Washington Street Studios provides an affordable, fully equipped studio space for artists to share their creative energy and knowledge in an environment designed to support the creative process.
We also offer weekly, year-round community pottery classes for all skill levels, welcoming everyone to explore, learn, and create with clay.
Workshop title: The Functional Pot; Tips, Tools & Techniques
A demonstration workshop with Bill van Gilder
Workshop is Sold Out
Every potter has a list of WHAT they want to make. HOW to make it, is often the question.
During this two-day, information-loaded, demo-workshop some 50+ making techniques will be demonstrated in answer to these ‘how-to’ questions; techniques participants will want to use and adjust to fit their own future work. Short cuts, tips and tool-use at the wheel will be shared through demo after demo.
Hand-building functional forms will be the focus during part of the demonstrations as requested, defining projects and techniques for hand-builders.
“Throughout 50+ yrs. of making functional pots, I’ve collected hundreds of making techniques used to make specific pots, both wheel-thrown and hand-built;”
Demonstrated techniques at the wheel will include:
- Efficient hand positions for throwing
- Simple tools and their use
- Lid arrangements and form
- Spout, rim and lip making and proportions
- Trimming and foot finishing possibilities
- Faceting and fluting as decoration
- Handles and lugs; pulled and hand built
- Making bottle forms; collaring techniques
- Making dinnerware; throwing and trimming
- Making squared and oval baking ware
- Wet, thick slip decoration
- And much more…
A sampling of forms to be demonstrated;
- Open and lidded casseroles
- Pitcher and pouring pots
- Cups and mugs
- Bowl forms
- Dinnerware
- Bottle forms
Hand-building demonstrations may include;
- Slumped oval slab platter making
- Humped squared plate making
- Foot attachment possibilities; slab, sprigged & coiled
- Textured decoration; wet slip, pressed, and resisted textures
Participants are welcome to take photos, and videos for their own use and are encouraged to bring a notebook.
A discussion about glazes will take place during the workshop, as requested. My
^6 oxidation, ^8-9-10 gas, and salt/soda wood-firing slips & glaze recipe sheets will be provided to each participant.
Workshops may include a 1 to 2 hr. slide/lecture during the evening hours prior to the start of a weekend workshop. Or, a slide/lecture may be incorporated into a daytime program schedule, as requested.
A selection of my potter’s hand-tools (van Gilder ClayTools) and a sampling of my current work are made available for participant purchase.
Participants have the option to purchase lunch, delivered , from Pump and Rye for one or both days..