Intro to Korean Wheel Throwing Intensive 3-4 day class (up to 3 students max):
9:30am -12pm: Morning instruction and practice session
12pm - 1pm Garden lunch (simple, nutritious homemade meal will be prepared for you and is included in the price)
1pm - 5pm Afternoon instruction/practice
In this course we will cover:
Day 1
Clay in its natural forms, clay sourcing, processing, clay body formulation discussion
Preparing our clay for the wheel using traditional foot/spiral wedging techniques
Understanding clay moisture content and controlling it for success in the studio
Full tutorial on spiral wedging and finishing the spiral into a cylindrical form for easier centering on the wheel
Korean approach to centering/relaxing 3-5kg of clay on the wheel in preparation for forming
Framework for throwing any form on the wheel - learning how to visualize the forming process and reverse engineering any form
Developing the practice of practicing: how and why to practice without keeping forms to refine our "eye" for beauty without ego or distractions
Day 2
Throwing foundational forms including summer and winter teabowls
Discussion on thickness and the key to throwing even/consistent walls with step by step breakdown of the process
Throwing with minimal water and advanced techniques for forming by "dry throwing" the form during the expansion phase
Practice repetition throwing, building and using a throwing gauge
Learn how to time the "flipping" of work, manage drying by covering and tips for storing ware in dynamic environments and schedules
Throwing a raw clay chuck for trimming; discussion about chuck forming, drying, attachment, removal and storage
Day 3
Trimming demo using traditional bamboo and metal tools using our clay chuck
Throwing session after trimming feedback (understanding the relationship between throwing and trimming), cross section analysis, important tea bowl shape details and curve analysis
Drying techniques and best practices in the studio for moisture/drying management after trimming: efficient drying of work by understanding draft, clay body formulation vs moisture loss, exploiting weather patterns
Discussion on recycling clay and rehydrating clay perfectly every time
Practice throwing/trimming with the aim to keep a few teabowls for slipware demo the following day
Day 4
Exploring my approach to plates, narrow necked forms and other complex forms like teapots
Teapot body, lid, spout, handle demo and discussion
Morning free form practice session
Afternoon intro to buncheong (slipware) pouring/dipping discussion
Formulating and using slip in the Korean tradition, adapted using local materials
Slip session and drying techniques/ glaze discussion
This workshop includes unlimited use of my foraged wild clays for practice - these are minimally processed natural clays from the Sierras, beautiful for throwing and handbuilding. Freshly vacuum-pugged clay will be prepared for you each morning before you arrive. Firings are not possible during the course, but can be arranged upon request if a student completes the 4-day course and can be picked up 2-3 weeks after the course ends.