Warren offers a large variety of arts courses, but Ceramics is one close to my heart…er, my hands.

Some may be intimidated by not knowing how to turn blobs of clay into art, but the truth is, you don’t have to be artistically talented to do it. In my freshman year Ceramics I class, in addition to the obligatory son/daughter of professional artists, there were student athletes, theater kids, those who just needed to fill electives, and people from all different backgrounds. From this mixed bag comes a classroom of inspiration, feeding your mind with new ideas.

As you mold the clay beneath your hands, you realize your potential. It’s exciting to see your vision come to life with each passing day. Vases, bowls, cups, plates, pots, sculptures – the possibilities are endless.

After a short review of the basics learned in Ceramics I for the stages of clay, tools, glazes, and elements of design, the class is project after project based on exploring the different methods of construction.

Though it sounds intense, your skills grow quickly from a simple small pinch pot to a fourteen inch (or taller!) coil creation of your choice.

Between projects, you can bring your imagination into physical form on the pottery wheel or slab or that thing you want to try after watching a YouTube video yesterday.  At the Almond Campus, Mr. Oddo encourages creativity and helps you pursue your personal inclinations. He gives great advice on glaze combinations and techniques to make your pottery unique. And his chill music playlist is just an added bonus to the class.

Not only can you , but you have the opportunity to take part in a special workshop for raku, a technique inspired by traditional Japanese pottery. The Art and Science Department joins together for a biannual event where we fire pottery at insanely high temperatures and put them into containers with combustible materials (light on fire!) to create a reduction atmosphere where the the clay bodies will undergo crackling and come out with a super cool effect produced by the smoke.

Tldr; if you want to get your hands dirty and make some awesome pottery that you’ll probably never have another chance in your life to experience, take this class!