Primitive Pottery Workshop Syllabus

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Syllabus

4th of July Double Weekend Intensive

This intensive four-day workshop, over the course of two weekends, is designed to give students a thorough understanding of primitively fired pottery including, forming, decorating and firing.

Classes start at 8:30 am, break for lunch at noon until 1:00 p.m., then classes resume from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Students may continue to work into the evening.

1st Weekend: July 2010
Friday, July 2 - Students that are camping may show up at 3:00 p.m. to set up tents. No meal will be served on Friday.
Saturday, July 3 - 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. Students check in, eat breakfast and check out displays. Class starts at 8:30 with discussion of native clays and demo of construction methods. Students get clay and start making pots. Pit firing of instructor’s pots.
Sunday, July 4 - Students continue forming and decorating pottery. Discussions of native clays and blending clays, making Terra Sigallata. Firing pots in a trash can kiln. Check out by 8:00 p.m. Sun. Tent campers may check out Monday morning by 9:30 a.m.

2nd Weekend: July 2010
Friday, July 9 - Students that are camping may show up at 3:00 p.m. to set up tents. No meal will be served on Friday.
Saturday, July 10 - Students finish any last decoration of pots. Firing led by students.
Sunday, July 11 - Students decorate with organic pigments for Maricopa style firing. Firing led by students, with second firing for carbon paint.
Check out by 8:00 p.m. Sunday. Tent campers may check out Monday morning by 9:30 a.m.

The schedule may change depending on weather, group size, or other circumstances. Breakfast (7:00 to 8:30 am) will be simple serve-yourself meals. Lunches are the students’ responsibility and dinner (5:30 to 6:30 p.m.) will be simple meals, cooked in primitive fired pottery. Students are encouraged to supplement meals if they are big eaters or have special food requirements. Students socialize after dinner or continue working.