Classes at black hound clay west
WINTER 2025 CLASSes are now open for registration!
winter 2025 SESSION IS January 13 - March 7, 2025
All instruction, tools, glazes. firing and 25 pounds of clay are included in the price of tuition. Additional clay can be purchased on our website. One free open studio is included with every class.
BEFORE REGISTERING FOR A CLASS, PLEASE READ OVER OUR REGISTRATION & REFUND POLICIES
Wondering what level of wheelthrowing class is appropriate for your current skill levels?
Check out this guide.
WE OFFER PAYMENT PLANS!
Payments will be automatically deducted on the dates below from the card on file.
If you register between November 2 and November 30, 2024:
First installment payment of 33%: upon registration
Second installment payment of 33%: December 6, 2024
Third installment payment of 33%: January 3, 2025
If you register between December 1 and December 22, 2024:
First installment payment of 50%: upon registration
Second installment payment of 50%: January 3, 2025
If you register after December 22, 2024, you must pay in full.
class waitlist Policy
Once a class is full, the class listing will be converted to a waitlist sign up. Signing up for the waitlist is free. Joining the waitlist for a particular class does not guarantee you a spot in that class, and it does not obligate you to sign up should space come available.
Please feel free to email us at West@blackhoundclay.com with any questions!
Wheelthrowing Classes
wheelthrowing 101 at Black Hound
$435 per person
(installment payment plans available)
Black Hound Clay Studio's Wheelthrowing 101 Class is a comprehensive eight week beginner’s introduction to making objects on the potter's wheel. In this course, students will have the opportunity to learn a variety of foundational skills and then use them to create their own unique and beautiful pottery. By the end of the class, students will be well versed in the ceramic process from start to finish, from working with wet clay to trimming to decorating and glazing.
An excellent course for complete beginners as well as those with throwing experience, students can expect a small class environment with one on one attention from professional teaching artists and staff, a clean, well-stocked studio and an inclusive, friendly vibe.
AVAILABLE DAYS & TIMES:
MONDAY EVENINGS, January 13 - March 3, 6-9pm
with Isaac Scott CLASS FULL, JOIN THE WAITLIST
TUESDAY EVENINGS, January 14 - March 4, 6-9pm
with Lauren Delk CLASS FULL, JOIN THE WAITLIST
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS, January 15 - March 5, 1:30-4:30pm
with Akiko Jackson CLASS FULL, JOIN THE WAITLIST
WEDNESDAY EVENINGS, January 15 - March 5, 6-9pm
with Lauren Delk CLASS FULL, JOIN THE WAITLIST
FRIDAY EVENINGS, January 17 - March 7, 6-9pm
with Frankie Iadarola CLASS FULL, JOIN THE WAITLIST
SUNDAY EVENINGS, January 19 - March 9, 6-9pm
with Akiko Jackson CLASS FULL, JOIN THE WAITLIST
wheelthrowing 102 at Black Hound
$435 per person
(installment payment plans available)
This class is designed for the experienced beginner in mind. If you have some have previous wheel throwing experience and are looking to push your skills to the next level, this class is for you. Students will be led through warm-up throwing exercises and activities to help improve technical ability and troubleshoot problem areas. We will focus on lifting taller, thinner and more consistent walls, shaping, trimming, surface design and attachments. Students will be encouraged to work towards developing a matching set such as cups, mugs, bowls or vases as a way to sharpen skills.
AVAILABLE DAYS & TIMES:
TUESDAY AFTERNOONS, January 14 - March 4, 1:30-4:30pm
with Lisa Belsky CLASS FULL, JOIN THE WAITLIST
THURSDAY EVENINGS, January 16 - March 6, 6-9pm
with Natalie Avery CLASS FULL, JOIN THE WAITLIST
HANDBUILDING CLASSES
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Sculpting the Figure in Clay
Monday Evenings January 13 - March 3,
6-9pm (8 weeks)$460
(installment payment plans available)In this class students will learn how to sculpt hollow figures up to ten inches tall. Explore sculpting from a live nude model! Practice sculpting hands, faces, and full figures. Several different handbuilding and sculpting techniques will be demonstrated, including hollow coil building, building solid and then carving out, additive and reductive sculpting techniques and some slab building work as well. Learn several different approaches to sculpting eyes, noses, mouths, and hands using small coils, pinching, pushing and carving with tools. This class is intended for intermediate to advanced students, but all are welcome. Clay experience is great but not absolutely necessary.
Tuition includes two 3 hour sessions with a live model.
Instructor: Miranda Blas
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Handbuilt tableware for beginners: Tuesday Afternoons
Tuesday Afternoons January 14 - March 4,
1:30-4:30 pm (8 weeks)$435
(installment payment plans available)Come hang out with Corinna and create your very own special tableware.
We will be using a combination of slab and coil building techniques along with a slew of texturing tools to emphasize your own style. We will be making plates, cups and bowls of varying sizes.
Instructor: Corinna Cowles
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Handbuilt Tableware for Beginners: Tuesday Evenings
Tuesday Evenings January 14 - March 4,
6-9 pm (8 weeks)$435
(installment payment plans available)Come hang out with Corinna and create your very own special tableware.
We will be using a combination of slab and coil building techniques along with a slew of texturing tools to emphasize your own style. We will be making plates, cups and bowls of varying sizes.
Instructor: Corinna Cowles
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pet portraits
Wednesday Evenings January 15 - March 5,
6-9 pm (8 weeks)$435
(installment payment plans available)Working from photos, we will make three-dimensional pet portraits with a close eye to what makes your pet unique and recognizable. Your instructor will introduce solid building and hollowing, as well as additive and subtractive sculpting techniques. We will also explore ways to create surface textures like fur, feathers or scales, and finish with glaze and underglazed details to bring your pet to life. Beginners are welcome, and there will be lots to learn for more experienced students as well.
Instructor: Caroline Hayes-Charuk
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Intermediate Handbuilding: Color in Clay
Thursday Evenings January 17 - March 7,
6-9 pm (8 weeks)$460
(installment payment plans available)We will expand approaches to surface design and decoration with a focus on color and texture. A wide variety of techniques including brushwork and transfers using colored slips, inlay with colored clay, adding texture through slip trailing and sgraffito, and painting with underglazes will be explored. We will apply these decorating techniques to larger, more complex coil and slab-built forms. Finished work will be glazed with clear. Prior experience handbuilding with clay is recommended.
Tuition includes a $25 per person materials fee for custom made colored clay and class dedicated colored slips and washes.
Instructor: Corinna Cowles
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Ceramic Table Lamps: Sunday Evenings
Sunday Evenings January 19 - March 9,
6-9 pm (8 weeks)$435
(installment payment plans available)In this class students will build unique, handbuilt ceramic table lamps—mixing artistry with functionality. Through this process you will learn techniques for coiling, slab building, and various forms of surface decoration. You'll explore both small and large lamp designs, working through challenges of clay shrinkage, and wiring while ensuring functionality. Weekly demos will cover topics like glazing, and building large-scale, while one-on-one guidance helps bring your designs to life!
Instructor: Claire Engelhardt