Your Own Centerpiece: Ceramic Vases with Tia Hill

In this beginner-friendly course, students will learn slab building techniques to create their own vases using simple tools and techniques; no potter’s wheel required. Students will learn the differences between soft slab construction and stiff/hard slab construction to construct their own forms and patterns. The course will focus on three different vase shapes: simple cylinder, teardrop, or angular.

Using the same slab building technique, students may also create small bud vases for singular flowers. Students will complete the course with a fully functional vase(s). While this is a beginner friendly course, more intermediate and advanced students may also join.

Students will learn how to:

• wedge clay

• roll out slabs using a rolling pin and wooden guides

• compress slabs using a rubber rib and/or paddles

• strengthen clay in order to reduce air bubbles, cracks, and warping during the drying process

• use PVC pipes to create cylinder vases

• cut out shapes using patterns templates made of cardboard or cardstock

• attach slabs using the “score and slip” process, where joined seams are either visible or invisible

• decorate vases with ribbon tool or clay texture rollers

• soften rims of vases using ribs and chimoy clothes on banding wheel

Materials: Please purchase a standard size wooden rolling pin and a beginners pottery tool kit. You do not need to purchase an extensive toolkit for this course, but please buy a kit which includes a metal rib, fettling knife, and scoring tool. Beginner kits are often very minimal but if you choose to continue pottery, the latter tools are incredibly helpful and you will likely need them later. If the metal rib, knife, and scoring tool are difficult to find, you can purchase a basic kit and buy these tools separately at Freeform Ceramics in National City, CA. Please bring a notebook/sketchbook and pen to class to keep track of wonderful ideas.

Max students: 12