Fall Classes

Fall classes have begun at the Art Association! I’m teaching a variety of topics…

Make your own clay and silver jewelry in Melding Minerals. In this 3-part class we will make jewelry components from stoneware and porcelain, highlighting texture, color, and surface design. Then we will put it all together with silversmith Jen McNaughton.

Tuesdays | 5:30 - 8:30pm | Sept 18 - Oct 2

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Surface Design on Pottery started this past Wednesday, but it’s not too late to drop in for any topic you are curious about. Sgraffito, inlay & mishima, decals & transfers…

Wednesdays | 6 - 9pm | Sept 12 - Oct 17

Drawing Topics is a great drawing class to refresh your skills or start up a good drawing habit. Each week covers a different topic, sign up for all or just a few.

Tuesdays | 10am - 12pm | Oct 2 - Nov 6

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In Handbuilding with Clay - Daytime we will cover all the basic handbuilding techniques - slab, pinch, coil, plus a lot more. Bring your ideas- large and small! Learn how to use studio tools such as the slab roller and extruder.

Wednesdays | Oct 24 - Nov 28 | 12 - 2pm

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I’m offering 2 opportunities to make your own cards before the holidays:

Printing & Sewing: Cardmaking In this one-day workshop we will spend the morning making designs, and patterns by making simple screenprints and monotypes. In the afternoon we will collage these prints by sewing them onto cards with other found and handmade papers. No glue! The sewing machine lines can create beautiful attachments and simple lines that add to your design. No sewing or printmaking experience necessary.

Saturday | Nov 3 | 10am - 3pm

Monotype Printmaking: Holiday Cards Spend an afternoon making fun and simple cards to celebrate the holidays (or any event.) Learn simple monotype techniques and make cards or images in multiple sizes. Once the print has dried you can even go back and draw on top of the colors or images… so many options!

Tuesday | Dec 4 | 1 - 4pm

Summer Classes

The summer class schedule just arrived at the Art Association and I'll be teaching 2 classes this summer. If you are looking for a little art instruction this might be just the thing, the topical classes are perfect to drop into. Check out the complete schedule here, there are lots of great offerings!

Surface Decoration on Pottery

June 26 - July 31 | Tuesday | 6 - 9 pm

Each week we will explore a different topic- from decoration before bisque, glazing techniques, and how to make your own decals:

Wet Clay:
June 26: Carving / Stamping / Sprigging / Thinking about Glazing and Staining
Leather Hard Clay:
July 3: Sgraffito (Slip or underglaze)
July 10: Mishima and inlay (Underglaze)
July 17: Monotype Transfers (Slip)
July 24: Many ways of Stencils (Slip)
Post Glaze:
July 31: Decals - how to design and print your own

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Drawing Topics

June 7 - July 26 | Thursday | 10am - 12pm

An introduction and refresher to drawing skills for the artist who wishes to improve this basic skill set required to become an artist. 

June 7: Line
June 14: Shape & Space
June 28: 1 point Perspective
July 5: 2 point Perspective
July 19: Value
July 26: Composition

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Maybe I'll see you in the studio! 

Fall Classes

Fall is approaching and I'm changing my studio focus slightly. This always seems like a good time of year to revisit ideas from before the busy summer while digging into the studio before winter. I'll be teaching 3 classes this fall at the Art Association that cover the basics plus a bit more in drawing and ceramics:

Drawing Essentials

This is a 4-week class and is designed to cover a topic each week, participants can choose to take multiple weeks or drop in for a specific topic. While my drawing is very line based and focuses on telling simple and sometimes funny stories, I truly enjoy the challenges of teaching each of these topics. I also find them helpful for my drawing practice, and am often inspired to incorporate them into sketches and projects.

Oct 10: Line & Shape

Oct 17: Perspective & Space

Oct 24: Value & Depth

Oct 31: Composition

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Some things should not have wheels

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Can we go yet?

Drawing & Monotype Printmaking

This 4-week drawing class can be approached as an extension of basic drawing, although all levels are welcome. I have been working to incorporate printmaking into some of my work, especially the immediate form of monotype. Slicing up a roasted beet made a neat (although temporary) print on my cutting board. This quick technique can also be a springboard for mixed media drawings- start with a quick print, then work back into it with drawing. This is a truly tactile process, we will work with a variety of materials and will use a press as well as more basic techniques.

4 weeks, Tuesdays, 1 - 4 pm, November 7 - 28

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Glaze Chemistry 101

6 weeks, Oct 17 - Nov 21, Tuesdays 6 - 9pm

So, you are looking for a little more in the clay studio? Not super happy with your glaze options or applications? Wondering about the firing process? This is the class for you, a technical course designed to give a peek into the mystery of glazing and kiln firing. We will discuss and explore a variety of firing techniques, learn the basics of glaze materials, and create our own glazes and color variations.

Summer Classes

The summer class schedule is out at the Art Association! Here is a list of the classes I'll be teaching this summer:

Beginning Drawing Topics

May 24 - June 14 | Wednesdays | 1 - 4pm

An introduction and refresher to drawing skills for the artist who wishes to improve this basic skill set required to become an artist. Four weeks of innovative classical drawing instruction emphasizing observation and eye-hand coordination. Sign up for just one or all weeks!

May 24 - Line & Shape
May 31 - Perspective & Space
June 7 - Value & Depth
June 14 - Composition + Putting it All Together

Some things should not have wheels.

3D Drawing

August 9 - 30 | Wednesday | 1 - 4pm

Take mark making to a new level in this mixed media drawing class. Sometimes ideas are better expressed through a blend of drawing and sculpture. Contour drawing and shading techniques will combine with wire and shadow drawings to create interest through depth and atmospheric perspective. Make your drawings come to life and jump right off the page! Weeks are as follows:

August 9 - Line: wire objects
August 16 - Value & Texture: piercing, folding and manipulating paper
August 23 - Shape & Space: mobiles
August 30 - Composition: drawing with found objects

Where the ground meets the sky.

Pottery: Focused Topics

Friday | 2 - 4pm

Each session will address specific aspects in clay usage including: using tools, advanced hand building, troubleshooting your throwing, and discussing design and form. Take one class or all, the sessions are non-sequential. The aim of this class is to make you better at working with clay.

JUNE 16: Cylinder workshop (getting the cup form efficient)

 JUNE 30: Put a handle on mugs and pitchers

 JULY 7: Trimming - bowls and cylinders

 JULY 14: Plates & Wide Bowls

 JULY 21: Sgraffito - carving in color

JULY 28: Paddle, facet & small alterations - with wheel thrown ware

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To see a complete list of classes taught by me or Sam, visit the Events Page on our website.

Plus, if you are looking for a whole summer of ceramics, spaces are still available in my Beginning Ceramics Class for Central Wyoming College in Jackson! We will cover throwing on the wheel, hand building, surface techniques and different firing methods. You can take the class for credit or for audit. Class meets Wednesday & Fridays 8 - 10:30am, May 24 - August 4. To sign up contact CWC: jacksoninfo@cwc.edu or 307-733-7425

Spring Classes

I will be teaching in the next few months at the Art Association, these classes highlight my love for clay and drawing:

Beginning Drawing 

March 2 - 23 | Thursdays | 1 - 4pm

Learn the basics or brush up your skills in this intro to drawing class. We will address: line, shape, perspective, shading and composition. Get comfortable expressing yourself with line, funny or serious!  

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Did you see what they did to Frank?

Perpetual Drawing & Monotype Printmaking

April 6 - 27 | Thursdays | 1 - 4pm

Consider this a continuation of beginning drawing, all levels are welcome. Add depth and layers to your drawings by combining processes- monotypes are a way to create interesting one-of-a-kind images using ink and plexiglass. The end result will be layered drawings and exploring different ways to make marks.

Beginning Throwing

April 20 - May 25 | Thursdays | 9:30am - 12:30pm

You know you've always wanted to learn how to throw on the potter's wheel... so join me for this morning class! Learn how to make cups, bowls, pitchers and a little about surface design and glazing.

Putting handles on plastic spray bottles is not usually part of my curriculum... however, sometimes a demo needs to happen and the spray bottle steps up to be a willing subject:

Stay tuned for summer & fall classes! A few are already posted on our calendar