Helpful information for 4-week class students
Student Resources
Practice is key! Schedule open studio time to strengthen your skills.
Don’t forget to track your clay! Pieces take approximately 2 weeks to fire.
Book a glaze appointment and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Have fun and keep making cool things!
Keep track of what you fire
Don’t forget to track your clay use! Beginner students can fire up to 5lbs of clay per session, intermediate & advanced students can fire 10lbs.
Glazing & Firing Your Work
Firing What You Made
All trimming and wet work must be finished and on the bisque 'to be fired' shelf on the last Saturday of the session. Open studio time is limited, so try to finish all your work during your last class!
All students MUST track their clay use during the session. When you place work on the shelves to be bisque fired, please track your clay on your instructor's clipboard. Additional work outside your class allotment is $2/lb. Any overages can be paid for at the front desk with an instructor or >PAY FOR EXTRA CLAY.
One Important Note
Please only fire work you are proud of! Once fired, it can no longer be recycled and lasts for thousands of years. Be selective and only fire what you truly want. Unsigned, cracked, or unfinished work will not be fired.
What About Glazing?
You can schedule a glaze appointment starting ten days after your session ends to find your bisque work and glaze. During your appointment there is always an instructor available to answer any questions you might have. The second glaze firing takes ~14 days to be fired. >SCHEDULE GLAZE APPOINTMENT
We are unable to send emails once work has been fired, so it is your responsibility to come in and pick up your work. We hold on to finished unglazed bisque ware and glaze work for 7 weeks after it has been glazed, before needing to make space for new class work. We really hate throwing your work out so please don't forget to pick up!
Need help perfecting your wheel skills?
Check out our wheel throwing diagram for helpful step-by-step tips on the fundamentals.
Common class questions & answers
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When you register, you will receive a confirmation email for your class. Prior to the first day of class, you can expect to receive an introduction email from your instructor with more specifics. All the tools, aprons, and clay are ready to go for you, and we recommend you dress to get dirty. We are here to help! If you require a specific accommodation for class, please email your teacher directly or info@penguinfoot.com.
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While we encourage you to try to make it to all of your classes, sometimes life gets in the way. Open studio is the best option for making up missed class time. You can reach out to your instructor to understand what you missed during class and when might be the best time to make up that specific class. Any missed time must be made up during your four-week session.
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Practice makes perfect, particularly for ceramics. With your enrollment, you also get open studio time to come in outside of class and work. Open studio time is by appointment only and can be booked up to 5 days in advance. BOOK OPEN STUDIO TIME. Open studio time slots are limited so we cannot guarantee them as part of your class - but we do think it’s a nice bonus!
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After your class is over and your work goes through the first firing, it is ready to be glazed! You can choose from over 100 glaze combinations, colored slips, terra sigs, and oxide stains available to finish off your masterpiece. All studio glazes are included in your class. If you would like to use a commercial glaze, there are some restrictions with prior approval needed. You can reference our Commercial Glaze Studio Guide for more.
All glazing is done by appointment only. Techniques will be covered in the last week of class, and there is an instructor available during glazing appointments to give you a refresher demo or answer any questions.
Once you have glazed your work, it will go through a second firing and ready for pickup in two weeks. Pick up your work during regular open hours - no appointments are needed for pick ups! Both bisqued and glazed work is held onto for seven weeks before we sadly have to toss it to make room. An email will be sent out at the end of the third week of your session with specific dates and timelines for reference.
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If you put it on the shelf two weeks ago, check the carts for your work. We fire lots of pieces a session and the carts can get busy. Taking pictures of your work makes it easier to find later!
