This is a 3-week class, 2 hours per week. During our time together we will discuss the basics of building a garden stack from making a sturdy stand to important factors to consider when making and glazing your pieces. We will be shaping forms using slabs and templates, hump/slump molds and pinch pots and experimenting with ways to add texture to slabs. Maria will be using Timberline Sculptural clay body from Georgies Ceramic & clay. We will be using a variety of brand name, brush on glazes including Mayco, Amaco and Georgies Ceramic & Clay Interactive Pigments and Glazes. There will also be an emphasis on glaze testing & making the dreaded glaze test tiles. Please keep in mind that you will not complete your garden stack during our class sessions – you will have homework. Maria will be available via email (maria@mariasartspace.com) for any questions or issues that may arise while you are making your garden stack during this class.

The first class will be focused on important aspects of making a garden stack. In particular, we will discuss the construction of a sturdy stand for your whimsical garden stack, appropriate clay bodies to use, developing a theme, measuring issues and using shrinkage rulers, having filler pieces, and of course glazing. We will be making a simple garden stack form and some test tiles for glaze tests.

The second class will focus more on forms and using templates. We will be making a small bird house, perhaps a bird, and filler pieces, and test tiles for glaze tests.

Our last class will focus more on glazing and assembly of your whimsical garden stack.

Tools

• Hole Cutter: I use a Kemper (HC4) 7/8” hole cutter

• Texture Mats and Rollers

• Slump/hump molds: My favorite are:

  • The round 5 ¾”x2 ¼” diameter (CD776) from Mayco

  • The oval 7”x5 ½”x1 ¾” (CD777) from Mayco.

  • 7.5” Bowl Hump Mold from Shimpo

  • Hydro Bat Hump Molds from The Ceramic Shop

• Basic handbuilding tools

• Stand

• 10” square x 3” deep garden paver

• ½” thick rebar

• Drill

• ½” – 5/8” drill bit that will drill cement

• Cement filler