6-week Beginner Wheel-Throwing
A beginner class totalling 12 hours of instruction over 6 weekly sessions, in a small group of no more than 5 students. No prior experience with clay is necessary.
This class is for someone looking for a guided introduction to the fundamentals of making pottery on the wheel. Your instructor will be nearby throwing simultaneously at their own wheel, guiding you step-by-step through the whole process. The small group size and intimate classroom arrangement will allow for lots of both individual attention and group learning.
The first 5 sessions will include in-depth instruction on the material properties of clay, how to center and shape it on the wheel, and the various tools used throughout the making process. Then, in the 6th session, we'll explore some basic glaze and firing science, and try our hand at glaze application. Instruction will come in the form of both hands-on demonstrations and discussion.
The fee includes unlimited clay, all required tools and materials, and the glazing and firing of four pots of your choosing. If you make more than four pots for keeping, an additional fee of $5-7 per pot, depending on size, can be paid in-person at the end of your second last class.
Classes are taught by Anna-Lise Schmidt, who has many years of experience as a potter and teacher. You'll find the instructor assigned to each class named in the drop-down menu when making your selection. In the case of illness, travel, or other unforeseen circumstances, you may have a substitute teaching one of your lessons.
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Practice Hours
Students are encouraged to use the classroom for practice during the two hours before their class time. Instruction will not be available during practice hours.
Cancellation Policy
If a cancellation is made at least 7 days from the class start date, store credit will be issued for the full value of the class. If a cancellation is made within the 7 days before the class start date, store credit will be issued for 50% of the value of the class.
Credit can be spent on either classes or pots and will not expire. Refunds are not available.
Accessibility
Please note that the studio is located on the lower lever of an old building and is unfortunately only accessible by stair.
INSTRUCTORS
Anna-Lise is drawn to clay as a medium because of its multifaceted process, from designing and testing to the physical preparation and forming. Her work explores mark making, repetition and pattern, and the way it interacts with form. She graduated from Emily Carr University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2013, and has been teaching in studios across Calgary ever since.
Kate is a big fan of the details and loves getting lost in precision work. When teaching, she works to find just the right words to convey the subtleties of timing and movement that wheel-throwing requires, and gets a thrill from seeing her students' eyes widen with sudden understanding. She began practicing wheel-throwing in 2009, and teaching in 2019.
Shelby appreciates the ephemeral nature of clay in its raw form and its ability to transform into durable, long-lasting artworks during the alchemy that occurs in the kiln. She graduated with a Master of Fine Art in Studio Art from the University of Connecticut in 2021, where she later also taught, and is currently a Sessional Instructor in Sculpture at the University of Calgary.