Advanced Beginner Wheel in Denver

Build on the basics. Advanced Beginner Wheel is six weeks on the wheel for students who have taken Intro to Wheel Throwing or can already center and throw a basic cup or bowl. Your teacher meets you where you are and helps you take the next step, refining your fundamentals and working toward more consistent, more ambitious forms.

Over six weeks you'll tighten up your centering, opening and pulling, then put it to work: throwing with larger amounts of clay; taller, wider and more varied forms; trimming; pulling and attaching handles; exploring lidded forms; and trying new glaze techniques like sgraffito and underglaze. The teacher will work to meet each student at their own pace and guide them to the next stage in their pottery journey.

Pick the night that fits. Tuesdays, 6:00 to 8:30 PM with Caitlin Ming, or Thursdays, 6:00 to 9:00 PM with Sami Foster. Each session is a small group, so your teacher has real time with each student, and it's $325 for all six classes.

Included: clay, tools, apron, our glaze library and all firing for class, plus student Open Studio during your course, so you can practice between classes. Finished pieces are ready for pickup within a week of your last class.

New to clay? Start with Intro to Wheel Throwing.

Tuesdays with Caitlin Ming

6:00 to 8:30 PM

• Oct 27
• Nov 3
• Nov 10
• Nov 17
• Dec 1
• Dec 8

No class Nov 24 (Thanksgiving week)

Thursdays with Sami Foster

6:00 to 9:00 PM

• Oct 29
• Nov 5
• Nov 12
• Nov 19
• Dec 3
• Dec 10

No class Nov 26 (Thanksgiving week)

$325 for all six classes

What each week covers

1. Week 1: Centering and pulling, tightened up. Back on the wheel with your teacher watching your centering, opening and pulling so the basics get more consistent.
2. Week 2: Throwing with larger amounts of clay; taller, wider and more varied forms. Centering and pulling more clay at once, and keeping your walls even as you push past the cylinder into taller, wider shapes.
3. Week 3: Trimming and cleaning up the foot. Trimming your pieces from the first weeks and giving each one a clean, finished foot.
4. Week 4: Pulling and attaching handles. How to pull a handle and attach it, plus more time throwing.
5. Week 5: Exploring lidded forms. Throwing a pot and a lid that fits it.
6. Week 6: Trying new glaze techniques like sgraffito and underglaze. Carving designs with sgraffito and adding color with underglaze, then glazing your pieces. We take it from there.

Your teacher sets the pace, so the order can shift a little.

Open Studio

Student Open Studio is practice time in the studio for enrolled students, and it's included with this class during your course. Come any of these times:

• Mondays, 10 AM to 6 PM
• Fridays, 10 AM to 6 PM
• Saturdays, 10 AM to 6 PM

There's no need to reserve. Wheels, tools, glazes, shelving and firing are included, and clay is available for purchase on the table near the aprons.

Open Studio is for enrolled students and is separate from Retail Studio Hours. Students don't get a keycode. Studio members get 24/7 keycode access. More about Open Studio

Good to know

• Where: Claya, 3440 Walnut St in RiNo. Street parking near 38th and Blake.
• Questions or want to see the studio? Stop by during Retail Studio Hours, Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM, Sunday by appointment.
• Wear clothes you don't mind getting clay on and keep nails short if you can. Aprons are provided.
• Need to cancel? 5 or more days before the first class: refund minus a $12 fee. Closer in: 6-month store credit. Once the class starts: no refund or credit. See cancel or switch a class.
• Want to keep going afterward? Extended Founding membership is $140/month with a 2-month minimum, and members get 24/7 keycode access after setup.
• Compare every session on the pottery classes in Denver page, or read the classes FAQ.