Classes at black hound clay west
Fall 2025 Class REGistration is now open!
Fall 2025 SESSION IS september 22 - november 16, 2025
All instruction, tools, glazes. firing and 25 pounds of clay are included in the price of tuition. Additional clay can be purchased on our website. One free open studio is included with every class.
BEFORE REGISTERING FOR A CLASS, PLEASE READ OVER OUR REGISTRATION & REFUND POLICIES
Wondering what level of wheelthrowing class is appropriate for your current skill levels?
Check out this guide.
WE OFFER PAYMENT PLANS!
Payments will be automatically deducted on the dates below from the card on file.
If you register between July 12 and August 1, 2025:
First installment payment of 33%: upon registration
Second installment payment of 33%: August 15, 2025
Third installment payment of 33%: September 12, 2025
If you register between August 2 and August 29, 2025:
First installment payment of 50%: upon registration
Second installment payment of 50%: September 12, 2025
If you register on or after August 30, 2025, you must pay in full.
class waitlist Policy
Once a class is full, the class listing will be converted to a waitlist sign up. Signing up for the waitlist is free. Joining the waitlist for a particular class does not guarantee you a spot in that class, and it does not obligate you to sign up should space come available.
Please feel free to email us at West@blackhoundclay.com with any questions!
wheelthrowing classes
wheelthrowing 101
$435 per person
(installment payment plans available)
Black Hound Clay Studio's Wheelthrowing 101 Class is a comprehensive eight week beginner’s introduction to making objects on the potter's wheel. In this course, students will have the opportunity to learn a variety of foundational skills and then use them to create their own unique and beautiful pottery. By the end of the class, students will be well versed in the ceramic process from start to finish, from working with wet clay to trimming to decorating and glazing.
An excellent course for complete beginners as well as those with throwing experience, students can expect a small class environment with one on one attention from professional teaching artists and staff, a clean, well-stocked studio and an inclusive, friendly vibe.
AVAILABLE DAYS & TIMES:
MONDAY EVENINGS, September 22 - November 10, 6-9pm with Akiko Jackson CLASS FULL - JOIN THE WAITLIST
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS, September 24 - November 12, 1:30-4:30pm with Akiko Jackson
WEDNESDAY EVENINGS, September 24 - November 12, 6-9pm with Akiko Jackson CLASS FULL - JOIN THE WAITLIST
FRIDAY EVENINGS, September 26 - November 14, 6-9pm with Frankie Iadarola CLASS FULL - JOIN THE WAITLIST
SUNDAY EVENINGS, September 28 - November 16, 6-9pm with Akiko Jackson CLASS IS FULL - JOIN THE WAITLIST
wheelthrowing 102
$435 per person
(installment payment plans available)
This class is designed for the experienced beginner in mind. If you have some have previous wheel throwing experience and are looking to push your skills to the next level, this class is for you. Students will be led through warm-up throwing exercises and activities to help improve technical ability and troubleshoot problem areas. We will focus on lifting taller, thinner and more consistent walls, shaping, trimming, surface design and attachments. Students will be encouraged to work towards developing a matching set such as cups, mugs, bowls or vases as a way to sharpen skills.
AVAILABLE DAYS & TIMES:
TUESDAY AFTERNOONS, September 23 - November 11, 1:30-4:30 pm with Lisa Belsky
TUESDAY EVENINGS, September 23 - November 11, 6-9 pm
with Lauren Delk CLASS FULL - JOIN THE WAITLIST
Building Bigger:
Coil & Throw
THURSDAY EVENINGS, September 25 - November 13, 6-9 pm (8 weeks)
$435 per person
(installment payment plans available)
This intermediate level course will combine wheel throwing and handbuilding techniques. We'll focus on making 2-3 larger pots, starting with a wheel-thrown base and building onto these forms week by week. The scale of the pots will present new challenges, while the unique method will allow us to achieve larger forms than we could otherwise throw on the wheel. This class is a good fit for students at an intermediate level and beyond. Students should be comfortable centering and throwing 3-5lbs of clay on the wheel.
Instructor: Natalie Avery
handbuilding classes
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DEEPER THAN THE SURFACE: INtermediate handbuilding
Monday Evenings September 22 - November 10,
6-9pm (8 weeks)$435
(installment payment plans available)This class will be dedicated to exploring a variety of techniques to develop complex surfaces on hand built forms. Whether you work with vessels or sculpture, finding ways to make the surface of your work come alive can be a challenge. Students will be introduced to methods of applying image, texture, color, and composition to make a more dynamic and interesting surface to their work. These methods will be useful to intermediate and advanced students.
Instructor: Isaac Scott
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Handbuilt tableware for beginners
Tuesday Afternoons September 23 - November 11, 1:30-4:30pm (8 weeks)
$435
(installment payment plans available)Come hang out with Corinna and create your very own special tableware.
We will be using a combination of slab and coil building techniques along with a slew of texturing tools to emphasize your own style. We will be making plates, cups and bowls of varying sizes.
Instructor: Corinna Cowles
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Intermediate Handbuilding: Color in Clay
Tuesday Evenings September 23 - November 11,
6-9 pm (8 weeks)$460
(installment payment plans available)We will expand approaches to surface design and decoration with a focus on color and texture. A wide variety of techniques including brushwork and transfers using colored slips, inlay with colored clay, adding texture through slip trailing and sgraffito, and painting with underglazes will be explored. We will apply these decorating techniques to larger, more complex coil and slab-built forms. Finished work will be glazed with clear. Prior experience handbuilding with clay is recommended.
Tuition includes a $25 per person materials fee for custom made colored clay and class dedicated colored slips and washes.
Instructor: Corinna Cowles
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decorative objects for the home
Wednesday Evenings September 24 - November 12,
6-9 pm (8 weeks)$435
(installment payment plans available)This class’s projects will be inspired by decorative household objects, like planters, pet portraits, antique figurines, and other sculptural items for the tabletop or wall. We will cover coil building open and closed forms; solid sculpting and hollowing; and developing rich, dimensional surfaces. Dig into working with clay for the first time, or build some new skills as we test what clay can do beyond the vessel.
Instructor: Caroline Hayes-Charuk
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Put a Lid on It
Thursday Evenings September 25 - November 13,
6-9pm (8 weeks)$435
(installment payment plans available)
In this beginner friendly handbuilding class students will learn how to make functional ceramic containers. We will be exploring pinch, coil and slab techniques to make a variety of jars, boxes, teapots and more! Students will learn surface design techniques such as stamping/textures, sgrafitto and underglaze painting to enhance their creative voice. Traditional glazing techniques will also be covered to add color and longevity to your vessels!
Instructor: Olivia Gibb