Upcoming Classes

About this Event
This is a beginners hand building class to learn the full ceramics process with hands on help from the teacher, start by learning how to hand build a ceramics piece by slab-rolling, coiling, and/or pinching an item of your choice.

In this class you will:
Choose the desired technique for hand building your ceramic piece
Learn how to attach pieces together by scoring and using slip
Learn how to thoroughly clean the hand building work tables
Learn how to correctly store and place pieces on the shelves at each stage of the production process
Briefly get insight into the next steps taught in the following classes, Beginners Glazing 103

MAKE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR BEGINNERS GLAZING 103 TO FINISH YOUR PIECE (at least 10 days to two weeks after this class)

Ceramics Orientation 100 - Welcome to Ceramics!

If you are new to the space you will be able to get signed up for DMS after this class and activate your key fob.

Class Description:
Introduction to Ceramics at Dallas Makerspace. This class will cover the fundamentals of ceramics, followed by a complete walk-through of the Ceramics space, and a brief demonstration of our cleaning procedures. The following topics will be discussed: clay and clay bodies, cones and firings, the production process and our shelving system, glazes, tools and equipment, and proper clean up.

Syllabus:

FUNDAMENTALS
- Clay and Clay Bodies - What clay is, what types exist, what we use at DMS, and where to get some.
- Cones and Firings - The difference between low fire and high fire clay, and how the kiln/firing process works at DMS.

WALK-THROUGH
- Shelving System and Production Process - From creation to finished piece, how to use the in progress and firing shelves.
- Glazes - Glazing overview, how to donate towards DMS provided glazes, etc.
- Tools and Equipment - Where to find DMS molds, tools, and accessories. Overview of available equipment (wheels, slab roller, extruders, etc). Also a demonstration of how to set up the pottery wheels and clean them when done.
- Cleaning Procedures - How to clean and maintain the DMS Ceramics equipment as an individual participant.

CLASS PROGRESSION
After Ceramics Orientation 100, you are free to use the space and equipment in the Ceramics area. Other classes offered by DMS Ceramics may include: Beginners Hand Building 101, Beginners Throwing 101, Beginners Trimming 102, Beginners Glazing 103, and Beginners Slip Casting 101.

Learning the wall extruder
We will extrude 3 cylinders to make a flower vase

Everyone is invited to the ceramics department committee meeting. It is an excellent place to make your voice heard and help run the ceramics department.

If you have items or suggestions for the ceramics department let me know and I will add them to the agenda.

We look forward to seeing everyone at the meeting.

Course Description:

Dive deeper into the art of ceramics with our 2-hour advanced workshop focused on crafting the perfect ceramic pour-over coffee maker using a pottery wheel. This course is tailored for those with previous experience on the pottery wheel, designed to enhance your skills and allow you to create a sophisticated and functional piece for your coffee brewing collection.

Course Objectives:

Refine and expand your wheel-throwing techniques with a focus on precision and design.
Explore advanced shaping techniques to create a functional and aesthetically pleasing ceramic pour-over.
Experiment with decorative techniques to personalize your creation.
Understand the functional design considerations specific to ceramic pour-overs that enhance coffee brewing.

What You Will Do:

Review of Wheel-Throwing Basics: A quick refresher on the fundamentals of working with clay on the wheel, focusing on centering and pulling up the walls.
Advanced Wheel-Throwing Techniques: Learn and apply advanced techniques to create the ideal shape and structure for a pour-over, with attention to detail in the spout and handle.
Hands-On Crafting: Under the guidance of our expert instructor, you will work on the wheel to craft your ceramic pour-over, with opportunities to customize and refine your piece.
Decorative Enhancements: Delve into higher-level decorating techniques such as slip-trailing, sgraffito, and advanced glazing to make your pour-over a true work of art.
Discussion on Firing and Glazing: Cover the necessary steps for drying, bisque firing, and glazing to ensure the functionality and durability of your pour-over.

Who Should Attend:
This course is ideal for individuals with basic to intermediate pottery skills, especially those familiar with centering and pulling up walls on the pottery wheel. It’s perfect for those looking to combine their passion for coffee with their love for pottery in a more advanced setting.

Materials Provided:
All necessary materials, including white stoneware clay suitable for pour-overs, tools, and equipment, will be provided.

Additional Information:

Basic to intermediate experience on the pottery wheel is required.
Finished pieces can be picked up after firing, approximately 2-3 weeks post-class.
Enhance your pottery and coffee-making skills in a creative, inspiring environment, and take home a uniquely crafted ceramic pour-over that elevates every cup of coffee you brew.

The ceramics department is having a get together at 3 Nation Brewery @ 1033 E. Vanergriff Drive, Carrollton, TX 75006.

Come have some brews and play some bingo with your ceramic friends.

Come and learn some of the basic hand sculpting techniques such as pulling, slipping and scoring, and surface texture. This should be a relatively easy and short hand building class, good for teaching beginners hand sculpting methods or for hanging out and getting tips. I will be demoing a variety of techniques and going over ways to make different shapes. Can follow along as a step by step guide or I can assist in helping you with your own design. My goal is for everyone to leave with a sculpture (or two!) that they're proud of.

Ceramics 100 - Orientation

Welcome to Ceramics!

Class Description:
Introduction to Ceramics at Dallas Makerspace. This class will cover the fundamentals of ceramics, followed by a complete walk-through of the Ceramics space, and a brief demonstration of our cleaning procedures. The following topics will be discussed: clay and clay bodies, cones and firings, the production process and our shelving system, glazes, tools and equipment, and proper clean up.

Syllabus:

FUNDAMENTALS
- Clay and Clay Bodies - What clay is, what types exist, what we use at DMS, and where to get some.
- Cones and Firings - The difference between low fire and high fire clay, and how the kiln/firing process works at DMS.

WALK-THROUGH
- Shelving System and Production Process - From creation to finished piece, how to use the in progress and firing shelves.
- Glazes - Glazing overview, how to donate towards DMS provided glazes, etc.
- Tools and Equipment - Where to find DMS molds, tools, and accessories. Overview of available equipment (wheels, slab roller, extruders, etc). Also a demonstration of how to set up the pottery wheels and clean them when done.
- Cleaning Procedures - How to clean and maintain the DMS Ceramics equipment as an individual participant.

CLASS PROGRESSION
After Ceramics Orientation 100, you are free to use the space and equipment in the Ceramics area. Other classes offered by DMS Ceramics may include: Beginners Hand Building 101, Beginners Throwing 101, Beginners Trimming 102, Beginners Glazing 103, and Beginners Slip Casting 101.

AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE FUNDAMENTAL OF WHEEL THROWING

Are you new to pottery or a long-time thrower who continues to struggle with centering and keeping center? Are your pieces always wonky and uneven? Do you feel limited by your skills?

This course is designed to address all your struggles on the wheel with hands-on practice. Having a strong understanding of the wheel is crucial to grow and improve your work. We will help identify and diagnose common mistakes on the wheel and provide suggestions to improve your throwing.

We will build up from the ground up and work our way through the process of wheel throwing; stopping each way to understand why potters throw the way they do. At the end of the course, you will leave with new skills and techniques that will improve your wheel-throwing game.

Syllabus:

• Centering fundamental
• Wheel speed and body position
• Alternative way to center
• A better way to open your piece
• Importance of stability
• Identify common mistakes
• Way to re-center your piece
• Hands position for a successful pull
• Using water effectively
• Using tools to finish your pieces
• Shaping your wheel-thrown work

This class will introduce you to the world of slip casting. We will use a 1 piece plaster mold to cast the reamer and attach it to a bowl to create a one-of-a-kind citrus juicer. This class will provide all the tools and materials required to decorate and finish your project.

Syllabus:

-how does slip casting work
-what is deflocculant and flocculant
-preparing the slip
-preparing the mold
-casting and drying
-removing and cleaning
-attaching to bowl
-cleaning and finishing

Have you taken a hand sculpting class and want to give your pieces color and detail without the risk of typical glaze running, reacting, or losing detail? With underglaze you can give your pieces the detail and vibrancy they deserve. I will go over the proper usage and techniques as well as provide a variety of colors for you to use.

Ceramics Orientation 100 - Welcome to Ceramics!

Class Description:
Introduction to Ceramics at Dallas Makerspace. This class will cover the fundamentals of ceramics, followed by a complete walk-through of the Ceramics space, and a brief demonstration of our cleaning procedures. The following topics will be discussed: clay and clay bodies, cones and firings, the production process and our shelving system, glazes, tools and equipment, and proper clean up.

Syllabus:

FUNDAMENTALS
- Clay and Clay Bodies - What clay is, what types exist, what we use at DMS, and where to get some.
- Cones and Firings - The difference between low fire and high fire clay, and how the kiln/firing process works at DMS.

WALK-THROUGH
- Shelving System and Production Process - From creation to finished piece, how to use the in progress and firing shelves.
- Glazes - Glazing overview, how to donate towards DMS provided glazes, etc.
- Tools and Equipment - Where to find DMS molds, tools, and accessories. Overview of available equipment (wheels, slab roller, extruders, etc). Also a demonstration of how to set up the pottery wheels and clean them when done.
- Cleaning Procedures - How to clean and maintain the DMS Ceramics equipment as an individual participant.

CLASS PROGRESSION
After Ceramics Orientation 100, you are free to use the space and equipment in the Ceramics area. Other classes offered by DMS Ceramics may include: Beginners Hand Building 101, Beginners Throwing 101, Beginners Trimming 102, Beginners Glazing 103, and Beginners Slip Casting 101.

This should be a relatively easy hand building class, good for teaching beginners hand sculpting methods or for hanging out and getting tips. You can come and I can teach you how to make a simple and cute dog sculpture. Can follow along as a step by step guide or I can assist in helping you with your own design. Will cover basic hand sculpting techniques such as slipping and scoring, aspects of design, attaching pieces together, smoothing out the surface or adding texture. Bring a picture of your dog or follow along with the class demo. My goal is for everyone to leave with a sculpture that they're proud of.

This is an intermediate hand sculpting class, and will be more difficult than previous hand sculpting classes I’ve posted. This will be a step by step process initially, but with the goal of leaving room for you to customize the details of the piece towards the end of the class. My goal is for everyone to leave with a sculpture that they're proud of :3

Personalize your own bird in our class! Learn underglaze techniques for animals, other hand sculpture, and pottery. I’ll provide you with a variety of underglaze colors and a small bird sculpture, as well as a keychain attachment that can be added once it is fired. Beginner friendly, this class will be focused on teaching you the necessary skills to make beautiful underglaze surface designs.

Ceramics Orientation 100 - Welcome to Ceramics!

If you are new to the space you will be able to get signed up for DMS after this class and activate your key fob.

Class Description:
Introduction to Ceramics at Dallas Makerspace. This class will cover the fundamentals of ceramics, followed by a complete walk-through of the Ceramics space, and a brief demonstration of our cleaning procedures. The following topics will be discussed: clay and clay bodies, cones and firings, the production process and our shelving system, glazes, tools and equipment, and proper clean up.

Syllabus:

FUNDAMENTALS
- Clay and Clay Bodies - What clay is, what types exist, what we use at DMS, and where to get some.
- Cones and Firings - The difference between low fire and high fire clay, and how the kiln/firing process works at DMS.

WALK-THROUGH
- Shelving System and Production Process - From creation to finished piece, how to use the in progress and firing shelves.
- Glazes - Glazing overview, how to donate towards DMS provided glazes, etc.
- Tools and Equipment - Where to find DMS molds, tools, and accessories. Overview of available equipment (wheels, slab roller, extruders, etc). Also a demonstration of how to set up the pottery wheels and clean them when done.
- Cleaning Procedures - How to clean and maintain the DMS Ceramics equipment as an individual participant.

CLASS PROGRESSION
After Ceramics Orientation 100, you are free to use the space and equipment in the Ceramics area. Other classes offered by DMS Ceramics may include: Beginners Hand Building 101, Beginners Throwing 101, Beginners Trimming 102, Beginners Glazing 103, and Beginners Slip Casting 101.

$5 to be paid to DMS upon arrival, either cash or PayPal. (For clay cost)

This is a beginner ceramics class that teaches the basics of throwing on the wheel.

In this class we will learn to:

-set up the proper tools needed for the process
-wedge the clay into the ideal shape for throwing
-sealing the clay onto the bat
-tips for centering the clay
-opening the clay
-tips for regaining center once open
-getting an even upwards pull
-prevent wobble
-know when to you've pushed your clay as far as it will go
-follow proper/safe clean-up protocol

There will also be a short demonstration for trimming at the end.

Each person will be provided 2 chunks of clay to learn with.

Everyone is invited to the ceramics department committee meeting. It is an excellent place to make your voice heard and help run the ceramics department.

If you have items or suggestions for the ceramics department let me know and I will add them to the agenda.

We look forward to seeing everyone at the meeting.

Ceramics 100 - Orientation

Welcome to Ceramics!

Class Description:
Introduction to Ceramics at Dallas Makerspace. This class will cover the fundamentals of ceramics, followed by a complete walk-through of the Ceramics space, and a brief demonstration of our cleaning procedures. The following topics will be discussed: clay and clay bodies, cones and firings, the production process and our shelving system, glazes, tools and equipment, and proper clean up.

Syllabus:

FUNDAMENTALS
- Clay and Clay Bodies - What clay is, what types exist, what we use at DMS, and where to get some.
- Cones and Firings - The difference between low fire and high fire clay, and how the kiln/firing process works at DMS.

WALK-THROUGH
- Shelving System and Production Process - From creation to finished piece, how to use the in progress and firing shelves.
- Glazes - Glazing overview, how to donate towards DMS provided glazes, etc.
- Tools and Equipment - Where to find DMS molds, tools, and accessories. Overview of available equipment (wheels, slab roller, extruders, etc). Also a demonstration of how to set up the pottery wheels and clean them when done.
- Cleaning Procedures - How to clean and maintain the DMS Ceramics equipment as an individual participant.

CLASS PROGRESSION
After Ceramics Orientation 100, you are free to use the space and equipment in the Ceramics area. Other classes offered by DMS Ceramics may include: Beginners Hand Building 101, Beginners Throwing 101, Beginners Trimming 102, Beginners Glazing 103, and Beginners Slip Casting 101.

Ceramics 100 - Orientation

Welcome to Ceramics!

Class Description:
Introduction to Ceramics at Dallas Makerspace. This class will cover the fundamentals of ceramics, followed by a complete walk-through of the Ceramics space, and a brief demonstration of our cleaning procedures. The following topics will be discussed: clay and clay bodies, cones and firings, the production process and our shelving system, glazes, tools and equipment, and proper clean up.

Syllabus:

FUNDAMENTALS
- Clay and Clay Bodies - What clay is, what types exist, what we use at DMS, and where to get some.
- Cones and Firings - The difference between low fire and high fire clay, and how the kiln/firing process works at DMS.

WALK-THROUGH
- Shelving System and Production Process - From creation to finished piece, how to use the in progress and firing shelves.
- Glazes - Glazing overview, how to donate towards DMS provided glazes, etc.
- Tools and Equipment - Where to find DMS molds, tools, and accessories. Overview of available equipment (wheels, slab roller, extruders, etc). Also a demonstration of how to set up the pottery wheels and clean them when done.
- Cleaning Procedures - How to clean and maintain the DMS Ceramics equipment as an individual participant.

CLASS PROGRESSION
After Ceramics Orientation 100, you are free to use the space and equipment in the Ceramics area. Other classes offered by DMS Ceramics may include: Beginners Hand Building 101, Beginners Throwing 101, Beginners Trimming 102, Beginners Glazing 103, and Beginners Slip Casting 101.

Ceramics 100 - Orientation

Welcome to Ceramics!

Class Description:
Introduction to Ceramics at Dallas Makerspace. This class will cover the fundamentals of ceramics, followed by a complete walk-through of the Ceramics space, and a brief demonstration of our cleaning procedures. The following topics will be discussed: clay and clay bodies, cones and firings, the production process and our shelving system, glazes, tools and equipment, and proper clean up.

Syllabus:

FUNDAMENTALS
- Clay and Clay Bodies - What clay is, what types exist, what we use at DMS, and where to get some.
- Cones and Firings - The difference between low fire and high fire clay, and how the kiln/firing process works at DMS.

WALK-THROUGH
- Shelving System and Production Process - From creation to finished piece, how to use the in progress and firing shelves.
- Glazes - Glazing overview, how to donate towards DMS provided glazes, etc.
- Tools and Equipment - Where to find DMS molds, tools, and accessories. Overview of available equipment (wheels, slab roller, extruders, etc). Also a demonstration of how to set up the pottery wheels and clean them when done.
- Cleaning Procedures - How to clean and maintain the DMS Ceramics equipment as an individual participant.

CLASS PROGRESSION
After Ceramics Orientation 100, you are free to use the space and equipment in the Ceramics area. Other classes offered by DMS Ceramics may include: Beginners Hand Building 101, Beginners Throwing 101, Beginners Trimming 102, Beginners Glazing 103, and Beginners Slip Casting 101.