Shaping Stones: Intro to Ceramics with Natalia Ira Sookias - Saturdays

Description

Taught by Natalia Ira Sookias

Three Saturdays in October from 10am-1pm

Dates:  October 12, 19 & 26   

Our hands are our receptors to feel through this world. They signal to our minds and hearts how to interact with the landscapes that surround us. When connecting and attuning to our sensorial touch, the information that we gather through our finger tips can be one of our greatest sources of insight.

In this introductory workshop, we will focus on tuning the relationship between our hands, hearts, minds and material. We will strengthen our ability to listen, and feel through clay. We will develop our capability to hear what the material is telling us and allow it to lead us, rather than imposing our own expectations onto it.

Participants will learn fundamental techniques to handbuilding including pinch pots, coiling, slab building and glazing. With these techniques participants can essentially build anything, functional, abstract and everything inbetween. 

Participants are welcome to build as many pieces as they’d like throughout the duration of the workshop and will receive clay to take home with them in order to practice and develop work outside of the studio.

All pieces will be fired to cone 5 and will be ready for pick up within 3 weeks of the commencement of the workshop. All pieces that are glazed will be microwave and dishwasher safe. All experience levels welcome.

Instructor  

This workshop is taught by Sooki Studio founder, Natalia Ira Sookias. Natalia has been teaching over the last decade from the kindergarten level ranging to university graduate students in the US, Europe and the Middle East. She studied at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), Central St. Martin's and the Prince's School for Traditional Arts in London.  

Sliding Scale Pricing⁠

Sliding scale pricing is a tool for social equity. We use sliding scale pricing to make ceramics education accessible and affordable. 

There are three tiers for pricing, when signing up for a workshop, please pay on the scale what feels right to you and your current finances. This is a trust based system, only you will know what feels comfortable and possible.

The high end of the scale is the true cost. If you are someone who can afford to pay this, please do, as this offsets the price for others, allowing us to create more affordable offerings.

There are a set amount of spaces available per tier to ensure that the scale is balanced and workshop costs are covered. If a tier is sold out it means that all those spots have been spoken for. An interest free payment plan is available for all workshops, breaking the workshop cost down to smaller payments over a longer period of time.

We do our best to ensure workshops are accessible and affordable. We are continuously improving our pricing system, please reach out if you have any questions or ideas you'd like to share.

Cancellation Policy

Workshops are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend the workshop you may transfer your spot to another person, please confirm with the studio when doing so.

Accessibility 

The workshop space is ADA accessible. A bathroom is available for workshop participants that has a set of 3 stairs leading to it that is not currently ADA accessible. For any specific needs or additional questions on accessibility, please reach out. 

COVID Protocol

Participants are encouraged to take at home Covid tests prior to the workshop to ensure collective safety. As we're working in a very well ventilated environment, masks are optional. If you are experiencing any Covid like symptoms or have been exposed to someone with Covid, please stay home and get in touch.