Discover the art of soda firing in this hands-on workshop with Ben Owen III. Participants will glaze and fire their pieces, explore surface techniques like flashing slips and brushwork, and assist with kiln adjustments. Time in the studio will focus on wheel-throwing, shaping, and assembling functional and decorative pottery, with insights into Ben’s design philosophy and the traditions of Seagrove, NC. Bring 10-20 small to medium bisque-fired pots to participate.

Artists will have the opportunity to learn the long-loved medium of Needle Felting! If you’re a novice or a budding professional artist, all are welcome to learn a new technique and experience the peace and joy of Needlefelting!

Strengthen your perceptual and painting skills with focused exercises in color, composition, and paint application. This class, designed for experienced painters, combines direct observation, still-life setups, and group critiques to refine your unique style. Suitable for acrylic and oil painters.

In this class we will use the slab machine and/or the potter’s wheel to make various shapes that will be stacked together on a metal pole/rebar for either garden art or inside your home. Students will need to source their own rebar and mounting base/block before class and have it ready on the first day of class. Various hand building techniques will be demonstrated as well as student created templates and studio forms used to construct shapes. Students need to bring resource materials for inspiration such as pictures, sketches, etc.

Class Meets:

August 4th-7th and 13th

Combine classical landscape painting techniques with principles of abstraction to push beyond the basics. This workshop explores mark-making, color theory, and composition while experimenting with mediums like Cold Wax and Galkyd for texture and layering. Includes demos, discussions, and one-on-one guidance.

Learn practical techniques to achieve a more painterly, expressive style. Through demonstrations, exercises, and a "paint along," explore methods to loosen up your approach. Apply these skills to create a fresh interpretation of one of your own past paintings. Suitable for oils or acrylics.

Students will make beautiful and useful turnings using the three basic cuts of woodturning with gouges. We will begin in “spindle orientation” by turning a mallet, a tool handle, a goblet, and a twig pot. Then we plan to turn at least  two bowls, one with a round top and one with a natural edge. We will practice safe technique at the lathe as we also learn to sharpen the gouges.

Join ceramic sculptors Thaddeus Erdahl and Beau Raymond for a hands-on workshop exploring dynamic glazes, slips, and finishes. Learn to layer vibrant colors, carve and sand surfaces, and apply polychromatic cold finishes to bring your ceramic work to life. Open to all skill levels, this workshop offers expert guidance and experimentation, leaving you with custom test tiles and new techniques to inspire your future projects.

Class Schedule: 9 AM–Noon & 1 PM–4 PM

In this class you will learn to create realistic flowers in clay to adorn wall pocket vases. In addition to the wall pockets, each student will receive one thrown greenware vase to decorate using the techniques discussed. Students will make a all packet vase and get one greenware vase to apply clay flowers to on August 27th and glaze their creations on September 3rd. 

Class Schedule: 10 AM–Noon