Hand-Building Bigger: Large-Scale Coil Pots & Sculptures (6 Weeks)

Ready to think beyond the tabletop? Hand-Building Bigger is a 6-week class designed for students who want to push their clay practice into larger, more ambitious forms. Using coil-building techniques and supportive armatures, you’ll learn how to create substantial vessels and expressive sculptural pieces with confidence and structural integrity.

Throughout the course, we’ll explore strategies for building height and volume, managing weight, and preventing collapse or cracking. You’ll experiment with both traditional coil construction and more experimental approaches, incorporating armatures to support complex shapes. Surface development, texture, and finishing techniques will also be covered to help bring your larger pieces to life.

What you’ll learn:

Building taller and wider forms using coil techniques
Designing and constructing armatures for support
Joining, reinforcing, and troubleshooting large-scale work
Managing moisture and drying for bigger pieces
Surface treatments: carving, adding texture, and finishing

Project ideas may include:

Statement coil-built vases and planters
Large sculptural forms or abstract pieces
Totemic or stacked structures
Functional-meets-sculptural vessels

Who this class is for:
Ideal for students with some prior clay experience who are ready to scale up their work and tackle new technical challenges. If you’ve been comfortable making smaller hand-built pieces and want to grow—literally—this class is for you.

Come prepared to get your hands dirty, think big, and build boldly

Includes:

50 lbs of clay
6 weeks Studio Access
2 weeks after class ends to finish all work
Open Studio time outside of class to practice and explore

Students will meet for 2.5 hrs, 7pm- 9:30pm, once a week for six weeks. You will be able to progress at your own speed and instruction will be catered to your particular skill level.

The class must have 6 people to run.

Be sure to wear old clothes or bring a apron and towel. Basic beginner pottery tools can be purchased here for $15. If you have any questions about the class, please email Delores at infodelorespottery@gmail.com

Students must be 18 years or older. Some exceptions can be made. Contact Delores with requests before registering your child.

We do not offer personal make up days since all of our classes are full.Typically instructors repeat lessons so if you miss one week you'll have the demo next time. We also offer open studio, access to the studio on the weekends and some weekday options for students to come in and practice.