203 E. Beginning & Intermediate Wheel Throwing
Class - Ceramics | This class is completed
Beginners learn the basic techniques of throwing on the wheel along with related glazing techniques. Students with experience can refine their throwing skills while exploring new forms and design possibilities.
Ages: 16 - Adult
A $30 material fee for the first 25 pounds of stoneware clay will be added at time of checkout. Porcelain clay excluded.
This class meets a total of 8 times.
- This class meets a total of 8 times.
In addition to class instruction, the tuition includes related glazes, firings, and access to open studio hours (open studio hours are subject to change).
- A $30 material fee for the first 25 pounds of stoneware clay will be added at time of checkout. Porcelain clay excluded.
For the first day of class, you will to bring need the following:
- 1 old towel and/or apron
- 1 large car wash sponge
- 1 4-quart container to hold water
- 2-3 artist brushes sized small to medium
- 1 pottery tool kit (available for purchase on the first day of class for $20)
Max Saunders
Max Saunders Artist in Residence at Sawtooth School for Visual Art.
Max Saunders Artist Statement
My work is heavily inspired by archeology, geology, and a sense of time. Clay, deposited in the soil years ago, is wedged and shaped to pleasing forms. Often I will sketch in clay for months or years as I search for the correct weight and balance for the pot. The base forms are often inspired by archeology, pottery, or other artifacts from history. Once I am happy with the shape, I use it as a canvas for a pallet of gestural marks. I carve, stretch, and beat the clay in ways that emphasize or change its form. These marks are often read as a sign of geological weathering or erosion. I chose to woodfire my work as it adds an extra layer of dynamic marks to the piece, which can be controlled with careful loading and firing strategies.
The overall goal is to create objects that can be interacted with in a variety of ways. Cups are drunk from and their surface is explored, revealing exciting moments from the creation and firing processes. My current series of sculptural vessels allows me to take this mark making process and explore it more deeply, as the ultimate form has no need to be functional. Ultimately these forms are all for both visual and tactile exploration. I seek to create work that is visually and physically dynamic, carrying a sense of age while remaining fresh and immediate.