Semester:
Offered:
Session: June 1 - July 20 (8 classes)
Day/Time: Tuesdays, 2:00 – 4:00pm ET
Level: Beginning - Advanced
Instructor: Deighton Abrams
Course Description: Clay and ceramic materials are the ideal media for making dynamic sculptural and vessel forms. Using traditional vessel and sculpture building techniques, as well as using non ceramic materials for support we will push the boundaries of making and thinking with clay. Through lectures and demonstrations, we will discuss a variety of techniques on developing individual creative approaches that students will then use to make a small body of work.
Demonstrations will cover several technical considerations in making complex sculptural and vessel works with extra attention paid to making work in the home and transporting to Harvard or your local studio for firing. Some experience with sculpting would be preferred but not necessary. The instructor has experience teaching representational as well as abstraction techniques and can adapt styles to meet the needs of the students.
With your registration, you will receive access to a Harvard Google Classroom which will provide a place for sharing of ideas, discussion, hand-outs and will feature recordings of each class. In case you miss a class or would like to review, these recordings will be available for 30 days after the end of the course.
Suggested Materials List:
- T1 clay or clay of student’s choice
- Access to pottery wheel (not required but suggested)
- Carving tools.
- Basic Pottery tools.
- Decorative materials such as underglaze and slips at discretion of students
- Glaze firing
- Scrap wood and/or other building materials
Clay and Material Purchases
This course fee covers instruction only. Participants are responsible for obtaining their own clay. Here is the list of available clays, tools and materials at the Ceramics Program. You can also purchase the supplies at your local art supply store or online. If you would have questions, please email Ji-Eun Kim directly at jikim@fas.harvard.edu.
Glazing and Firing Services
- Registered students are welcome to drop off, fire and glaze your ceramic work through the Harvard Ceramics program. We charge 3 cents per cubic inch for all firings (bisque and glaze). We offer electric kiln (Cone 06 for bisque, 6 for glaze), high fire reduction and soda vapor firings (Cone 10). Specialty firing temperatures can be arranged. At the end of each session, you will be invoiced for the cost of your firings.
- You may also consider ordering from a local supplier (Sheffield Pottery, Amherst Pottery Supply or Portland Pottery) but you will need to provide documentation of the clay body and firing range to fire it at the Ceramics Program.
Course Fees: Free for Harvard College Undergraduate Students; $400 for Harvard Graduate Students, Harvard employees and Adult Community.
For questions regarding course content, policies or materials, please contact Director, Kathy King.
For questions regarding registration, please contact Administrative Coordinator, Ji-Eun Kim.
Location: Zoom