Classroom Policies

We are so excited that you have chosen to join The Little Studio family. Our studio has been successful due in large part to the conscientiousness of its students. We ask that you join us in respecting your new environment and those with whom you work, by observing the following policies.

Class Start Time

Since classes start promptly at their designated time, you may want to consider arriving a bit early, so that you can be set up and ready to go. Typically, instructors kick off the class with important announcements and demonstrations that set the tone for the class. Being on time prevents disruptions and, more importantly, exhibits respect for your instructor, your classmates, and their time.

If you plan to miss any classes, please inform your instructor as far in advance as possible. In addition, you may call the studio during office hours and your message will be given to your instructor. If you have a last‑minute conflict, please call the studio at 980‑277‑4010 to inform your instructor.

Overview of Working with Clay

This section discusses an overview of the various phases in creating a final piece. Your instructor will provide you with guidance throughout your learning process — this is intended to be a helpful overview.

Phase 1 — Shaping Your Piece

In class, you will learn how to create work, whether you are using a handbuilding technique or throwing on the wheel. This involves working with wet clay to create something called greenware, which then dries to leather-hard, and allows for trimming, carving and sculptural additions to be added. After you're done with your piece it can dry to bone dry, when it can begin the firing process.

Gathering Your Supplies / Tools

Community tools are available to all weekly students but your essential tool kit is not provided. All new students need to purchase our essential tool kit through The Potters Outpost. Additional clay, glazes, tools and other materials can be purchased online at The Potters Outpost. All clay used at The Little Studio is required to be purchased from The Potters Outpost. Purchases will be fulfilled in approximately one business day and placed on your class shelf, so please ensure you have space available.

Creating Your Piece(s)

Mark your work! Make sure that you have marked your work so that you can recognize it. Every student should note their signature every 8‑week session on our roster located in the hallway; instructors help facilitate this during the first class. Typically, ceramic artists inscribe their name or initials on the base of their work. You may prefer your own way of marking pieces, such as a stamp. The Little Studio will not fire work without any initials or maker's mark.

The Little Studio does not fire beads, ornaments, or support production work of any kind. Bead trees and other hanging methods must be purchased for firing said work. Students may be permitted to make personal‑use ornaments (we estimate 12). Bisque firing: ornaments are required to be stacked on a bisque‑fired tray. It is each student's responsibility to properly prepare their work. The Little Studio can determine that the quantity or complexity of work warrants firing fees at any time. Glaze firing will be priced case‑by‑case and can result in loading fees for kiln rentals.

Cleaning Up Your Work Area

You are required to clean up after yourself. Refer to the "Clean Up Guidelines" chapter for more information.

Phase 2 — Bisque Firing

Once you have created your work, it is time to bisque fire it.

Setting Your Piece on the Greenware Shelf

Your piece has to be 75% bone dry before it is placed on the bisqueware shelf. The thicker the work, the more time it will require. Once thoroughly dried, place it on the shelf marked GREENWARE in the kiln room.

If your work is not dry and ready to be fired when placed on the shelf, excess moisture could cause it to explode or crack. Please consider your fellow students — while you may be in a rush, there could be consequences for other students' work.

Firing of Your Piece

The Little Studio staff will fire your work at a low temperature. Though bisque firings occur regularly, please allow 1–2 weeks for the process, as frequency depends on the amount of work being produced. If your work is large or odd‑sized, expect to wait longer.

Picking Up Your Work

Once bisque fired, your work is placed on the bisque shelves and stamped when unloaded. You have 8 weeks from that date to remove your work from the "Fired" shelves. Please collect your work in a timely fashion — bisque shelves fill quickly. To ensure adequate space for the community, bisque work is kept on the shelf for 30 days, after which items are thrown away. This is monitored by a date stamp on the bottom of each piece as it comes out of the kiln.

Phase 3 — Glazing

Once you have retrieved your bisque work, it is time to glaze it. The Little Studio keeps careful controls on glazes for consistency — students should never add water to glazes. If you suspect a glaze is too thick, notify the studio manager.

Selecting Your Glaze

Glazes are available to students in the glaze room; your instructor will provide specifics about each. Tip: early on, create your own set of test tiles based on your clay body and glazes of interest — these become your color palette.

Preparing Your Work Area

Gather newspaper so tables stay clean of wax, lay it out, and place your work on it. If newspaper isn't available, thoroughly clean your workspace.

Glazing Your Piece

Wax all work and let the wax dry before glazing. Glaze bucket lids should sit behind each bucket, underside facing you — adjacent buckets must be lidded to prevent cross‑contamination. Glazes should stay covered unless actively in use. Apply wax; do not use studio sponges for wax resist. Inspect the bottom of each piece after glazing to be sure it's clean and free of glaze at least ¼ inch up from the base.

Cleaning Up Your Work Area

Leave your area cleaner than how you found it: wipe down soiled surfaces, cover all glaze buckets, clean utensils, and return tools to where you found them. Conserve water while cleaning up.

Phase 4 — Glaze Firing

Once your piece is glazed and thoroughly clean, place it on the shelf marked [GLAZED] in the kiln room. The Little Studio will glaze fire your work at a high temperature; please allow 1–2 weeks. Large or odd‑sized work may take longer.

Once glaze fired, work moves to the "Fired" shelves. Do not unload kilns — kilns are to be loaded, unloaded, and operated by The Little Studio only. Please collect finished work in a timely fashion; work left past the end of the next session will be tossed. Under no circumstances may students remove studio equipment, books, or materials from the building.

Things to Know About Our Kilns

Kiln firings occur as kilns can be filled, so frequency is directly proportional to the amount of work available. The studio aims for weekly firings. Electric kiln firings occur quite frequently; Raku kilns are reserved for students enrolled in those specific workshops.

• Please allow 1–2 weeks for the bisque firing process.
• Please allow 1–2 weeks for the electric glaze firing process.

Operation of Kilns

Kilns are NOT to be opened, tampered with, loaded, or unloaded by anyone but The Little Studio staff or approved persons.

Types of Clay We Use

Studio Clays

White Earthenware is not a studio‑use clay. All other studio‑approved clays can be found at The Potters Outpost.

Receiving Class Clay

When registering for class, you selected your preferred clay. This clay is distributed if and when you need it, at your instructor's discretion, typically once your below half a bag. Students are not permitted to have more than two bags of clay at any one time — if you'd like to try a different type, we recommend splitting a bag with a fellow student. Clay selections cannot change after a session starts, and clay does not roll over from session to session. This reinforces our core ethos: we're here to learn, grow, and create quality pottery over quantity.

Clean Up Guidelines

The condition of the studio upon your departure should be equal to or better than its condition upon your arrival. Please allow sufficient time for cleanup — 30 Minutes is normal. Thoroughly wipe clean your area and equipment, and store all your work and tools on your shelf.

Your Shelf

While you're a student, you may store items on your designated shelf space. Please don't take over additional space on an empty shelf without the Studio Manager's consent, and don't store valuables on your shelf. At the end of each term, all work and tools must be removed if you're not enrolling in the next session — The Little Studio is not responsible for items left after the last class, and remaining projects, clay, and tools will be discarded or donated.

The Kitchen

Do your part keeping the kitchen clean. If you use dishes, wash and put them away (or load the dishwasher if it's dirty). If you make coffee, you're responsible for turning off the pot and cleaning it out. Items in the refrigerator should be labeled with the tape provided, including your name and date.

Safety, Security & Policies

Students and artists are responsible for helping maintain the security of the building and should exercise responsibility and common sense in its upkeep.

Building Safety

• Make sure the door closes behind you when you enter. When you leave, make sure to lock the digital Yale padlock by swiping your hand on it or touching the "Yale" button.
• Turn off all lights if you are the last one to leave.
• No one may give entry codes to anyone without permission from James.
• Parking is permitted in the concrete lot next to the building; the grass lot to the left is overflow, and the gravel behind the building is overflow as a last resort.
• Don't leave valuables in your car — use the buddy system when leaving late at night.
• The Little Studio is not responsible for theft or injury on its premises.
• Fire extinguishers are located in the kiln room, both upstairs and downstairs.

Working Safety

• Wear protective equipment when necessary (respirators, safety goggles, rubber gloves, kiln mitts, etc.)
• A respirator must be worn at all times when mixing glazes or clay — no one may be in the area without proper safety gear while glazes are being mixed.
• Proper attire is required for raku firing: no sandals or shorts, only long pants and closed‑toe shoes.
• All artists must wear proper safety gear while in the studio. No open flames or torches are permitted.

Community

• No smoking in the Studio spaces or anywhere in the building; smoking is permitted outside and off the front porch.
• Music is fine when the instructor isn't lecturing, but anyone has the right to veto it.
• The Little Studio forbids possession of firearms or concealed weapons on the property — violators will be asked to immediately vacate the premises.
• Personal pets are not permitted, with the exception of service animals or otherwise approved by management.
• Report equipment problems immediately to the Studio Manager. If equipment seems broken, do not use it.
• Clay must be purchased through thepottersoutpost.com — we do not take cash purchases.

Drug and Alcohol Policy

To ensure a safe and peaceful environment, The Little Studio prohibits illegal drugs and the consumption or distribution of prescription medication not taken under a physician's advice. Alcohol consumption is prohibited for individuals under the legal age of 21, and members agree not to distribute alcohol to anyone under 21. Those over 21 agree to consume alcohol responsibly at all times, including at Little Studio–sponsored events. The kitchen and refrigerator may be used to store alcohol while present, but all alcohol must be removed from the premises upon departure — anything left behind is subject to removal.

Violations are reported to the Executive Director, including any resulting damages to property, equipment, or community members. The Little Studio reserves the right to suspend rights and privileges of anyone who violates this policy, and is not liable for drug‑ or alcohol‑related damage or injury occurring outside its facilities or property.

Personal Conduct Policy & Liability Waiver

While we anticipate that your fellow students will conduct themselves in a mature and generous way, it is your responsibility to immediately report any incident or allegation of harassment — whether verbal, physical, or visual — to The Little Studio management.

The Little Studio prohibits harassment on any unlawful basis, including but not limited to race, age, religion, disability, and sexual orientation. It considers harassment a major offense that can result in termination of studio rights. The Little Studio will investigate and take reasonable steps to maintain confidentiality, restricting access to information to those who need to know.

Anyone who has or uses illegal drugs on the premises will be asked to immediately leave the program. The Little Studio will not tolerate possession of firearms on the property, and reserves the right to terminate studio privileges for what it deems to be the benefit of the community.

Useful Vocabulary

Most definitions are sourced from Clay: A Studio Handbook.

Agateware

Wares featuring swirling marbleized colors from surface slip effects or marbleized colored clays.

Applique

Low‑relief clay shapes added to a scored, slurried leather‑hard surface for decoration.

Bisque Firing

Initial kiln firing in which clay sinters without vitrifying; porous but no longer softens in water.

Bloating

Firing defect where blisters from within the clay body raise large lumps on the surface.

Body Reduction

Period of reduction atmosphere induced between cone 012 and 08 to bring out iron color and speckles in the clay body, especially in high‑fired stoneware.

Bone Dry

Completely dry, brittle state clay must reach before firing.

Breaking

In glazes, the phenomenon where a glaze gives different colors in thick and thin areas.

Burnishing Clay

Polishing leather‑hard clay with a smooth hard instrument to create a soft sheen that stays glossy after firing at cone 04 or below.

Calipers

Adjustable tool for measuring inside/outside diameters, useful for making lids.

Centering Clay

Critical throwing step where the clay mass is formed into a symmetrical lump before raising walls.

Chuck

A temporary or reusable form on the wheel upon which wares may be inverted for trimming.

Clay

Widely occurring aluminum silicate material from decomposed feldspar and granite, giving clay its plastic quality.

Coil Construction

Forming method using ropelike coils of plastic clay, assembled in courses to build a vessel or sculpture.

Cones

Pyrometric cones composed of glaze material, designed to melt and bend at specific temperatures — a better firing indicator than temperature alone.

Compression

Hand or finger pressure on clay resulting in lower moisture content and denser structure; lack of it can cause S‑cracks.

Crawling

Glaze fault where glaze recedes away from an area, leaving bare clay — often from a dusty or oily surface.

Crazing

Fine surface cracks in a fired glaze — technically a fault, but often sought after, especially in raku.

Drill Mixer

Electric drill for mixing glazes, slips, and slurries.

Dunting

Serious cracking during cooling, from drawing too soon or low thermal shock resistance.

Earthenware

Low‑fired ware, usually still porous after firing — must be sealed with a vitreous glaze to be functional.

Engobe

Similar to slip but made with less clay and more flux or silica; has a sheen where slip looks dry.

Faceting

Decorating technique involving cutting or paddling flat facets into the clay surface.

Fettling Knife

Long tapered knife for trimming cast or pressed pieces and separating mold components.

Fluting

Decorating technique carving or forming vertical flutes or grooves in a surface.

Foot

The base of a ceramic piece.

Glaze Firing

Kiln firing in which glazes melt to form a smooth, glassy surface, typically after bisque firing.

Greenware

Clay before it is fired.

Grog

Crushed high‑fire clay added as filler to reduce shrinkage and give structure.

High Fire

High‑temperature firing range, usually cone 8–12, for stoneware or porcelain.

Hydrometer

Device for measuring specific gravity in slips and glazes.

Incising

Decorating technique cutting or carving shallow lines into the clay surface.

Kiln

A thermally insulated chamber that produces temperatures sufficient for hardening, drying, or chemical changes.

Leather Hard

A drying stage where clay is pliable but strong enough to handle — ideal for forming, joining, incising, and carving.

Low Fire

Low‑temperature firing range, usually below cone 02, used for bisque firing and glaze‑firing terracotta/whiteware.

Matt Glaze

Glaze featuring a dull, nonglossy surface.

Maturity

The point where a glaze reaches complete fusion or clay becomes fully vitrified.

Memory

The phenomenon where clay "remembers" the way it was formed and shrinks according to the forming method.

Mid Range

Glaze‑firing range from cone 4 to cone 7, very popular with electric kilns.

Mishima Ceramics

East Asian method creating an inlaid effect with contrasting slip applied into an incised leather‑hard design.

Overglaze

Surface decoration applied over the glaze, such as china paints and lusters.

Overspray

Droplets or dust from spraying that don't settle on the object being sprayed.

Oxidation

A firing atmosphere with sufficient oxygen for fuel to burn cleanly, affecting resulting clay and glaze colors.

Oxide Stain

Colorant applied before or after bisque firing, most effectively the latter — can also be applied over glazes.

Pinching

A method of forming clay well described by its name.

Pinholing

Glaze defect of fine pinholes in the surface, often from pinholes already present in the dry glaze coating.

Plaster

An invaluable mold‑making tool that can be poured or carved to press clay into or slipcast with.

Plasticity

Quality of moldable flexibility in damp clay — depends on particle size, water content, and aging.

Platelets

Flat, thin crystals that make up clay, creating plasticity when wet.

Porcelain

A white, highly vitrified clay body that is translucent where thin, made from a kaolin base with high flux.

Pottery

A term used to describe ceramic ware.

Pottery Bat

A throwing accessory letting freshly thrown work be removed from the wheel without damage.

Potter's Wheel

A machine used to create thrown vessels.

Press Mold

A plaster or bisque mold into which moist clay is pressed to create multiples.

Pugmill

A machine similar to a meat grinder, used to homogenize plastic clay bodies.

Raku

A low‑fire pottery process where pots are removed from the kiln as soon as the glaze melts, then cooled or reduced in a lidded bin.

Reduction

A situation where too much fuel is introduced for available oxygen, "stealing" oxygen from pots and altering clay/glaze color.

Resist

A decorative technique using a wax‑based medium to create a pattern that resists a subsequent coat of glaze or slip.

Rib

A wide, flat handled tool used to shape, smooth, or scrape clay surfaces.

S‑Cracks

S‑shaped cracks in the bottoms of wheel‑thrown pots from inadequate compression or excess water.

Salt Firing

Vapor‑glazing process where salt is introduced into the kiln firebox at high temperature.

Scoring

Incising wet or leather‑hard clay in a crosshatch pattern before applying slurry and joining pieces.

Sgraffito

Decorating technique scratching or carving through a layer of slip or glaze to reveal contrasting clay beneath.

Shard

A broken fragment of pottery.

Shivering

Dangerous glaze defect where excessive compression causes sharp chips of glaze to pop off edges or rims.

Short

Clay with insufficient plasticity that tends to fragment during forming.

Shrinkage

Permanent contraction of clay during both drying and firing.

Silica

A natural compound and key ingredient in clay and glaze; inhaling fine crystalline silica is toxic.

Slab Construction

Creating pottery or sculpture by rolling flat pieces of clay and joining them.

Slab Roller

A device for rolling out uniform slabs of clay.

Slip

Clay suspended in water, used for joining clay or as a colored decoration.

Slip Trailing

Applying decoration to wet or leather‑hard clay by flowing on lines of slip with a fine dispenser.

Slump Mold

A shallow frame or mold into which a slab of clay settles to form a vessel.

Spray Booth

An enclosure with exhaust to draw off overspray and toxic dust or fumes.

Stains

Ceramic colorants used to color overglazes, engobes, slips, and low‑fire glazes.

Stoneware

Highly vitrified ceramic fired above 2192°F, with high density and low water absorption.

Terra Sigillata

Ultra‑refined clay slip that gives a soft sheen, or high gloss if burnished while damp.

Throwing

The process of using a potter's wheel to form a centered, symmetrical vessel.

Trimming

At leather‑hard stage, removing excess clay using sharp cutting tools.

Underglaze

Colored slips applied to bone‑dry or bisque‑fired surfaces before glazing.

Vitrification

The degree of melt in a clay body responsible for its impermeability to water.

Warping

Distortion of clay forms from uneven stresses in forming, drying, or firing.

Wax Resist

Wax emulsion used to prevent slip or glaze from adhering to a clay surface.