Clay in Practice
Clay remembers every hand that meets it. Learn to work with that memory, with confidence, intention, and care.
Clay is one of the oldest materials humans have worked with. It holds touch, pressure, and time in a way few materials do.
Working with clay asks us to slow down, pay attention, and respond rather than control. It teaches patience, humility, and care. When we shape clay, we’re not just making objects, we’re learning how to be in relationship with a material that remembers every choice we make.
An 8-week journey shared with a group of people, combining hands on instruction, shared meals, and group conversation.
Learn foundational techniques, build confidence with clay, and develop an intentional practice. You’ll leave with personal ceramic work and a grounded relationship to the material at Drawing Room.
Join the Waitlist!
Enrollment has closed for our current session. Let us know you’re interested and you’ll be the first to know when “Clay in Practice” is enrolling again!
“Clay in Practice” Agenda
Session 1
“Design in Clay”
Introduction to techniques, material properties, and design thinking.
Session 2
“Coils & Connections”
Constructing larger forms, exploring function, ergonomics, and design.
Session 3
“Surface & Form”
Refining forms, introducing slab techniques, and surface design applications.
Session 4
“Putting It All Together”
Integrating learned techniques, developing surface design skills, and preparing for bisque firing.
Session 5
“Finishing Touches”
Continue working, exploring more design and textural techniques as we prepare for bisque firings.
Session 6
“The Art and Science of Glaze”
Exploring glaze chemistry, application methods, and the unpredictability of the firing process.
Session 7
“Glazing Continued”
Continue working on glazing your piece(s) and learn more glazing tips & tricks!
Session 8
“Showcase Night”
We’ll unveil everyone’s finished pieces, reflect on the journey, and celebrate with bites and bevs served from handmade vessels.
INCLUDED FOR ALL JOURNEYS:
Journey Group Projects!
Collaborate with other Journey members to build together! Two group projects take place each season, usually a ceramics and a board game project, one in each of our locations.
What we’ll explore
Slab Roller
Slabs are an extremely versatile way of building all kinds of ceramic objects. You’ll unlock access to our slab roller and learn advanced techniques that will open new doors!
Personal supplies to use at your own pace
At the first session, you’ll receive:
A 12 lb. bag of white stoneware to use at your own pace
Prepaid firing credit for pieces you want to fire in our kiln
Exclusive storage
Having storage access is absolutely essential for bigger, more complicated, or intricate projects. Intensive participants have access to dedicated shelf space to store your pieces between sessions, and learn how to manage moisture levels so they are workable long term.
You’ll learn about and learn to control the entire lifecycle of your ceramic pieces, from start to finish (something you don’t get with one-off claydates). How can you leverage dryness to build bigger, more stable structures?
The lifecycle of clay
Glazes
Glazes are a huge part of the ceramic process and an art in iteself. When fired, it creates the watertight, glossy protective layer that makes ceramics food-safe. You’ll learn how to apply it safely, having a hand in all aspects of your piece from start to finish.
What makes up this Intensive?
Dive deeper and build confidence
Much of Drawing Room programming is about exploration and trying new things.
While Intensives are still open-level and beginner-friendly, we dig deeper and push ourselves to gain confidence, practice, and see improvement.
Intensives are great for when you know you’re really interested in pushing yourself in a particular area.
Beyond making: a creative life
Drawing Room is all about a commitment to living a creative life. We use Intensives as an opportunity to not only actively create, but also discuss the philosophy of creativity—exploring how we can weave the practices into our daily lives with intention and purpose.
Unique program design at a great value
Each Intensive was designed by a collaborating team of practicing artists, specifically for the Drawing Room community and ethos. We not only focus on learning new skills but about connecting with the group over food, drink, and conversation.
You get a great value by committing to a recurring program, but there is truly nothing else quite like them, either!!
Recurring schedule and accountability
Each Intensive spans 8 weeks and is made up of a group of up to 16 people.
Build connections with the same group over the entire Intensive program, see each other grow, and hold yourself accountable to your commitments. We create a private group chat for you to stay in touch and organize meetups!
Drawing Room as your campus
Intensive enrollment includes the Creative Flow Membership, which includes Art Library access. Show your digital membership card to pop by during any Open Hours. Use the space to continue practicing what you learned, meet up your group, or co-work!
Get 15% off everything else with the membership, too.
Workshop supplies
All materials, supplies, and tools needed are provided on-site. Take home the pieces you create.
Our team of ceramics instructors
Instructors at Drawing Room are all practicing artists who are passionate about sharing their craft and building community. They have distinct ways of teaching, and we think there’s always something to learn from their distinct styles and practices!
Aubrey teaches workshops, intensives, and leads our ceramics department at Drawing Room! She makes pots with playfully illustrated faces and feelings.
Ivy teaches ceramics workshops and intensives. She’s inspired by the natural world around her—check out her work!
Ivy Weinglass
Aubrey Aiese
Join the mailing list!
Want to be the first to know about an upcoming season of this Journey? Join this mailing list and we’ll send you an email before everyone else so you get first dibs.
Latest from The Journal
FAQs
-
Yes, of course!
If you are already a member with a payment method on file, please use the same exact email we have on file for your membership.
Since the Creative Flow Membership is included for all Journey participants, you’ll be prorated for any days not covered by the journey, and these days will be added back at the end of the journey. This means you will not be charged again until you’ve used all the days you’ve paid for last, before signing up for a journey. (Don’t worry, we do the math for you).
Please reach out to our team at info@nycdrawingroom.com with any questions, or for help enrolling
-
If you aren’t able to make one of the dates, we will be able to share the lesson plan for the day with you and encourage you to complete the assignment so that you will be prepared for the discussions in the subsequent session.
Unlike the Cohort Program, each session builds on the last, so it’s important to try to make each one! There are currently no make-up days available due to the nature of our programming availability.
-
Yes! We offer interest-free payment plans via Klarna. Simply select that option on the payment page.
-
Intensive workshops are not open to the public and are exclusive to your group.
You can expect to see the familiar faces of your Intensive members in each of these classes, and you'll get first dibs and get to sign up for any future journeys at Drawing Room.
-
All enrollments are final. Please double check your calendar.
However, if you find you are unable to join us for the program for whatever reason after booking, you can let us know at least 7 days before the first session to get credits for a future program date. The credits cannot be individually transferred to events, they must be used in one go for the same program at a future date.
-
Absolutely!
There’s so much to learn each time you participate in an Intensive, and they’re open level, so you are encouraged to work with the instructors to push yourself.
Plus, each Intensive is a new opportunity to make new friends and share an experience with a tight knit group of people!
If after an Intensive (or two) you find you’re ready to explore other mediums or want to dive deep into another medium, you can explore our other journeys – you’ll get first dibs!
-
We’d recommend you take them one at a time! Each of our journeys are designed to be a comprehensive experience. While participating in multiple (Cohort Program AND an Intensive, for example) is not impossible, you may find yourself at Drawing Room a LOT!! Which, we’d love, but may be intense!
For context, through the Cohort Program you can expect to be at Drawing Room and average of 1-2 times per week, and the Intensive is an average of once per week.
-
All levels are welcome and will find these sessions applicable! Whether you’re:
Super new to clay or have never even touched it
Just starting out, have maybe taken one Claydate or similar workshops elsewhere
More experienced and already have a practice
Intensives are designed to both be a great entry point but also offer a repeatable structure that emphasizes community and growth in skills among fellow creatives who love the medium. See you here soon!