Ceramics

Our Ceramics Department is one of the oldest and most well established departments at Southwest School of Art and serves nearly 500 adult students each year in a positive, creative, community atmosphere. The ceramics program offers classes on hand-building, wheel-throwing, raku, glazing, digital embellishments and much more. Students also have the opportunity to participate and learn from visiting artists during workshops that are offered frequently throughout the year.

Ceramics Note

Students registering for ceramic classes should be physically capable of lifting up to 25 lbs. Intermediate and advanced students will be required to spend time outside of the scheduled class period to load, fire, and unload kilns (under appropriate supervision). Currently, students registered for an in-person studio ceramic class will only be allowed practice time on the same day their class is scheduled on. Open studio hours will not be available at this time. Students registered for online classes will have assigned times to drop-off and pick-up work from firing as well as for in studio glazing.

Ceramics Material List

Materials List

Classes not listed here will either have required materials in the class description, discuss needed materials during the first class, or the materials will be supplied.

Course details (meeting times, tuition, etc.) are listed below.

Spring 2022 Ceramics Course Descriptions

These are the course descriptions only.

1001a | Introduction to Throwing

This class will focus on the basic skills of wheel throwing-centering, opening, and pulling vessels-followed by learning how to form bowls, cylinders, and cups. Students will also learn to evaluate form and how form serves a vessel's function while working in mid-range clay and glazes in the electric kiln. See *CERAMIC NOTE.

1001b | Introduction to Throwing

1001c | Introduction to Throwing

1001d | Introduction to Throwing

1002 | Beginning Handbuilding

Fundamental handbuilding skills and techniques will be covered, including pinch pots, coil building, and slab construction with focus on fun, artful, and utilitarian forms as well as surface techniques to add decorative elements to make the work truly one-of-a-kind. The class will work in low-fire terracotta clay and glazes and students will learn how to use these materials for the purpose of handbuilding. See *CERAMIC NOTE.

1030a | Throwing Skills

Expand and refine your throwing skills through the forming of bowls, cups, lids, pitchers, and the assemblage of two-part forms. Presentations and discussion will cover how to integrate form with function. This class will use high-fire Balcones clay and gas fired reduction glazes. See *CERAMIC NOTE. Prerequisite: Students should have completed at least two Introductory to Wheelthrowing courses.

1030b | Throwing Skills

1038 | Introduction to Tile Making

Learn to design and execute your own ceramic tiles! The principles and elements of design such as line, shape, form, balance, negative space, and depth will be discussed through lectures and studio practice. Tiles will be produced using mid-range stoneware clay, which will be fired using cone 6 glazes in an electric kiln. Tools and clay will be available for purchase from the studio. Prerequisite: Students must have completed a minimum of one introduction to handbuilding or wheelthrowing course. Tuition covers glaze materials and kiln firing; however, students should anticipate additional fees for clay, specific glazes, and some tools. See *CERAMIC NOTE.

1066 | Sculptural Handbuilding

Level: Beginning/Intermediate | Instructor: Cecilia Castro-Hancock & Andy Bally
Dates: Wed, 1/19/2022 to 3/23/2022 | 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Studio: Handbuilding Studio | Building: McAllister Building
Tuition: $295.00 | Friends: $280.00 | Sessions: 10

A Tree of Life or Árbol de la Vida is a narratively themed clay sculpture, traditional to central Mexico, which often depicts Biblical and indigenous mythology stories. Trees will be formed, nine to 18-inches tall, and then sculpted imagery will be added. Castro-Hancock will lead the class in developing a narrative using traditional imagery and Bally will work with students wishing to create a more contemporary theme. Various handbuilding methods from use of the extruder and slab roller to sprig molds will be covered, as well as various types of adhesives and options for alternative cold finishes. A low-fire grog clay body, along with low-temperature, cone 05 glazes and underglazes for a bright color palette will be used. Prerequisite: Students must have completed a minimum of two introduction to handbuilding courses. Tuition covers glaze materials and kiln firing; however, students should anticipate additional fees for clay, specific glazes, and some tools. See *CERAMIC NOTE.

1121 | Glazing Techniques

Glazing should take more time and consideration than you think! This class will focus on a form's glazed surface and the many application techniques that may be used-from wax resist, glaze spraying applications, to layering of glazes. Experimentation and persistence in glazing will be the goal of this class allowing an understanding of how cone 10 glazes work in the high-fire gas kiln. Work from a series of small handbuilt or thrown forms and progress to larger forms as you experiment. The instructor will work with each student to assist in fruition of their personal ideas. Prerequisite: Students must have completed at least two beginning level wheelthrowing or handbuilding classes. See *CERAMIC NOTE.

Ceramics

Ceramics Note

Ceramics Material List

Spring 2022 Ceramics Course Descriptions

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