The December Member Page will be up on 12/1.

Until then, all the info will be last month’s news (November). Check back December 1st!

Read The November Issue of The {Good} Dirt, our Studio Zine (link inside starting 2nd week of the month)

  • The November issue is will be available to read starting the second week of the month. Pick up a hard copy in the lobby while they last or read online. I'll add a link once it's back from the printer's.

  • This little magazine has social meetup info, free studio events & get togethers, pottery tips, stories and profiles of our members, and is just a good way to connect a bit more.

  • I'm running out of steam, y'all. Help me with future issues so it's not R.I.P. Zine Yes, it's dramatic, haha, but true. I need y'alls help to keep this going. I basically am chasing folks down every month and I need some help. So, if you read this little magazine...consider contributing. Volunteer to be the spotlight artist, share your toolkit, write an Op-Ed on virtually anything create a playlist for the month, recommend artists for us to look up on IG, and let me know if you are in an event/festival. EMAIL ME and let me know!

November Studio News & Happenings (more in the monthly zine!). There's A LOT this month, including holiday gift making info, so check it out

  • November's Door Code is 263333. If you look at your phone, that spells "Coffee" on the key pad, because...coffee, and please don't share the door code.
  • The studio will be open for practice the week of Thanksgiving even though there are no classes. So, c'mon down and enjoy some extra throwing.
  • We'll be orchestrating a studio deep clean in December. Anything stored in weird places (cough cough the floor, under tables) will be tossed, so be sure to move your things by the end of the month so they don't get recycled.
  • Do we want to do a Donation Sale? A donation sale is simply where we put our work out on tables, post QR codes to local orgs doing the good work in town, and walk away. Athenians donate directly to the org as payment for a piece of pottery. It's a great way to not only clear out any old stock you have, but to have your art do some real and tangible good for our community. We usually link to: Project Safe (a domestic violence shelter/services), Athens Wellness Clinic (a free clinic), Mutual Aid (helping folks pay heating bills, get food, etc), Foodbank of NE Georgia, and Athens Immigrant Rights Coalition. If you have suggestions for other places, let me know, especially orgs that help the most vulnerable among us. Want to do the "sale"? Email me or text me (7703756909) and let me know (we need a certain amount of folks donating to make a real impact. We usually raise about 10K+ for our community!) I'd love to get other artists/makers involved, so if you belong to another group or have contacts for folks who you think might be interested, let me know.
  • This month's all-levels workshop is on glazing. If you're new or struggling/uncertain about glazing, or have had an oops (or 2), consider taking this. We’ll be covering everything from ugly results to glaze running all over the shelf and why. From bald spots to more interesting ways to glaze to just a good, thorough rundown of how to do it right, this is one I'd highly recommend you take. $35 for 3 hours of glazing help with Rob on Saturday, November 15th from 1-3pm. HERE is a link if you want to sign up.
  • Speaking of glazing...we've had some absolute horror shows recently If you're new or had a mistake, consider taking the glazing workshop and/or be sure to read the glazing doc - it's linked in a heading below and also in the green binder at the glazing counter. Don't glaze the bottom of your pieces, don't double dip all the way down to the bottom, don't ever triple dip on the outside of anything and no commercial glazes until we vet them for you. These things not only damage the kiln, but ruin other people's work, things that they've worked super hard on. Yes, mistakes will happen when you're learning, but, if you're unsure, or if you've had a piece create problems, reach out for a private lesson or take the glaze workshop. We want everyone's work to be safe. And, as we're approaching the holidays, there will be presents and highly decorated pieces going through the kiln with lots of hours in them.
  • Holiday Making Timeline - Just a reminder that Good Dirt has 250 artists and that everyone (pretty much) will be making some things for the holidays, so, if you're planning to stock a market with things you fire at Good Dirt, it probably will just make everyone sad. Southern Star rents out a whole kiln for firing, and that might be the way to go if you have a lot to fire. A dozen mugs? We got you. 75 christmas ornaments, a dozen trees, wall pockets and a 3 slab platters? Um...not so much. The extra work that come organically from folks making pieces for their family and friends, we can handle. Making goodies for a holiday sale just isn't feasible. Mugs under 6" get through the fastest, and platters/plates/wall pockets/zillions of cookie cutter ornaments/tall pieces/sculptures will take the longest. This is a reminder that the kilns are being fired and turned over constantly and that we don't fire first-come, first-served, but what will get the most through for the most folks. Be patient. Have realistic expectations, know everyone is going to do their best to make sure the work gets fired, and try to get any holiday gifts on the shelf by the end of November.
  • The next Pottery Throwdown Challenge is in December, so this gives you a head's up to make a thing and join in, if you want I'm LOVING how this group is growing, and getting to see more and more faces around the table. The throwdown is simply a studio-wide challenge to get us to break out of old patterns, get creative, and have some connection with fellow Good Dirtians. The December challenge was voted on in the last meeting and the topic is "anything you'd find in one of those holiday village sets". It doesn't literally have to be a little house, but it can. Get creative. One of the members suggested having a little display with our own Good Dirt village, where everyone contributes a piece and I LOVE that. All forms, all interpretations, all approaches - from surface decoration to handbuilding, wheel, sculpture - are welcome and wanted. We'll be meeting on Wednesday, December 17th at 8pm to share our results with one another and just celebrate as a group. Bring a snack to share if you want, BYOB, and check out what we all came up with. Come even if you didn't have time to make anything - it's great to connect and can be awesome inspo as we all share our process. Hope you'll join us!
  • This is a time where folks are experiencing unprecedented food insecurity. With SNAP in limbo, even more will go hungry. Children, the elderly, the disabled, and single mothers are the most impacted. Most folks on SNAP work full time (with the rest being elderly/children/disabled), but they are not paid living wages. In NE Georgia, 1 in 6 children faces food insecurity If you are in a position to, The Foodbank of NE Georgia is an excellent place to donate. They negotiate food at (on average) .10/lb, so money donations go much futher than food drop offs. For $2, they can provide 5 meals. HERE is their site to donate. And, if you're a member here and you are experiencing food insecurity, please let me know (Jess 770 375 6909).

New to the studio? Start Here!!!

First of all, welcome to the studio! We're really happy to have you in the space creating and giving yourself some time to de-stress, get your hands in clay, make some art and hopefully connect with some folks. It's going to sound suuuuper cheesy, but pottery is a form of therapy for me, and my happy little bubble where everything else falls away. It's the only kind of meditation I can do, haha. I hope it can be just as healing for you as it has been for me.

  • If you're brand new and doing studio membership, you'll need a shelf and some clay. EMAIL us to set up a time for a quick studio orientation and to show you where the clay is and get you a shelf. If you're in a class, your teacher will do that in the first class, so you don't need to reach out.
  • Take the time to read through the "Studio Rules to Know" section below. It will bring you up to speed on the things you likely won't cover in class/an orientation, but that you'll need to be aware of.
  • Studio Membership & Classes come with unlimited studio access. Just check the "Classes & Workshop" section below so you know when you can come in and practice.
  • We are no longer selling toolkits. 1) Most toolkits that are affordable are made in China and, well, tarrifs. 2) The alternative is Amazon and, well, we're not doing that, either. 3) The good ones are between $25-$35 and we can't afford to bulk stock them. If you're new and want a toolkit, get the one from Kemper, if you can find it (Dick Blick usually has this one, or another good one). If you go to Atlanta, Davens is a place to check out. Just go with cash so you don't overspend, haha. Look for (minimally): a trim tool, a needle tool, a wire, and a sponge.
  • Check out our glazing guide in the heading below. This doc is meant to help anyone who feels a bit unsure about glazing on their own. While not a substitute for learning in class, it is a great resource to jog your memory and give you some support. Just click on the heading "Glazing Guide" and you'll be directed to the doc.
  • We offer a special workshop each month to give everyone (and especially our newbies) some extra help (this month's workshop will be in the studio news section above, with a link). We also do private lessons, if you're feeling overwhelmed. Let us help you get over that initial steep climb of learning a thing and maybe getting frustrated in the early stages.
  • Do you need some extra support? ~ I think we could all use a little more of that right about now. If you're able, coming to the free coffee talks, coming in outside of class to hang out and practice, being vocal on our FB Group, grab the studio newsletter, and any other way that you can form connections in our little community will, I think, be a good way to lean on one another, hopefully feel safe and fully wanted, find like-minded folks, and have a little bubble to restore and reset when the world outside the studio doors feels like it's burning. Also, I'm always here for you, happy to listen, or just, ya know, do my job and answer questions and help with actual pottery things. But, I think with all the stress and uncertainty I think we're juggling, it's good to know I'm here for ALL of it. Text me anytime 770 375 6909
  • On that subject, most folks who quit pottery never come back after the first class. So, if you're feeling overwhelmed or disappointed, embarrassed or your brain tries to tell you're just "not good" at pottery (LIES!!!!!), please know that ALL of us started where you are. ALL of us flopped pots. ALL of us compared ourselves or felt frustrated. The ONLY secret to this whole thing is showing up, even when you feel like you're "failing". That failing is actually just what learning looks like and if you can stick with the discomfort, it will come, I promise it will come. And you can always reach out to me and I'll help you.
  • I hate that we're here, but with everything going on in our country, I want to be crystal clear on something: In this space, we honor and protect humans. Trans and LGBTQIA+ people are wanted and welcome here. Black and Brown people are welcome and wanted here. Immigrants -regardless of status- are welcome and wanted here. Anyone who wishes to be kind and respectful and learn from those different from themselves are welcome and wanted here. I know that's a lot and that this is just a pottery studio. But, it is also a refuge and an oasis for many who simply ask for human dignity and kindness. It's going to stay that way. *Check out the studio news heading above and grab a studio newsletter in our lobby to stay on top of everything going on this month.

December Early Registration (active link on 11/14 at 1pm)

  • The link to the Early Registration Page will be posted here on the 14th, around 1pm.
  • Make sure that you can find your "Booking Confirmed" email after you register - it will have your member page link for October in it.
  • Registration will go live for everyone else on November 15th at 7am.

November Class & Workshop Schedule (a.k.a. when to come & practice, and when to avoid)

NOTE: this will be updated as we get bookings for parties, etc, so please check before you come into the studio to practice! You can just find the day you're thinking of practicing below and see if there are any class conflicts.

Sunday Classes:

  • Try Clay Handbuilding from 2-4pm (Every Sunday)- No space in the handbuilding room for practice from about 1:30pm to 4:30pm to allow for set up & clean up for class.

  • Beginning Wheel from 7-9pm: No space to practice on the wheel.

  • No wheel class on the 30th - c'mon down and practice!

Monday Classes:

  • Handbuilding from 10am to noon: We ask that you leave the handbuilding space to the class to not interrupt.

  • Handbuilding Class from 1-3pm. We ask that you leave the handbuilding space to the class to not interrupt.

  • Advanced Beginner Wheel from 7-9pm: While there are free wheels, it is distracting for other folks to be practicing on them during class time, so please choose another time to practice.

No classes on the 24th, studio open for practice!

Tuesday Classes:

  • Intermediate/Advanced Handbuilding from 10am to noon: No available handbuilding space to practice.

  • Intermediate/Advanced Wheel from 7-9pm: While there are free wheels, it is distracting for other folks to be practicing on them during class time, so please choose another time to practice.

No classes on the 25th, studio open for practice!

Wednesday Classes:

  • Intermediate/Advanced Wheel from 10:30am to noon thirty: No available wheels for practice.

No classes on the 26th, studio open for practice!

Thursday Classes:

  • Beginning Wheel from 10am to noon: While there are free wheels, it is distracting for other folks to be practicing on them during class time, so please choose another time to practice.

  • Beginning Wheel from 7pm to 9pm: No available wheels for practice.

No classes on the 27th, studio open for practice!

Friday Classes:

  • Try Clay on the Wheel from 7-9pm (Every Friday)- No free wheels for practice from about 6:00pm to 9:30pm to allow for set up & clean up for class.

No classes on the 28th, studio open for practice!

Workshops & Parties booked (so far...this is updated frequently, so please check often)**

Even though workshops don't generally use all the equipment, it's SUPER distracting to the folks in the workshop for others to be using wheels/table space at the same time. Also, allow a bit of extra time on either side of the time slot for set up & clean up

  • Wheel Workshop Wednesday November 5th 7-9pm - NO FREE WHEELS
  • Glazing Workshop - Saturday, November 15th from 1-4pm, no free glazing space

Studio Rules to know (a must-read for newbies and not wrong for everyone to review!)

  • The studio is open 24/7 for practice, BUT, please don't come to practice on the wheel during a wheel class, or come to use the handbuilding room during a handbuilding class. (There is a whole dropdown/teal heading above with the class schedule so you know when to come in). Even if space is available during that time, it's so distracting to the folks in the class trying to learn, hear their instructor and concentrate. There's plenty of time to practice aside from our scheduled classes.

  • The door code for November is 263333

  • Please be sure to clean up thoroughly when you leave - Leave it better than you found it. We've been having some issues in this department, so remember that anything you use (wedging tables, sink, tools, sponges) needs to be cleaned up- please don't pig up a communal space. Wet clay is perfectly safe, but dry clay dust can harm our lungs, so please be sure to contribute to a clean and healthy environment for all of us.

  • Check the bisque and glaze shelves every single time you come in so your work doesn't get thrown away We'll be doing monthly culls and if you don't want your stuff recycled, please keep an eye out for it. We don't have the room for stuff to just sit there and gather dust.

  • We're a teaching studio, not a place for folks to run a business out of. We're perfect for anyone who wants to learn, be in a shared creative space, and make work for themselves/friends/family, but we don't have the kiln capacity to support a store/loads of markets etc. If that's what you need, we can help you either set up a home studio (we get 30% discount off of kiln retail) or point you in the direction of a studio that can fire a high volume of work. We don't price per shelf fired or put exact limits on what you can make and we're not interested in micromanaging or nickel and diming you. The last time we changed our prices was a 11 years ago, and we want to keep that price low and accessible to everyone. That works as long as everyone is considerate and doesn't take advantage.

  • We do not allow outside clay. Often the clays that folks want to bring in are dark/black clays which often bloat or even liquify, or speckled clays, which use manganese, which is a pretty dang unsafe material. Clays fire to specific temperature ranges, and clays with certain materials mixed in can be harmful to general studio health, can ruin an entire container of reclaim, can destroy the kiln and other work in it. If you would like to bring in outside clay, 1) we have to vet it first to make sure it will work and 2) it costs $22/bag to fire that clay at the studio, in order to cover the glazing materials and labor costs that everyone else is already paying when they buy clay from us.

  • We DO allow commercial glazes, but you have to run them by us first! Send us a link to what you want to buy so we can make sure it works with our firing schedule. If you don't and you ruin a shelf in the kiln, the replacement cost per half shelf is now $400 plus shipping & tax. So, just check with us first.

  • The greenware shelf is only for bone dry or mostly bone dry pieces, and not wet work. If you have to move a piece to fit yours on the shelf, be EXTREMELY gentle. Greenware is super fragile and bumping, stacking, picking up by a handle (gasp -NO!) are all no-nos.

  • The white "overflow" shelving in the wheel room is a place you can put larger work temporarily (ie a week or less) as you work through the steps - trimming, handles, etc. It's not meant to be additional storage.

  • All glazed pieces need the bottom wiped off (even if you used wax! Wax doesn't make glaze disappear in the kiln) and wiped back (this means don't glaze all the way to the bottom, "cut" it back.

  • Wet clay is safe...dry clay dust is not. Remember to clean up the sink area, around the glazing buckets, at the wedging table and around your wheel, all the handbuilding tools...everything you use. And, please don't just let trimmings/clay sit on top of the relcaim screen. You have to push it through when it's wet.

  • Registration opens on the 15th at 7am. Beginning Wheel Classes & Workshops tend to fill up by 8 or 9am the same day. There will be both a QR code at the studio as well as a link on this member page when early registration opens just for our students & members on the 14th each month, around midday/early afternoon

  • We're a community. This means we need to be kind to one another, help one another and take care of each other - including our shared space. Be respectful of each other and the equipment and studio that we all use. Anyone being punky first gets a good old fashioned Come-To-Jesus, and then...well, I don't know. We've never gotten that far. Let's keep it all lovey-dovey.

Glazing Guide (if you're feeling lost about how to do it)

  • HERE is a link to our to-the-point glazing guide, which should be good support for you and help jog your memory. It is NOT meant to be a stand-in for learning how to glaze. If you are unsure, please reach out and/or book a private lesson. Incorrent glazing can literally destroy shleves full of other's work and damage the kiln.

Buy Additional Clay

  • Online:

You can just use the button below and a bag of clay will be added to your cart for checkout.

cards
Powered by paypal
  • At the studio:

You can purchase more clay at the studio 2 ways: by scanning one of the QR codes above the clay boxes or leaving us a check/cash in the office. If you are paying in cash/check, since we aren’t charged any processing fees, we’re happy to just eat the sales tax cost ourselves and a bag of clay purchased this way is only $40.

Social Links (IG, FB, YT, Private Facebook Group & Dates We'll be going live on IG)

I've been silent on social for a good while - depression meant that I had to ditch it to start to heal and become sane again. Hopefully, I'll feel up to start posting again soon.

  • A Private Facebook Group for Members: HERE. This is a place to connect with each other, share your work, ask each other questions and cheer one another on.

Private Lesson Scheduling & Payment Link

  • If you'd like to schedule a one-on-one private lesson with Rob to sort out issues, learn a new form, or just troubleshoot your technique, email us and we can set up a time to work with you.
  • If you need to pay for a private lesson, just click on the button below to add a 1-hr lesson to your cart and checkout.