Bill van Gilder Pottery
Skill Building and Techniques
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$297
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Online pre-recorded lessons
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Over 11 hours of videos
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Unlimited access
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Opportunity to ask questions
Scroll down to see the course curriculum.
Curriculum
Introduction
The workshop you're about to experience is modeled after the live in-person workshops I’ve presented over many years across America and beyond. But this workshop, because it's in video format, allows me to cover many more subjects and in far greater detail than if I was working live.
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So, because there's so much more information covered, I highly recommend that you take notes along the way… especially when you get to a part of the workshop that gives you answers and solutions to a clay challenge that you're experiencing. And of course, implementing and practicing the solutions you find leads to progress and success.
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And that's where the fun comes in! You see the solution you've been looking for and say to yourself, ‘I got this!’ and can't wait to get into the studio. And that's what it's all about!
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Another good thing, because of how the workshop is presented, you can move through it at your own pace. You might want to binge-watch it at first and then watch again and again the parts that address your clay issues: like seeing centering options, throwing taller, making good fitting lids and great plates… and a lot more. The point is, because you have unlimited access to the workshop forever, you can absorb it at your own speed. There are no time constraints. And Kris and I are here to help you. You can e-mail us your tech-support questions at:
support@billvangilderonlineworkshops.com
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You can also take advantage of my private community to share your journey and ask questions of your fellow workshop participants. I'll be monitoring the group with Kris's help and although I won’t be there to answer each and every question, if I see one that keeps coming up over and over again, I’ll jump in and address it.
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Again, welcome to the workshop! Now, let's get let’s get started.
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Baking and Serving Ware
Making oven-proof baking ware with clay goes back thousands of years. And clay pots are still a go-to for many people who cook: quiche pans to lidded bean pots, lidded casseroles and open- topped bakers… the list is long.
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In this 5-part lesson I'll share with you the details - the do’s and don'ts when designing, throwing and altering ovenware. From clay types and tool-use to shapes, lids and handles, plus the how-to’s when making lids for oval forms. And I'll show you how to make the ever-popular square lasagna pan. Finishing our pots, lids, and adding handles is a big part of this lesson… the details that will make your work look professional and appealing to use!
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Bottle and Vase Forms
Once you're familiar with the thrown cylinder form it's easy to move into the realm of making vases and bottles in assorted shapes and sizes: large and small, round and square.
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In this 5-part lesson I'll demo in detail many of those shape possibilities starting with an effort saving collaring-in hand position technique… one you'll be glad to have in your ‘toolbox’. As I'm working, I'll talk about and demo how I think about the structure of my vase and bottle forms: where I leave the walls thick or thin and why. I'll also show you an assortment of how-to techniques for wet pot texturing: faceting, paddling and more, using common tools to add some flourish to your forms. Assorted styles and tool-use for trimming feet including the making and use of trimming chucks complete this technique filled lesson.
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Plates and Platters
The plate, like the bowl and cup, is one of the most common shapes we make in clay. But the making of them can at first seem challenging.
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In this 3-part lesson, I'll first break down the steps for throwing, trimming and drying a place-setting of three flat-shaped plates with flat wide rims: a bread-and-butter plate, a salad or lunch plate, and a dinner plate. I'll then show you how to throw a curved-shaped plate and two simple ways to make squared plates. And lastly, throwing, trimming, and decorating larger plates and platters.
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Shown and described in detail in this lesson:
- tips about clay qualities
- developing a rhythm of making to create plates that look alike
- centering large pieces of clay
- tool use and batt options
- trimming feet for waxing
- thick slip decorating
- avoiding lopsided pots… and more!
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Throwing Taller: Moving Clay Up
Throwing tall pots doesn't have to be a challenge!
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In this 3-part lesson I'll show you, step by step with a few simple diagrams and concise demos how to move clay upward. And then, how to combine your taller pots in sections to make very tall pots… pots that you'll have under control from start to finish.
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I'll share with you:
- a way of thinking about the steps needed to move clay upward
- designs and structure plans for large pot making
- the best hand, knuckle, and fingertip hand positions to use
- the assembling techniques to use when combining your thrown forms
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Lids and Lidded Forms
Making well designed pots with good fitting lids is something we all aspire to.
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In this large 4-part lesson I'll describe and demo more than a dozen lid-to- pot configurations. And, how to trim and add handles to them.
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In part # 1, I’ll show you:
- 3 ways to create a gallery at the rim of your pot
- 5 lid types and how to throw and trim each of them
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In part # 2, I'll show you 4 more lid types:
- how to throw a tall, domed lid
- how to throw a wide, drop-in lid
- how to create a gallery at the rim of your lid
- how to make an over-the-rim lid
- how to finish these pots and their lids
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In part # 3, I’ll show you another 4 lid options:
- how to make a two-piece butter dish… plate and lid
- how to throw an in-line domed lid and pot
- how to make a ginger jar form and its lid
- how to make a one-piece, lidded ‘box’
- how to trim and finish this series
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In part # 4, I’ll show you:
- how to make decorated slab lids for oval and square pots
- handle options for slab lids
- trimming oval and square pots
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So many tips here!
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Bonuses
