Jim Ransom shows how bottle forms are a versatile foundation for many applications. He’ll demonstrate on the wheel how to manage your clay to achieve a good bottle neck. Then, based on the interests of the class, he’ll show how to take that bottle in different directions. It could become an olive oil bottle, a lamp base, or a magic genie teapot. This is a beginner-plus workshop; students should be able to pull an even cylinder from 2-3 lbs of clay. Bring your own clay and your throwing tools to make a couple bottles with expert coaching or bring your camera to video Jim’s demo.
March 14, 2025 There are no spaces available at this time.
$25.00
Out of stock
Here kitty kitty! This 2-part workshop is a purrfect introduction to clay for beginners, and you’ll end up with the cutest new zero-maintenance pet. Instructor Ann Coskey-Wasserman will show you how to turn a slab of moist clay into a kitty figure or a cat-shaped mini-planter. You’ll learn how to cut shapes out of clay, decorate them with texture, and assemble them into a 3-dimensional sculpture. A week later, after your pieces have been fired in a kiln, you’ll return to glaze them for their second firing. Pick up your finished pieces in early April. No experience necessary; all clay, tools, glazes and firing included.
March 19, 2025 There are no spaces available at this time.
$25.00
Out of stock
Ancient tribes decorated their pots with slip for centuries before glaze was invented. Now we can take slips in exciting new directions. Fred Hamann will demonstrate several ways that slips can create exciting texture and color patterns. Learn about Slip trailing, Scraffito (carving through slip to reveal clay beneath) and various texture techniques to give your glaze something to talk about. Bring 2 or 3 freshly made or leather-hard pots (hand or wheel-built) to try this out. Fred will provide coaching. Slips made from white porcelain, red clay, local clay, as well as colored slips will be provided for use during the workshop.
Whether you’re a total beginner or a seasoned artist, this workshop is all about getting creative, playing with clay, and making something uniquely yours. You’ll get a slab of clay. Andrea Misbach will show you ways to texture and decorate it to your heart’s content and form it into a mug—and yes, it will be fully functional for your morning coffee or tea! You’ll pick out a glaze and we will do the rest. When it is all finished being glazed and fired, which takes a couple of weeks, we will call you to come pick up your masterpiece. Come get your hands dirty, have some laughs, make a mug and maybe even some new friends.
November 16, 2024 There are no spaces available at this time.
$90.00
Out of stock
In this three-session workshop, join instructor Doug Dacar to design and craft your own unique ornaments. WAC will bisque fire your pieces, then you’ll glaze and Raku fire them, creating beautiful, one-of-a-kind decorations. Take home ornaments perfect for gifting or adding a personal touch to your holiday decor!
March 23, 2025 There are no spaces available at this time.
$100.00
Out of stock
Class Schedule: Sunday, March 23, 1pm-5pm* Class may run over briefly for some students depending on their individual pace*
Class Description: In this 4 hour class, you will learn how to use the Tiffany method of foiling, gain guided experience with soldering technique, learn how to frame with lead came, and how to properly clean and polish stained glass. Each student will receive and work with a pre-cut and ground glass kit of the design pictured. All materials are included.
At the beginning of class, we will cover best safety practices working with stained glass, and briefly cover the tools and materials you will be using before diving in.
Instructor Bio: William Reichle is a stained glass artist and traveling instructor. He has introduced over 600 people to the joy of creating with stained glass through his satellite workshops. He looks forward to continuing sharing his passion for this craft with more people and empowering others to create with this captivating medium.
Monday March 17 5:00 to 8:30, AND Wednesday March 19 6:00 – 7:00
Participants will receive a bisque-ware drum made by Instructor Jim Ransom. On the first day of the workshop, you’ll glaze your drum then watch it get pulled red-hot from the kiln and immersed in woodchips, smoke and flames. When it cools, you’ll attach the leather drumhead. Two days later, return for a shorter session to finish the drum and try it out. All materials to complete a drum will be provided as well as a demonstration on throwing a drum barrel. For raku-fire safety, wear non-synthetic clothes and closed-toe shoes; KN95 masks will be available for the smoke.
March 18, 2025 There are no spaces available at this time.
$75.00
Out of stock
This is your chance to experience the dynamic art of raku firing outside of an 8-week class. Doug Dacar will explain glaze choices and special effects, then you’ll jump right in to glazing while the kilns warm up. Your pieces will be placed in the kiln and heated to orange-hot 1850 degrees. You’ll watch as each piece is carefully pulled out and quenched in a metal can of wood chips or other carbon source. Dramatic smoke and flames lead to fascinating effects including metallic shine and crackle. Bring your own Bisque-ware or purchase pieces ready to glaze for $5-10. The price of the workshop includes glazing and firing up to three six-inch cubes of pottery volume. If you like, bring an extra pot in case there is time to fire more, for an extra $10.
For raku-fire safety, wear non-synthetic clothes and closed-toe shoes; KN95 masks will be available or you can bring your own.
August 15, 2024 There are no spaces available at this time.
$75.00
Out of stock
BYOB – Bring your own Bisqueware!
Bring pots that have already gone through a bisque kiln.
Bring four small to medium-sized bisque vessels per person. (Small equals 4” high or smaller/ Medium equals up to 7” high. Larger than this counts for two pieces.) Additional pots can be fired only if we are under-registered and there is extra space in the kiln. Firing these extra pieces will cost $10 each, which you can pay at the monitor desk during the workshop.
Raku Workshop Participation: We start glazing at 6 p.m. The cut-off time to glaze is at 7 p.m.. After glazing, we will fire the kiln until all the work is done – usually around 2-3 hours after the start time. Glazes provided.
Your instructor will advise and assist you through the process.
March 12, 2025 There are no spaces available at this time.
$25.00
Out of stock
Celebrate spring and learn how to sculpt figures in clay with this two-part beginners workshop. Instructor Ann Coskey-Wasserman will demonstrate how to use slabs of clay and texture mats or rollers to create delightful little clay chickens and lambs. You’ll receive expert coaching to build and personalize your critters. Return a week later for session 2, to apply colorful and shiny glazes. Then your work is done! The staff will fire the pieces and they will be ready to go home with you in early April. No experience necessary; all clay, tools, glazes and firing included.
March 27, 2023 There are no spaces available at this time.
$45.00
Out of stock
Do you ever get back bisqued items and have no idea how you should glaze them? Next time you trim a pot, don’t let it dry out! Wrap it in plastic and bring it to my workshop…
This is a two-day, two-week workshop that ‘scratches the surface’ of the many ways one can modify clay items in that fleeting leather-hard moment after trimming, before they become bone-dry and have to be bisqued.
With an emphasis on carving, we will explore effects of different clay bodies, stains, slips, and carving tools. We will also spend some time thinking about how texture operates on positive and negative space in figurative and abstract carving, how different clay bodies and dryness’ lend themselves to different kinds of line, and imagining forward to glazing during the process of carving.
The second week we will glaze everything we carved the first week and think about how different glazes work with slips and stains. Although I will provide a variety of leather-hard pieces for you to work with, everyone is strongly encouraged to bring their own work to play with. Said work should be somewhere between swiss cheese and bone dry.
Glaze and firing included. Limited to 10 students age 14 years & up.
$40 for 2 day workshop
Class meets twice from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Monday March 27 and Monday April 3.
May 30, 2024 There are no spaces available at this time.
$20.00
Out of stock
Six ways to handle a mug!
Students will learn how to make hand-built, pulled and loop tool handles. Explore fit and ergonomics of handles. How to attach handles.
Bring the most comfortable mug from your kitchen for group discussion or ergonomics, function and aesthetics. Students will practice making multiple handles (clay provided), then attach one to a leather-hard mug provided by instructor.
Materials are provided. Limited to 10 students age 18 years and older.
$20 for 1 day. Workshop proceeds support Willamette Art Center’s scholarship fund.
June 22, 2024 There are no spaces available at this time.
$90.00
Out of stock
In this two-session workshop, you will create with clay and make music. Jim will take you on a musical journey. In the first session, you will make two types of whistles. Jim provides tips, insightful guidance and detailed handouts. You will learn simple tool making and ways to tune your musical instrument. During the second session, Jim will share more complex techniques and flute building will be covered and techniques for glazing. Materials are provided, bisque and glaze firing are included.
September 28, 2024 There are no spaces available at this time.
$130.00
Out of stock
Make a drum! Participants will receive a bisqueware drum. They will glaze and raku fire the drum then attach the drumhead during the first day of the workshop. The second day will involve finishing the drum and trying it out. All materials to complete a drum will be provided as well as a demonstration on throwing a drum barrel.
Limited to 8 students age 16 years & up.
$130 for 2 day workshop
Saturday September 28. 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. & Saturday October 5. 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
January 21, 2025 There are no spaces available at this time.
$25.00
Out of stock
Bring a bisqued pot and firing ticket, or just watch and learn! This is a beginner-level overview, perfect for studio pass users who haven’t had a recent class at the WAC. Learn about our different kinds of glazes at the WAC and how to avoid common glaze flaws. We will demonstrate application methods for bowls and mugs, and show finished examples of the good, the bad, & the ugly. There will be time for Q&A and coaching as you glaze the piece you brought. Instructor Dana Field is a retired botanist and perennial student of clay off and on since 1984.
Skills
The different kinds of glaze: high fire, mid-range, and raku.
Temperature range and fit to clay body.
What is glaze made of: glass former, stabilizer, colorant
Health and safety: hazards of silica and metal oxides, methods to avoid exposure and minimize dust, wet-wipe all spills, use gloves.
Why glaze needs to be stirred thoroughly before each use
Why & how to avoid cross-contamination between glaze buckets
Methods
How to apply glaze: brushing, dipping and pouring
Demonstrate use of wax, selection & care of brushes
How to use and clean whisks, tongs, measuring cups
How to dip or pour glaze onto different shapes – plate, bowl, cylinder
Layering glazes – behavior of matte and shiny glazes, risk of running, experimenting safely
How to avoid common glaze challenges:
Avoid drips, chips, bald spots, pinholes, running, crawling.
How much glaze is enough, and how much is too much.
How to work with glazes that run (interior of bowls, rims only)
Use of cookies to avoid damage to pots and kiln shelves.
Considerations of pot bottom shapes (feet) for ease of glazing and aesthetics
