Pottery

Pottery is the craft of creating objects from clay through shaping, drying, and firing. It's one of humanity's oldest art forms, dating back over 20,000 years. Today, pottery encompasses everything from functional kitchenware to sculptural art pieces.

Working with clay is deeply meditative and satisfying. There's something primal about shaping earth with your hands, transforming a formless lump into a beautiful, useful object. Whether you're throwing on a wheel or hand-building with coils and slabs, pottery connects you to an unbroken tradition of human creativity.

The earliest known pottery dates to around 20,000 BCE in China. Ancient civilizations across the globe developed their own pottery traditions—Greek black-figure vases, Japanese raku ware, Native American pueblo pottery, and English bone china each tell stories of their cultures.

The potter's wheel, invented around 3500 BCE in Mesopotamia, revolutionized the craft. Today, both wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques remain popular, with contemporary potters blending ancient methods with modern aesthetics.

In your first pottery class, expect to get your hands dirty—that's the fun part! Most beginner classes start with wedging (kneading) clay to remove air bubbles, then move on to either wheel throwing or hand-building basics.

Wheel throwing can be frustrating at first. Centering clay takes practice, and your first few attempts might wobble off the wheel. Don't worry—everyone experiences this. Hand-building is often more approachable for beginners, letting you create bowls, cups, and sculptures without needing to master the wheel first.

Wear old clothes you don't mind getting clay on. Most studios provide aprons and all materials. Classes typically run 2-3 hours, and you'll usually need to return for a second session to glaze your dried pieces.