Studio arts programs run during the summer months. They include weekend workshops and weekly classes in ceramics and painting, led by artists who are nationally known in their fields.
Ceramics
- Basics & Beyond Weekly Class
2018-CER-01
June 27 - August 29, 2018
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
$250+ $45 Materials Fee
All levels welcome
Ages: 14+Description
This weekly class will focus on learning techniques for making pots on the potters wheel. Students will be taught at their own level and class projects will be encouraged. Different types of surface treatment will be taught as well as slip decorations, trimming, glazing and finishing. Altering techniques to make oval or square forms will also be covered.
Instructors
Susan Bogen
Susan Bogen is a Studio Potter maintaining studios in NJ and the Catskill Mountains. She has taught ceramics at The Art School at the Old Church, Demarest, NJ for over 15 years. Susan works in both porcelain and stoneware. She has exhibited in various national juried shows. Her work is currently in many galleries and shops.
- Clay for Seniors Weekly Class - FULL
2018-CER-02
June 27 - August 29, 2018
9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
$165+ $45 Materials Fee
All levels welcome
Ages: 65+Description
This class is being offered to senior citizens living in the Mountain Top area who have all levels of experience handbuilding with clay. The class will focus on different hand-building techniques that will appeal to all skill levels. Come and learn to make special projects while enjoying this supportive & friendly atmosphere. Decorating and glazing will also be taught.
Instructors
Susan Beecher
Susan Beecher is a nationally recognized studio potter whose work has appeared in more than 80 national juried shows over the past 27 years. She has taught workshops and weekly classes at art centers throughout the Northeast, Florida and California. Her work has appeared in many articles and 8 books. A book exploring her work was published by Catskill Press: Susan Beecher: Wood Fired Pottery.
See more at www.susanbeecherpottery.com.
- Learn, Refresh, Refine
2018-CER-03
June 29 - July 1, 2018
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
$250+ $25 Materials Fee
All levels welcomeDescription
This three day hands on workshop gives the student the opportunity to really learn and practice new skills for making beautiful pots on the potters wheel. Students of all levels are encouraged and taught according to their own ability. Throwing,trimming, and methods for altering and handle pulling will be covered, also brush stroke decorating. Students may arrange to return to glaze their work. Students who wish to Salt Fire their work may enroll in the Sensational Salt Fire workshop & receive a 25% discount by calling the office.
Instructors
Susan Beecher
Susan Beecher is a nationally recognized studio potter whose work has appeared in more than 80 national juried shows over the past 27 years. She has taught workshops and weekly classes at art centers throughout the Northeast, Florida and California. Her work has appeared in many articles and 8 books. A book exploring her work was published by Catskill Press: Susan Beecher: Wood Fired Pottery.
See more at www.susanbeecherpottery.com.
- Sensational Salt Firing
2018-CER-04
July 6 - 8, 2018
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
$250+ $35 Materials Fee
All levels welcome
Ages: 15+Description
In this three-day workshop participants will bring 15 pieces of Cone 10 bisqueware, which we will decorate and glaze on the first day, then load the salt kiln together. Participants should bring bisqueware of different sizes—more vertical pieces (vases, pitchers, jars) than horizontal pieces (bowls). In addition students may also bring 5 to 10 very small pieces that will help to fill the kiln. We will fire the kiln together on Saturday while having good conversations. We will unload and discuss the pots and the beauty of salt firing on Sunday afternoon.
Instructors
Harry Kunhardt & Meredith Nichols
Harry Kunhardt & Meredith Nichols live and work in West Shokan, NY where they are partners in 28a Clay. They both graduated from Skidmore College and have been firing their work in wood and salt kilns. They create beautiful, thoughtful pots for daily use in the home. Their work can be found in local galleries, and most recently they were in the Philadelphia Museum Art/Craft Show as noted “Emerging Artists.”
See more at www.28aClay.com.
Susan Beecher
Susan Beecher is a nationally recognized studio potter whose work has appeared in more than 80 national juried shows over the past 27 years. She has taught workshops and weekly classes at art centers throughout the Northeast, Florida and California. Her work has appeared in many articles and 8 books. A book exploring her work was published by Catskill Press: Susan Beecher: Wood Fired Pottery.
See more at www.susanbeecherpottery.com.
- Design Decisions - FULL
2018-CER-05
July 12 - 16, 2018
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
$475+ $25 Materials Fee
All levels welcomeDescription
W hat makes a good pot? ... an expressive pot? We will ask a lot of questions and search for answers together. It has been my particular passionto take the thrown pot beyond the wheel ... out of round, discovering a world of possibilities, while holding fast to the restrictions that usefulness imposes. This workshop will encourage the exploration of those techniques and ideas: from simple immediate manipulation of the wet pot as it leaves the wheel, to the more forced imposition of form on leather hard clay ... a variety of approaches will be demonstrated.
We make endless choices about our work, often unaware: the rim thick or thin ... throwing lines visible or removed. ... how handles are attached, where the belly of the curve rests... These decisions, whether made consciously or not, radically affect the overall presence and resolution of the piece. By attempting to see the affects of our decisions and explore the vocabulary of functional pottery we may take a step in the direction of greater personal expression.
I want students to come away from this experience jazzed up about the altered pot, with the skills to continue that investigation when they leave. And to have developed a richer vocabulary of self-expression as it manifests itself in the simple pot. Work will be bisque fired as possible.
Instructors
Ellen Shankin
Ellen Shankin has been a studio potter in the mountains of Virginia since 1977. She received her B.F.A. with honors from the N.Y. State School of Ceramics at Alfred. Recipient of a 1990 National Endowment Visual Arts Fellowship Grant, and a 2001 Virginia Museum Grant, she exhibits her work nationally and has pieces in the collections of numerous Museums, including the International Museum of Ceramics at Alfred, The Mint Museum, The Taubman Museum, The Crocker and The San Angelo Museum of Art. Her work has appeared in many periodicals and books of Ceramic Art.
See more at www.ellenshankin.com
- Expressive Sculpture with Slab & Coil
2018-CER-06
July 13 - 15, 2018
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
$265+ $35 Materials Fee
All levels welcomeDescription
This workshop will focus on developing and strengthening personal expression in combining hand-building techniques and texturing for playful experimentation in basic construction for sculpture. Discussions will be encouraged concerning historical influences as well as timely modern day occurances. How do we make our pieces more expressive? Work will be bisqued as possible and participants may return for glazing.
Instructors
Tania Kravath
Tania Kravath works in clay and bronze and exhibits at the Ceres Gallery in New York City. She maintains studios in Manhattan and in West Hurley, NY. She was an art educator in New York City for 30 years. Most of her work is wood-fired and explores the connection between form and emotion and explores themes of relationship and community.
See more at www.ceresgallery.com
- Creating with Colored Clay: Simple & Exciting Ways to Enhance Cone 6 Work - FULL
2018-CER-07
July 19 - 23, 2018
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
$475+ $25 + $38 Colored Clay Fee Payable to Instructor Materials Fee
Intermediate to advancedDescription
This unique workshop will provide you with all the information you need to make glorious pieces with colored clays and slips, adding special interest to your Cone 6 process. Demonstrations will cover how to color clay and easily blend secondary colors and slips. We will create patterned canes along with colored images to use in your work. This class is mainly focused on hand-building but methods of incorporating colored clays into thrown pieces will also be demonstrated and there will be throwing assistance if needed.
Students will purchase 1 lb. each of the following colors: Robins egg blue, pink, yellow, blue, Bermuda and Green, directly from the instructor for a fee of $38. Work will be bisque fired and a Cone 6 glaze firing will be unloaded on the last day.
Instructors
Chris Campbell
Chris Campbell has been a Studio Potter in Raleigh, NC since 1991. Her career in color began after she attended a workshop taught by Jane Peiser, a famous North Carolina colored clay artist. For over 25 years she has been creating her work using her own custom colored porcelain. Her experiments with color blending, hand building techniques and pattern making have defined her style. Her Artwork is included in the collections of the SAS Institute, North Carolina State University and “Clayworks” Australia.
See more at www.ccpottery.com.
- Salt of the Earth - FULL
2018-CER-08
July 26 - 31, 2018
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
$475+ $48 Materials Fee
Intermediate to advancedDescription
We will make the most of our time together by having two firings of the kiln I think of as “Old Venerable”. Located a short distance from from the bright, cheerful studio, this well seasoned salt kiln, approximately 3 X 3 X 4’ inside, has produced some truly beautiful pots and small scale sculpture. We will be using proven slips and glazes as well as new tests we will be able to try. Participants should arrive with approximately 12 bisque-fired pots, modest in scale, made from porcelain or any stoneware clays rated for cone 8 to 10. Please no plates or wide bowls. We will glaze and wad our pots the first day and load the kiln, candling over night and firing the next day, while we are busy making pots in the studio for the second firing which will be unloaded on the last day of class. Bring your favorite tools.
Powerpoint talks will cover the historical background of salt-glazing in Europe and the U.S. Discussions will cover form/surface relationships and issues of scale and values. Please bring a personal story about a particular clay object to share with the group.
Instructors
Jack Troy
Jack Troy is a potter, teacher, and writer, from Huntingdon, PA. He has taught more than 250 workshops in the U. S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, India, and Great Britain. This past year he taught at Union University, Jackson, TN; Olympic College, Bremerton, WA; Lakeridge High School, Lake Oswego, OR; and Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts, Newcastle, ME, and at an international ceramics conference in Gulgong, Australia.He received the 2017 Watershed Legends Award.
See more at www.jacktroy.net
- Creating with Colored Clay: Simple & Exciting Ways to Enhance Cone 6 Work
2018-CER-07-02
August 2 - 6, 2018
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
$475+ $25 + $38 Colored Clay Fee Payable to Instructor Materials Fee
Intermediate to advancedDescription
SECOND SESSION ADDED DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND!
This unique workshop will provide you with all the information you need to make glorious pieces with colored clays and slips, adding special interest to your Cone 6 process. Demonstrations will cover how to color clay and easily blend secondary colors and slips. We will create patterned canes along with colored images to use in your work. This class is mainly focused on hand-building but methods of incorporating colored clays into thrown pieces will also be demonstrated and there will be throwing assistance if needed.
Students will purchase 1 lb. each of the following colors: Robins egg blue, pink, yellow, blue, Bermuda and Green, directly from the instructor for a fee of $38. Work will be bisque fired and a Cone 6 glaze firing will be unloaded on the last day.
Instructors
Chris Campbell
Chris Campbell has been a Studio Potter in Raleigh, NC since 1991. Her career in color began after she attended a workshop taught by Jane Peiser, a famous North Carolina colored clay artist. For over 25 years she has been creating her work using her own custom colored porcelain. Her experiments with color blending, hand building techniques and pattern making have defined her style. Her Artwork is included in the collections of the SAS Institute, North Carolina State University and “Clayworks” Australia.
See more at www.ccpottery.com.
- It's Electric! Exploring Form & Surface with Mid Range Glazes
2018-CER-10
August 9 - 14, 2018
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
$475+ $45 Materials Fee
Intermediate to advancedDescription
In this class a variety of forms will be covered including, cups, mugs, jars, pitchers and teapots. We will go in depth on making handles for mugs, teapots and pitchers, as well as spouts, for teapots and pitchers. This will lead into conversations about placement, ergonomics and construction. We will tackle composition of surface with a focus on inlay, sgraffito, stencil, texture, and the use of wax and slips. This will set the groundwork for resist applications and glaze placement. We will attempt to demystify glazing and share techniques and the importance of using color to accentuate inlaid and textured areas. This class will cover all the techniques for applying several glazes using wax and latex resist on bisque pots. Students are encouraged to bring source material for surface development as well as high temperature bisque ware. Pots will be bisqued as possible and there will be a Cone 8 glaze firing to be unloaded the last day.
Instructors
Doug Peltzman
Doug Peltzman is a full time studio potter residing in Shokan, New York, a small town nestled in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains. Peltzman studied painting at SVA and Pratt and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics at SUNY New Paltz in 2005. In 2010 he received his Master of Fine Arts from Penn State. He is a founding member of the Hudson Valley Pottery Tour, his pots can be found in homes & kitchens across the U.S.
See more at www.dougpeltzman.com
- Strategies for Making Unique Pots
2018-CER-11
August 16 - 21, 2018
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
$475+ $48 Materials Fee
Beginner.Description
The primary goal of this workshop is to help individuals identify their unique voice with clay while improving their wheel throwing and surface decorating techniques. This will be accomplished though slide talks, one-on-one critiques, demonstrations and hands-on making. Emphasis will be on narrowing the variables that lead to your personal aesthetic by identifying the unifying themes in your work and learning how to carry these themes and details through a variety of forms, from simple cups and bowls to serving dishes and centerpieces. Work will be fired in the salt kiln. To facilitate making and firing in one week students are asked to bring 12 bisqueware pots of cone 10 stoneware or porcelain (mostly vertical forms, no bowls or plates please) for salt firing. The course is suitable for beginning to advanced levels, some throwing experience necessary.
Instructors
Ben Krupka
Ben Krupka is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Art Department at Bard College at Simon’s Rock in Great Barrington, MA. He received his MFA from Utah State University and BFA from Frostburg State University, MD. He has been a resident artist at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, MT and resident artist and fellow at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. His work and articles have been published in Ceramics Monthly, Clay Times, Pottery Making Illustrated as well as multiple books. Ben maintains a studio in Great Barrington, MA and exhibits his work nationwide at numerous galleries and art centers.
Painting
- Chinese Brush Painting
2018-CER-12
July 21 - 22, 2018
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
$195
All levels welcome
Ages: 15+Description
Nature is the heart of Chinese Brush painting. It is intended to be a meditative and spontaneous art form, capturing the essence of an image or idea with very little attention to precise details. Come and learn the basics for this meditative art form. Using the “Four Treasures”—the brush, ink stick, ink stone and the paper—you will learn the techniques to create the “Four Gentlemen”—the bamboo, orchid, plum and chrysanthemum. Each “Gentleman” introduces a new stroke or idea and reinforces techniques already learned. Continual demonstrations will be provided through out the classes, along with individual attention. This class is appropriate for those ceramic makers who wish to have more decorating skills for their clay pieces.
Instructors
Linda Schultz
Linda Schultz has an MS in Art Education, a Certificate of Completion from the prestigious Art Farm Gallery for Studies in Chinese Brush Painting. She has studied with Professor I-Hsuing Ju and Leigh Wen for more than 20 years. She has further studied Chinese Brush Painting with master painters in the city of Jan Ying, China. Her work is in many private collections and galleries. Linda teaches Chinese Brush painting privately and has given numerous demonstrations.
- Plein Air Painting in the Catskills
2018-CER-13
September 7 - 9, 2018
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
$295
All levels welcomeDescription
This 3 day Plein Air Painting workshop is appropriate for beginners, intermediate and advanced landscape painters. The workshop will be enriched by the unique beauty of the Catskill Mountain views. Students will discover how to develop personalized sketches and studies from the foundations used by the Academy and the Hudson River School. American and European Impressionistic techniques will be discussed featuring illustrative and expressive brush-strokes. Focus will be on utilizing the student’s natural abilities to create a personalized visual narrative through this plein air experience studying the nature of art in nature. Students are free to work in oils, acrylic, pastel or watercolor. Students will receive: demonstrations & lectures; individualized guidance, one-on-one instruction, personalized and group critique. Students need to bring their own supplies. A supply & materials list will be mailed after registration.
Instructors
Dmitri Wright
Dmitri Wright is the Master Artist/Instructor for Weir Farm National Historic Site, the National Park dedicated to American Impressionism. Wright, in the tradition of John Henry Twachtman founder of the Cos Cob Art Colony, is the first artist-in-residence instructing and lecturing at the Greenwich Historic Society, the birthplace of American Impressionism. He instructs at Silvermine Art School and privately. In the U.S. and Europe he gives workshops and museum tours on ‘How to be an Impressionist’ in addition to being a judge for art shows. Wright’s most recent solo exhibition was at the Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, CT, Fall 2017.
See more at www.dmitriwright.com
Fiber Arts
- Introduction to Quilting
2018-CER-14
August 11 - 12, 2018
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
$195
All levels welcomeDescription
Does quilting fascinate, intrigue or intimidate you?
Experienced quilters and quilt instructors, Nancy Getzke and Danell Quick will take you through the basic first steps of creating a lap size or baby size quilt. The easy to follow “Stack & Slash” technique will allow participants to complete this project during the class. You will learn rotary cutting, stitching of blocks, pressing of seams to make the perfect corners, layering the quilt, straight stitch machine quilting, finishing the edges and making your personalized quilt label. Additional demonstrations will be offered for more advanced techniques. Kits will be prepared for you from beautiful “Windham Fabric,” a premium quilter’s fabric. Bring your own sewing machine or rent from The Patchwork Company, a local quilt shop in Windham, NY, for $25 for the weekend. (Must reserve and the machines will be waiting for you at the class.) The Quilt kit materials will be available for $48. payable to the instructor at class.
Bonus: The Patchwork Company, located just 10 minutes away in Windham,NY, has agreed to open the shop Saturday evening just for us to enjoy the beautiful fabrics.
Instructors
Nancy Getzke & Danell Quick
Nancy Getzke is an experienced quilter for 40 years and has enjoyed sharing the art of quilting for several years. She has created quilts and taught classes at The Patchwork Company, Windham NY, but her passion is sharing her love of Quilting along with finding “Peace in Piecing” at Christian Woman Retreats. She has recently moved out of the area but has already found a new audience in the New York Southern Tier Area to share her love of quilting.
Danell Quick, experienced quilter of many years, specializes in unique embellishment and custom quilting of her projects.
- Introduction to Weaving - FULL
2018-CER-15
August 18 - 19, 2018
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Students may stay later if they wish
$195+ $25 Materials Fee
All levels welcomeDescription
This workshop is designed to introduce the beginning weaver to the great joy of weaving on a four harness loom. You will learn about the many varieties of fiber that are used in this fascinating process. Participants will learn a selection of foundation techniques and patterns that will promote an understanding of the versatile potential of this most ancient rhythmic art that may provide you with many hours of relaxed enjoyment. This workshop is appropriate for beginners or intermediate students. Participants will go home with a completed beautiful project.
Instructors
Laura Pierce
Laura Pierce was taught by Master Weaver Norma Ingles and has been weaving for 30 years. Inspired by nature, Laura enjoys weaving household textiles and wearables in a variety of fibers and sharing her knowledge with others.