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Clay Classes in Portland
Click for
info about
these classes: |
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Wheel and Handbuilding Classes
All of our eight-week classes have a maximum of 12 students.
Call 503.283.1353 to sign up: no online class registration.
| Registration for the October- December classes
opens 9/17/25 at 2pm!
click HERE to get the flyer, or click on the Georgies logo
to find it on our home page |
Welcome to Georgies' Community Classroom! It's a place to learn and explore this ancient craft while you also explore your personal expression and possibly make a friend or two.
Georgies offers adult (18 & over) clay classes which focus on two specific clay forming skills: throwing on the potter's wheel and hand-building techniques. While watching an experienced potter, it looks so easy, but clay work is actually a blend of art and learned skill. Our eight-week series classes are designed for both beginning and continuing students. It's rare that any beginning class will have only novice students as it takes multiple sessions to form the skill to be able to accomplish many of the steps that go into a finished glazed piece.
For most of Georgies' employees and instructors, clay and its many facets are a lifetime pursuit. There are endless ways to form the clay and decorate the surface. Explore form, function, texture, color, and design. An eight-week class is a freckle in time: it may be something you want to explore further but it won't be enough time to become a master potter or make all your Christmas presents if you have never worked in clay before.
Open studio times are uninstructed, but valuable
in developing the skills you are learning in your class.
Beginning Wheel
Beginning wheel classes focus on the primary skill of working on the potter's wheel.
These skills are centering clay, learning to control this spinning long to raise the walls
in both a vertical matter to form a mug, and pulling it out to form bowl shapes. Completing these forms requires another skill that is explored, and that is trimming. Glazing is
addressed in the simplest method, by dipping with a wide variety of Georgies cone 6 glazes.
Beginning students can expect to complete several small (cereal-size) bowls and a
mug or two (though perhaps not to perfection!). Continuing students will be able
to explore these basic forms further, and expand their scale with greater control
to larger bowls and more complex cylindrical forms.
The more time you spend in open studio, the faster you will develop your skills and control. Many students repeat a class simply because it fits their schedule.
We keep our wheel classes small with 12 students per class session,
so you are guaranteed a wheel in your class.
Tool Supply List you can purchase separately or we have a kits available
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Click the thumbnails for larger images of these class projects:
| Mondays, 10am - Noon |
Augsust 25 -
October 13 |
Wil Labelle |
SEL255
$350** |
3
seat available |
October 20 -
December 8
|
Wil Labelle |
SEL262
$375 |
12
seat available |
| Tuesdays, 10am - 12pm |
Augsust 26 -
October 14 |
Wil Labelle |
SEL257
$375 |
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October 21 -
December 9 |
Wil Labelle |
SEL264
$375 |
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| Tuesdays, 6pm - 8pm |
Augsust 26 -
October 14 |
Megan Sedita |
SEL258
$375 |
FULL |
October 21 -
December 9 |
Megan Sedita |
SEL265
$375 |
12
seat available |
| Thursdays, 6pm - 8pm |
Augsust 28 -
October 16 |
Eli Pilkington |
SEL261
$375 |
FULL |
October 23 -
December 11 |
Eli Pilkington |
SEL268
$350** |
12
seat available |
** 7 week class above - will not meet on Thanksgiving Day - November 27, 2025 ** |
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Click here to see "The Fine Print" for clay classes at Georgies. |
Intermediate Wheel
Intermediate wheel classes are open to all students who were proficient on the
wheel, able to center and throw both bowls and mugs without further instruction.
This class explores more advanced wheel forms, like covered and lidded pots,
teapots, altered forms, and incorporating elements of handbuilding with wheel-
thrown work. The intermediate class is also able to explore more advanced glaze
techniques, making use of wax resist design as well as decorative painting.
Click the thumbnails for larger images of these class projects:
| Wednesdays, 6pm - 8pm |
Augsust 27 -
October 15 |
Eli Pilkington |
SEL259
$375 |
FULL |
October 22 -
December 10 |
Eli Pilkington |
SEL266
$375 |
12
seat available |
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Click here to see "The Fine Print" for classes at Georgies. |
Handbuilding
Hand-building is often the best place to start your clay experience. Hand building
explores many popular methods of clay forming including slab building, pinch pots,
and building with coils. By touching and forming clay with these simple unaided
methods, you learn the fundamentals of joining clay into cohesive forms. Our hand-
building class is open to beginning and continuing students. When we present a
specific technique, such as 'soft slab' work, we introduce it with a specific project
that teaches the skills needed for that type of work. As you begin to develop your skills,
you are able to bring your ideas to fruition. Again, basic glazing skills are explored.
Click the thumbnails for larger images of these class projects:
Augsust 25 -
October 13 |
Stephanie Burton |
SEL256
$350** |
cancelled |
October 20 -
December 8 |
Stephanie Burton |
SEL263
$375 |
12
seat available |
| Thursdays, 10am - Noon |
Augsust 28 -
October 16 |
Stephanie Burton |
SEL260
$375 |
2
seat available |
October 23 -
December 11 |
Stephanie Burton |
SEL267
$350** |
12
seat available |
** 7 week class above - will not meet on Thanksgiving Day - November 27, 2025 ** |
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Click here to see "The Fine Print" for clay classes at Georgies. |
Firing Your Electric Kiln
Whether your kiln is new or used, computerized or manual, we will cover it all.
Learn the nuts and bolts of firing, and how to operate and maintain your electric kiln
for optimum results to achieve ceramic success with the proper firing. Questions
about
firing glass are welcome, but the class focuses on firing clay. Bring your
notepads and questions! Your fee includes a booklet which covers a wide range
of firing information that you can use for later reference. You can take the class
again, at no charge, as often as needed, once you pay for the first class.
| Thursdays, 9:30am - 12pm |
September 18, 2025 |
Karen Wise |
SEL744
$35 |
FULL |
October 16 , 2025 |
Karen Wise |
SEL745
$35 |
8
seats available |
November 20 , 2025 |
Karen Wise |
SEL746
$35 |
12
seats available |
December 18 , 2025 |
Karen Wise |
SEL747
$35 |
12
seats available |
Student Discount
Policy ...
We will offer students a discount with a current school ID card, current school
email with proof of enrollment, or if you are in a current Georgies class session.
Please let us know when you check out if you are a student and show us your student
ID card or school email. Unfortunately, we can not offer a discount if an ID card/school email is not present.
This discount does not extend to memberships to private studios. |
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The FINE PRINT for 8-week clay classes:
If you need a registration confirmation e-mail, please request one when signing up for the class. We charge your non- refundable $50 deposit the day you sign up and bill the remainder of the class one week before the first class session. If you choose to pay by cash or check, please arrange payment with Georgies phone staff prior to the day that credit cards will be charged (please get the name of person you talked to at Georgies if you choose to pay by cash). If we do not receive your cash payment by the time and date payment is due you will automatically be cancelled out of the class. Call or email us as soon as possible if you have to cancel your registration. If you cancel after the date of final payment, we are unable to refund your entire class registration.
The fee for our clay classes includes Georgies classroom clay, use of Georgies glazes on your projects, 5 hours of open studio time to practice between class sessions (during store hours and when another class is not using the studio space), and firing your classroom work. Cone 06 LOWFIRE CLAYS are NOT ALLOWED in our classroom area for any reason. No other clay/glaze is allowed in the classroom we provide everything.
Once the class has started: there are no cancellations (no refunds for your class fee), switching classes (i.e. moving from Monday AM to Tuesday AM), transferring class fee to another session, no make up classes or open studio make up time (if you miss a class, you miss a class and same with open studio), no refunds for missed classes.
If you have any questions regarding the fine print or during your 8-week session or any questions at all, please e-mail classes@georgies.com |
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