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Clay Classes in Portland
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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.
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 kit available
- part #PTK |
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Click the thumbnails for larger images of these class projects:
| Mondays, 10am - Noon |
April 21 -
June 9 |
Wil Labelle |
SEL241
$350** |
FULL |
June 30 -
August 18
|
Wil Labelle |
SEL248
$375 |
2
seats available |
| Tuesdays, 6pm -8pm |
April 22 -
June 10 |
Megan Sedita |
SEL244
$375 |
FULL |
July 1 -
August 19 |
Megan Sedita |
SEL251
$375 |
FULL |
| Thursdays, 6pm - 8pm |
April 24 -
June 12 |
Eli Pilkington |
SEL247
$375 |
FULL |
July 3 -
August 21 |
Eli Pilkington |
SEL254
$375 |
FULL |
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Click here to see "The Fine Print" for clay classes at Georgies. |
Beginning/Intermediate Wheel
This is a combination class for students that have taken beginning classes and want to build their skills. There will be a variety of skill levels in this class, so please don't judge your
work against others. All students should feel supported at their own skill level.
| Tuesdays, 10am - 12pm |
April 22 -
June 10 |
Wil Labelle |
SEL243
$375 |
FULL |
July 1 -
August 19 |
Wil Labelle |
SEL250
$375 |
3
seats available |
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 |
April 23 -
June 11 |
Eli Pilkington |
SEL245
$375 |
FULL |
July 2 -
August 20 |
Eli Pilkington |
SEL252
$375 |
FULL |
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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:
April 21 -
June 9 |
Stephanie Burton |
SEL242
$350** |
Cancelled |
June 30 -
August 18 |
Stephanie Burton |
SEL249
$375 |
6
seats available |
| Thursdays, 10am - Noon |
April 24 -
June 12 |
Stephanie Burton |
SEL246
$375 |
FULL |
July 3 -
August 21 |
Stephanie Burton |
SEL253
$375 |
0
cancelled |
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Click here to see "The Fine Print" for clay classes at Georgies. |
2025 Friday Summer Workshops
These classes are meant not only to answer the many questions we are asked on a
daily basis, but to also provide the opportunity for you to try new tools or new techniques
that we find intriguing. All class fees are charged in full when you sign up and all
fees are NON-REFUNDABLE. Pre-registration by phone is required (no online
registration). Firing is NOT included in the class fees, unless otherwise noted. Custom
firing is available - please ask us about it! Fees include mapottery tools and brushes as
listed. terials and instruction for the designated project. Most classes require basic
You must be 16 years old to register. Click Summer Workshop PDF to print for your use.
| Registration for Summer classes
is now open!
click HERE to get the flyer, or click on the Georgies logo
to find it on our home page |
July 2nd - Testing the Waters: Wheel 101 - $55.00
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Now is your chance to experience working on the wheel before commintting to a class. Skyler Irvine will lead you through the basics of centering and pulling up cylinders. All materials provided. You can take home whatever you make. Firing not included.
07/02/25 SUM304 1:30pm - 4pm 7 seats available |
July 11th - Traditional Raku 1 - $90.00
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This hands-on workshop with Wil Labelle features the basics of raku using our trash can quick fire Raku kiln and our glazes developed for the raku process. You'll see lots of "flash" from the copper present in the glazes and experience the flame and excitement of raku. Bring a couple of bisque pieces to fire (best if fired to ^08-^06). Glaze will be provided for your use! You will take home your finished work.
07/11/25 SUM305 10am - 2pm FULL |
July 11th - Watercolor Underglazing - $90.00
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Karen Wise leads this workshop with a focus on using underglazes to create watercolor-like effects on ceramics. She covers various painting styles, from soft washes to more defined images, using original designs or silk screens on bisque to complete the overall design. We provide the materials. You will take home your glazed, unfired plate. Firing not included.
07/11/25 SUM306 1pm - 4pm FULL |
July 18th - Basic Slip Casting 101 - $80.00
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Are you interested in slip casting but don't know where to start? In this workshop, Robert Houghton will show you the basics of slip casting, including working with slip, pouring, draining and cleaning up your piece. All materials are provided.
07/18/25 SUM307 1pm - 4pm FULL |
July 25th - Raku 2 - $90.00
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This hands-on workshop will explore several of the hot new techniqes in the raku world, "Naked" and "Horsehair" raku.
Wil Labelle will have slip made up for the Naked raku along with his recipe that he will share. Bring a couple of bisque pieces to fire (best if fired to ^08-^06). Glaze will be provided for your use. You will take home your finished pieces!
07/25/25 SUM308 10am - 2pm FULL |
August 1st - Coloring a Base Glaze for a Custom Color Palette - $275.00
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Eli Pilkington will help you take control of your surface decor! This workshop will be using a variety of colorants, stains, opacifiers & varigators to make a unique color blend using an established base glaze as the foundation. We provide the materials. Firing is included!
08/01/25 SUM309 9am - 1pm 1 seat available |
August 15th - Testing the Waters: Wheel 101 - $55.00
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Now is your chance to experience working on the wheel before commintting to a class. Autumn Beurk will lead you through the basics of centering and pulling up cylinders. All materials provided. You can take home whatever you make. Firing not included.
08/15/25 SUM310 9:30pm - 12pm 6 seats available |
August 22nd - Mold Making - $225.00
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During this detailed class you will make a 2-part mold, and master moldmaker Brett Binford will assist you throughout the entire process including checking for undercuts, using cottles and plaster mixing. Please bring 2-4 simple objects and Brett will help you decide which one to use. You will leave at the end of the day with a mold suitable for slip casting! This class has limited seating and fills fast!
08/22/25 SUM311 9am - 3pm 1 seat available |
August 29th - Mold Making - $225.00
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During this detailed class you will make a 2-part mold, and master moldmaker Brett Binford will assist you throughout the entire process including checking for undercuts, using cottles and plaster mixing. Please bring 2-4 simple objects and Brett will help you decide which one to use. You will leave at the end of the day with a mold suitable for slip casting! This class has limited seating and fills fast!
08/29/25 SUM312 9am - 3pm 2 seats available |
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 |
July 17, 2025 |
Karen Wise |
SEL742
$35 |
1
seat available |
August 21, 2025 |
Karen Wise |
SEL743
$35 |
11
seats available |
September 18, 2025 |
Karen Wise |
SEL744
$35 |
12
seats available |
October 16 , 2025 |
Karen Wise |
SEL745
$35 |
12
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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