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Teaching Workshop - "Thrown & Altered All Ways"


  • John C. Campbell Folk School Brasstown, NC (map)

Website: https://www.folkschool.org/

Let’s Go Off-Round! Working with Thrown and Altered Pottery Forms

Starting from wheel-thrown components, students will concentrate on the exploration of creating fluid and whimsical pottery vessels and teapots. Sue will present techniques including throwing components and a variety of ways to re-assemble them, adding your own flair as you explore the ‘altered’ side of pottery.

Putting process before product, the class will investigate construction methods using bottomless cylinders, thrown slabs, splicing-n-dicing, forms from multiple parts and more. This is also a perfect way to construct larger pieces. Participants will gain the skills and confidence to create more complex work in their own voice. Additional information on surface considerations and mark-making will be covered.

Class Title: Thrown & Altered All Ways Instructor: Sue Grier

From: October 8, 2017 To: October 14, 2017

Class Description:

Come explore altered surfaces and altered forms. This class will encourage students to utilize techniques that add gesture, personality and movement to wheel-thrown forms. Using basic thrown cylinders, students explore ways to combine elements thus creating more complex clay vessels. Forms explored - but not limited to - include cups/saucers, bowls, altered pitchers, vases and teapots. Work made the first few days may be glaze fired; otherwise bisque firing will be done.

Experience Level: Must be able to center, open up and pull an 8” cylinder.

Instructor Biography:

Sue Grier has been working in clay for +32 years in a wide variety of ways spanning production pottery to teaching at all levels. Sue attained her MFA from Clemson University in 2004 and taught there part-time for 6 years. Not quite a production potter any longer, she works full-time in the studio creating one-of-a-kind pieces, teapots and limited series. Sue was a presenter at the 2014 South Carolina Clay Conference and currently is a juried member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild.