Wheel Throwing for All Levels: Session 1
Instructor: Ryder Gordon
Thursdays, October 2 - November 6
9am - 12pm
6 sessions
Includes Open Studio: Thursdays, 12pm - 4pm

Ryder welcomes all levels of throwers to his Thursday morning class. He has experience instructing beginners to advanced students in all aspects of the ceramic process. In this class, students will learn how to throw on the potter’s wheel, can learn new techniques, or hone specific skills. Ryder will help students increase the amount of clay they can handle successfully, throw thinner and taller, and throw new shapes. We will practice attachments, such as handles, as well as pulling handles directly from the side of the cup. The class will focus on tableware – mugs, cups, bowls, plates, etc, but all ideas and forms of expression through clay are encouraged!

Ryder grew up in the Boston area, where he was introduced to the potter’s wheel at a young age. He graduated with a degree in art education and ceramics from UMass Dartmouth. He has studied wood, gas, and soda firing with Chris Gustin and Chris Smith, as well as raku with Stephen Branfman (to name only a few!). Ryder has instructed and assisted at The Potter’s Shop and School in Needham, Peter’s Valley School of Craft, and Castle Hill Center for the Arts. Ryder’s work is defined by pushing the limits of what can be accomplished both on and off the potter’s wheel. He creates functional pottery with shapes that bulge, grow, and swirl as well as more decorative coil-built vessels. Ryder uses glaze and atmospheric firing to highlight his complex forms, creating dynamic surfaces.