A One-Day Polymer Clay Workshop, Plus An Additional Handbuilding Class, Back By Popular Demand!
We are adding more handbuilding and branching out into polymer clay! Our first-ever one-day workshop, An Introduction to Polymer Clay – Make an Inspirational Desk Friend, is scheduled for Saturday, October 26, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 noon. Come join local artist Lainie Mabbitt of Second Stories Art, our newest instructor, for tea and cookies and a chance to make a one-of-a-kind gift. we have decided to add one more session of our super-popular five-week Introduction to Handbuilding. This one is scheduled to run on Monday evenings, October 14–Nov. 18, 6:00–8:30 pm (with a break the week of Nov. 11, Veterans' Day). Join our very own founder, Cary Dahl, to explore some of the essential techniques of handbuilding, making several unique functional pieces to take home (or give as gifts this holiday season).
Staunton is gearing up for a magical weekend, and we are kicking off a fabulous fall! We are adding more handbuilding and branching out into polymer clay, so hold on to your hats and keep on reading!
A welcoming polymer clay “Desk Buddy!” by local artist and our newest instructor, Lainie Mabbitt
Our first-ever one-day workshop, An Introduction to Polymer Clay – Make an Inspirational Desk Friend, is scheduled for Saturday, October 26, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 noon.
Come join local artist Lainie Mabbitt of Second Stories Art, our newest instructor, for tea and cookies and a chance to make a one-of-a-kind gift, a “Desk Buddy” to brighten your desk or the desk of someone you love!
In this 3-hour workshop for adults aged 14 and up, we’ll talk about the benefits and fun of using polymer clay.
You will practice techniques to create realistic faces and use your new skill to craft a character for your desk who holds an inspirational sign of your choosing.
Back in the realm of longer-form workshops, we had originally scheduled two handbuilding classes this autumn, but they both sold out before August was even over! So we have decided to add one more session of our super-popular five-week Introduction to Handbuilding. This one is scheduled to run on Monday evenings, October 14–Nov. 18, 6:00–8:30 pm (with a break the week of Nov. 11, Veterans' Day).
So much to explore! So much fun playing!
Join our very own founder, Cary Dahl, to explore some of the essential techniques of handbuilding, making several unique functional pieces to take home (or give as gifts this holiday season). You will build confidence working with both soft and leather-hard clay, and explore a variety of surface texturing techniques. Projects will include a set of small plates, a birdbath with bird sculpture, an angular vase, and a mug (all food, oven, microwave and dishwasher safe).
Is that all? Not by a long shot! We are putting the final touches on a couple more holiday-themed workshops that will be taking place in late November and early December, so keep watching this space!
Meanwhile, if you are in the Queen City, have a magical (and mischievous) weekend!
Last Evening Handbuilding In “Intro To Clay”
Students and teachers had fun working on slab-built boxes and putting some final touches on previous coil and hand-sculpting projects, wrapping up the first half of this spring's "Intro to Clay" class. This concludes are whistle-stop tour of some basic handbuilding techniques. Starting next week, it’s on to the pottery wheel!
Yesterday evening we all (teachers included!) had a great time putting some finishing touches on all of the handbuilding projects we’ve been working on since our “Intro to Clay” class started two weeks ago. Here are some highlights from last night’s class! Rest up, kids, because next week we move on and take a spin on the pottery wheel. Can’t wait!
Just a few highlights from our class, where we worked on wrapping up some handbuilding projects, including plates made using hand-rolled slabs, textured boxes cut from slabs we learned to make on the slab rolling machine, some coil-built bowls and hand-sculpted animals. Thank you to @octobergracemedia for the amazing photos!
Stay tuned next week for pics from our first wheel-throwing class on Monday! And if you missed the earlier post about this “Intro to Clay” class, you can check it out here.
Plenty Of Fun In Our First "Introduction To Clay" Class… And More Workshops Starting Soon!
The Staunton Clayground “Introduction to Clay” class delves into using the pinch-pot technique to make animal figurines in their third session. Everybody’s been having fun learning basic handbuilding skills, and they’ll be starting on wheel-throwing next week. More workshops and classes are starting in May, with spots still available. It’s claytime!
Hello everybody! It’s been a busy last several days at the Staunton Clayground since our Open House.
Feathered friend in the works (photo by @octobergracemedia)
On Monday, just two days our Open House, we kicked off our very first “Introduction to Clay” class. This is a 5-week course covering basic pottery techniques, and the first half of it, taught by Cary, covers basic handbuilding techniques.
A bird begins to take form (photo by @octobergracemedia)
So far, we’ve had an intro to hand-rolled slab building and coil building, as well as learning the fundamentals of using a slab rolling machine, but yesterday evening, during the third class, everyone had a lot of fun getting into kid mode and using simple pinch-pot skills to make animal figurines.
Fancy about to take flight! (photo by @octobergracemedia)
The odd whale out!
We’ll be continuing work on these later this week, as well as moving along with our other projects. We’ll have more fun photos for you soon!
(photo by @octobergracemedia)
Meanwhile, if the idea of handbuilding tickles your fancy, we’ve got a couple of fun workshops starting in May, and still have a few spots available in each! Check them out on our Classes, Course & Workshops page.
Spots still available!
In addition to prepping to teach the second, wheel-throwing portion of the Introduction to Clay course, Jennifer has also been busily waxing and glazing everyone’s garden stakes, which will be fired very soon! As soon as we know when they’ll be out of the kiln, we’ll plan an “Open Door” day for you to come and pick them up (or just to come and visit and tour the studio, if you didn’t have a chance to make it to the Open House).
Stay tuned for news!