Instructor: Isabel Souza
Thursdays
January 9 - February 13
6pm - 9pm
Includes Thursday Open Studio: 3pm - 6pm

Thursday Evening Clay welcomes makers of all skill levels to gather and experience both the excitement and challenges that wheel-throwing has to offer. This course will outline the basics of centering clay, creating vessels, trimming work and the possibilities of glaze decoration. We will go over an array of different tools in the classroom and how we can use them to enhance our practice. For participants with prior wheel-throwing experience, I am happy to offer alternative projects and suggestions beyond the agenda for beginning students.

Isabel Souza is a ceramic artist and teacher based in Truro, Massachusetts. In 2019, Isabel graduated with a BFA from Syracuse University. She pursued several mediums including ceramics, textile design, silkscreen and fashion photography. During a semester abroad in Florence, Italy, Isabel cultivated new ideas around craftsmanship, art, and fashion that she would use to inform her own work. After graduating, Isabel returned to her hometown on Cape Cod to pursue her dream of establishing a ceramics business. Isabel’s goal as a ceramic artist is to create functional handmade objects that hold stories and add meaning to our surroundings. Her designs aim to feel personal in how they interact with the human body- whether it is a mug that we hold to our lips and cradle in our hands for warmth, a serving bowl that is passed between loved ones at a dinner table or a pair of vibrant earrings that we thread through our ears on special occasions. Isabel’s hope is that her works spark as much joy for their users as the creative process kindles for her.

Note to students:

• *(NEW) A 25lb bag of stoneware or B-Mix clay is now included in the cost of the class.
  Clay is now only purchased online. Please pay for your clay prior to requesting clay from your instructor. Please show an emailed receipt or screenshot of payment.

• Clay for these classes must be purchased from Castle Hill for technical considerations. We are a cone 10 studio offering a tan stoneware clay, a white porcelaineous clay (b-mix), and porcelain.

• If you would like a towel or apron please bring your own. Castle Hill provides all of the basic tools but feel free to bring your favorite tools and or any specialty tools. Bagged clay can stay in the classroom till the last day of class. Please bring it home even if you are in the following session so staff can give the studio a deep clean.

• Open Studio time is available for current students for $25 on both Monday and Tuesday in the Throwing room from 9am - noon and from 1pm - 4pm. Please do not enter the studio early and be cleaned up and ready to leave at the end of your session’s time.

• Open Studio Glaze time is available for current students for $25 on Monday from 9am - noon and from 1pm - 4pm. There will only be two students per glaze session. Please do not enter the studio early and be cleaned up and ready to leave at the end of your session’s time.

• If you have any questions please email the Ceramic’s Director Chris at: christophersmith@castlehill.org