Handbuilding Pottery and Intro to Clay Sculpture
with Jennifer Phillips
All skill levels welcome
8 Sessions
Thursday, September 10th - October 29th, 2026 | 5:30PM - 8:30PM
Bill Hildebrand & Sam williams ceramic studio
204 S Austin St Rockport, TX
$275 For Members, $345 For Non-Members
Class Description:
Explore the versatility of clay in this engaging 8-week hand building and introductory sculpture class. Designed for beginners and experienced students alike, the course will introduce you to a range of traditional and contemporary ceramic techniques while encouraging experimentation, creativity, and individual expression.Over the eight weeks, students will learn and practice pinch pots, slab building, coil building, extruded forms, press and slump molds, and introductory ceramic sculpture techniques. Through a series of projects and demonstrations, you’ll discover how simple hand-building methods can be combined and transformed into functional, sculptural, and expressive forms.The class will emphasize learning through making, with demonstrations followed by plenty of studio time to develop your own ideas. Students will explore form, texture, surface, structure, and scale while gaining confidence working with clay without the use of a pottery wheel.The final portion of the course will focus on sculpture, giving students the opportunity to combine the techniques they’ve learned to create a more personal and ambitious piece. You’ll be encouraged to experiment with abstraction, representation, or imaginative forms and develop your own creative voice.
Techniques include:
Pinch pots and hand-shaped forms
Slab construction and joining techniques
Coil building and sculptural construction
Creating forms with clay extruders
Press molds and slump molds
Combining and altering hand-built forms
Introduction to ceramic sculpture
Surface development, texture, and finishing
No previous ceramics experience is required. Whether you're completely new to clay or looking to expand your existing hand-building skills, this class offers a supportive and playful environment to explore the possibilities of ceramic form.
About the Instructor:
Jennifer Phillips is a ceramic artist with a focus on sculptural work inspired by the natural world. Her journey in clay began in the summer of 2023, when she took her first pottery class at the Rockport Center for the Arts. Since then, she has been exploring the expressive possibilities of ceramics, blending organic forms with a deep reverence for nature’s textures, patterns, and quiet strength. Jennifer’s work often evokes a sense of stillness and connection, inviting viewers to slow down and engage with the intricate details of the natural elements she brings to life in clay.
8 Sessions
Thursdays, September 10th - October 29th, 2026 | 5:30PM - 8:30PM
$275 for Members and $345 for Non-Members
1 Bag of Clay Included, Additional Bags are $30