This is a 3-day hands-on cone 6 electric glaze testing workshop which is designed to show students how to test a base recipe and get various colors. On Friday we will be preparing test tiles with a base glaze and ten colorant variations. We will fire on Saturday in the cone 6 electric kiln and then on Sunday we will discuss the results when they are unloaded from the kiln. The workshop will also be a general overview of ceramic glazes, focusing on cone 6 glazes, reduction and oxidation. We will discuss cones, kilns, firing dynamics and principles as well as applying those principles to various firing cycles. This will lead us into some basic classifications of glazes, like ash, celadon, temmoku, etc.

View Schedules

Print Supply List

Let's gaze together into our crystal ball together to examine the mysteries of crystalline glazes... and discover that there is no magic.

Crystalline glazes are wondrous to observe but challenging to make, but they aren't magic, they are chemistry. We will dive into exploring how and why crystalline glazes actual work, testing new and interesting glazes, and look into what we still can discover about these amazing glazes.

Matt Katz has a BFA from Alfred University and a MFA from CU-Boulder. In addition to his training in the arts, for 15 years Matt has worked as a research scientist in the ceramic engineering department at Alfred. Matt teaches ceramic materials to artists for Alfred University, as well as Harvard University, The Herron School of Art, Montana State University and many other schools. In his time Matt has dedicated himself to unveiling the myths and mysteries of glazes.

View Schedules

Ceramic paper clay artist Cory McCrory is taking clay to the wall! Whether you enjoy fin to feather or human to housing, learn about ceramic paper clay while building a piece for your wall. Bring your sketchbook with a few ideas to get a jump on engineering the building of a lightweight and steady sculpture. Make your sculpture as simple or detailed as you like (more detail means longer work). Short on ideas? Cory will have a few to get you started. We will also learn to use high temp wire for decorative accents. Included in this workshop is a demo of how to make your own small batch of paper clay. We will cover how to store your paper clay for short term or long term. Also a discussion of how Cory decorates and glazes with underglaze and wash. And finally, tips on supporting and firing more complicated wall pieces.

View Schedules