Lodging Offered

This immersive workshop introduces participants to essential handbuilding techniques: slab, coil, and bisque molds, while offering an opportunity to load, fire, and finish work in The Bascom’s soda kiln. Students will create functional forms in stoneware and may also bring pre-bisque fired cone 10 stoneware or porcelain pieces to glaze, decorate, and fire. Instruction will cover glazing methods, the use of flashing slips, kiln loading, and the firing process, with participants actively involved in soda introduction and kiln management. The final session includes unloading and discussion of results, along with an exploration of soda kiln design for those interested.

In this immersive three-day workshop, Natasha Dikareva guides participants through the creation of mythic totems and fantastical ceramic figures that draw on mythology, contemporary culture, and imaginative storytelling. Through demonstrations and hands-on practice, participants will explore clay hand-building techniques for constructing dynamic figurative and totemic forms, with an emphasis on narrative, proportion, gesture, and texture.

This workshop explores the creation of expressive, slightly larger-than-life ceramic heads that prioritize gesture, exaggeration, and surface over literal realism. Participants will work solid and with armatures while developing an understanding of structure, proportion, and intentional distortion. The course begins with a low-fire soda kiln experience, allowing participants to explore atmospheric surface effects that will inform their sculptural work. Designed for artists ready to push beyond safe forms, this workshop emphasizes focused making, problem-solving, and guided experimentation.

This hands-on workshop begins with a simple bowl or cone form. Students will explore techniques to alter the shape and surface. By creating free - form pieces, we will refine the shapes with sculptural embellishments. This class is designed to expand each student’s decorative skills while having fun at the same time. Students should bring their creative energy, and their favorite carving and texturing tools. The instructor will provide a variety of hump molds and cones to begin our project and finish with interesting and exciting pieces that reflect each student’s personality.