rules of the studio.

Make Two Luncheon Plates - for teens
2021-12-27 11:00 - 13:00
This workshop is specifically for children during winter school vacation week.
During this workshop, students will make two plates, about 9 inches in diameter. The plates will be microwavable, oven proof and dishwasher safe when completed.
The plates will be made using a mold, and then finished on the potter’s wheel. The first day of this 2 day workshop, will be spent making the plates. The second day will be spent using underglazes to decorate the plate. A method of mono-printing will be used. Various stencils of prints will be used and layered on each other. A final stencil, that will be the focal point of the plate, will be used. Students will be encouraged to find their own final design that I will print out for them. Simple silhouette designs of dragons, flowers, mandalas, trees, animals….are all possibilities.
The workshop will take place Monday Dec 27 and Wednesday Dec 29 from 11 am to 1 pm.
The plates will be ready for pick up with in 3 weeks from the last class.
To reserve a seat in this workshop: monoprint plates

The examples below are monoprints. The plates your children make will be plates – not platters.

Open Studio - Dec 30
2021-12-30 19:00 - 21:00
Feeling creative!? Join us Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 pm to make your own creations. I will be available to provide technical assistance for you to achieve your clay ideas. Pretty much no limit on what you can make.
This will be a test run for the month of December, where clay and materials are included in the price. If you make something at home, or take something home to work on, you will be charged an additional fee for glazes and/or firing.
Prerequisite: 2 previous classes or workshops with me, or a completed Prescott Class. Limit of 6 people per class.
To reserve your seat – Click here – Dec 30
This workshop is best for students who can work independently, and are comfortable with the rules of the studio.
