Workshop: Decorating with Slip Inlay
Description
Explore the rich visual possibilities of slip and underglaze inlay. Using provided slips and underglazes, you'll learn how to carve designs into leather-hard clay and fill them with contrasting color for striking surface effects. Students are encouraged to bring 1-3 leather-hard pieces to decorate. These can include mugs, bowls, tiles, or simple sculptural forms. Basic carving tools will be provided, but you are welcome to bring additional serrated or carving tools of your choosing. You're also welcome to bring your own underglazes if you’d like to work with specific palettes.
Class Cancellation Policy
Cancellation 10 or more days prior to the start date: 100% refund or 100% credit applied to future class.
Cancellation 3-9 days prior to the start date: 100% credit applied to a future class.
Cancellation less than 3 days before a class or workshop starts, or during a class session is NOT eligible for refund or credit.
Workshop: Exploring Underglaze Designs
Description
Ready to take your ceramics to the next level? Join us for a underglaze painting workshop where you’ll explore bold colors, intricate patterns, and personalized designs that make your work pop.
In this lesson, you’ll learn a variety of underglaze application techniques, from brushwork and layering to blending and detailing. Instructor Lindy Caldwell will walk you through the best tools, tips, and tricks to help bring your ideas to life.
What to Bring:
One bisque-fired piece (additional bisqueware will be provided for those who need)
One greenware piece that’s firm or leather hard
Any personal underglazes or favorite brushes you love using
We’ll provide a palette of underglazes and a range of brushes to get you started. At the end of the lesson, our studio staff will add a clear claze and the finished will be ready 2-3 weeks after the lesson.
Class Cancellation Policy
Cancellation 10 or more days prior to the start date: 100% refund or 100% credit applied to future class.
Cancellation 3-9 days prior to the start date: 100% credit applied to a future class.
Cancellation less than 3 days before a class or workshop starts, or during a class session is NOT eligible for refund or credit.
Teen Wheel-Throwing
Description
Price: $55 per person (clay, glaze, tools, firing, and instruction included).
Age: 13-18 years old
Description: This fun and beginner-friendly wheel throwing lesson is just for teens! You’ll start with a demonstration from your instructor, then jump on the wheel and give it a try yourself with unlimited clay to practice on. By the end of the session, you’ll pick one or two of your favorite pieces to keep. We’ll glaze and fire them for you, and your finished pottery will be ready for pickup in 2-3 weeks. No experience needed.
A parent or guardian must accept to the terms of the Liability Waiver in order for the teen to participate. Adults may watch during the lesson, but may not join on the wheel.
Cancellation Policy:
Cancellation 10 or more days prior to the start date: 100% refund or 100% credit applied to a future workshop.
Cancellation 3-9 days prior to the start date: 100% credit applied to a future workshop.
Cancellation less than 3 days before a class or workshop starts, or during a class session is NOT eligible for refund or credit.
Deconstructing the Moon Jar - 2-Day Workshop
Description
In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to create “moon jars” on the pottery wheel and then incorporate sculptural techniques to elevate the surfaces. The Moon Jar is a traditional Korean form that was originated from the Joseon Dynasty in the 1300’s. Artist and educator, Jotham Hung, has been perfecting the moon jar form for over a decade now, accumulating a variety of techniques that he will share in this workshop. The technical breakdown of how to make the moon jar will also be demonstrated. By the end of this workshop, participants will leave this class with more confidence, refinement, and more creativity in their personal practice. Participants should be able to center 2 - 3 pounds of clay comfortably.
DAY 1:
Technical break-down of throwing Moon Jars
Demo: Throwing various moon jar forms, sectional and one piece
DAY 2:
Trimming, Decorating, and Finishing Moon jars
Demo: Trimming a foot ring, sculptural decorations, slip application
Firings of the finished pieces are optional, but included for members and active students. For those who are not members or students, firings are sold separately.
About the Instructor:
Jotham Hung is a Taiwanese-American ceramic artist born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. His work explores an interplay between clay and story-telling, specifically referencing folklore and narratives that echo his formative years. Jotham’s ceramic work highlights regenerative practices, utilizing remnants of what would traditionally be deemed as “waste” or “mistakes” to create a unique visual language. The surfaces of these hand-thrown forms sometimes capture fragments of broken pots, exploded pieces from the kiln, or excess material from the making process. Themes of deconstruction & reconstruction, damage & repair are integrated into the work, expressing the connection between humans and art.
5th Birthday Bash!
We invite you to join us on Friday, June 27th to celebrate the Past, Present and Future of our wonderful studio.
We plan to have paella, birthday cake, toasts, games, pottery fun and live music with the Summerland Band!
You can purchase tickets here.
The Details:
Where: Maker House/Clay Studio, 1351 Holiday Hill Road
When: Friday June 27th
Time: 4 PM to 7 PM ***Clay Games starting at 3 PM- details to follow
Cost: $30 per person ($35 at the door)
***Please purchase tickets ahead as space is limited and we cannot guarantee dinner without a ticket***
Auction Opens: 5th Birthday Benefit
Support 5 Years of Community, Creativity, and Clay at Maker House!
To mark this incredible milestone, we’re hosting a special 5th Year Birthday
Auction—a celebration of the vibrant community that has grown around our studio.
This curated auction features handmade ceramic works by our talented studio artists, along with a variety of unique experiences and special items, including:
Local museum memberships
Gourmet chocolates
Fine wine
A Sip & Sail cruise
Private ceramics lessons with our expert instructors
A condo stay in Mexico
…and many more exciting offerings!
All proceeds support our mission to keep ceramic arts accessible to everyone.
Auction Dates:
June 17 – June 30 at 7 PM
Join the celebration and place your bids at:
http://makerhouse.betterworld.org/auctions/maker-house-5th-year-birthday-ba
The site is live now for donations, and bidding opens June 17. Help shape the next five years of creativity in our community—bid, donate, and celebrate with us!
If you don't already have tickets to our Birthday Bash on June 27th, you can purchase them here: Purchase Tickets
“Slingshot Presents” - Opening Reception
Description:
Slingshot Presents showcases the hand-built ceramics of six (possibly seven) artists that
work out of Slingshot / Alpha Art Studio – a progressive art center in downtown Santa
Barbara that supports the creative practice and professional visibility of artists with
intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
The exhibition highlights a small cross-section of the studio’s extensive creative output --
showcasing the variety of hand-building techniques employed by artists at the studio.
Alongside these ceramics, a selection of drawings and paintings are presented to illuminate
the broader scope of the artist’s practice and how their interests are translated across
different media. The juxtaposition suggests that the artist is less interested in what the media
(be it clay or any other) can do than how the media can further their specific interest.
After decades of operating Alpha Art Studio as a component of adult day service, Alpha
Resource Center established Slingshot in 2013 to create a dedicated art center for adults
with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Santa Barbara County. At present,
the studio supports around 40 artists, who range in age from mid-twenties to early seventies.
Following the progressive arts model, the studio maintains a person-centered approach,
facilitating artists with access to materials, techniques, and essential accommodations. The
studio’s role is to enable each artist by sharing knowledge and technique rather than
emphasizing a ‘right way’ of doing. No prior experience is required for participation -- only
sincere interest – as art is an accessible means for all to communicate and contribute
meaningfully to our society.
Slingshot aims to advance the recognition, visibility, and inclusion of artists with IDD within
our local community and the broader field of contemporary art.
