May Studio Stuff to Know

• May's Door Code is 786637 Save the code to your Notes App or take a photo of the blackboard in the wheel room so you have it in an easy to access place and don't have to remember. If you look at the handy letter keypad taped to the door, this spells SUMMER. I know, I know. The height of creativity. I went for a walk today. It was hot. And that's how we got here, haha. Don’t give anyone the door code - anyone who is signed up for a class or membership has access to this info. Handing it out kind of defeats the whole security element and we have folks who work alone in the middle of the night.

• Our (free!!!!) Coffee Talk meetup for May will be on a surface technique - Underglaze Monoprinting!!! Yay! I'm finally giving Rob a break and jumping in to teach this one. And it felt time for some surface decoration! Monoprinting is a great technique that works on pretty much everything from functional pottery to sculpture, and it's super accessible and fairly easy to learn. It gives the vibe of woodblock printing, lends an aged and imperfect tone to your work (in the best of ways) and has a visual feel that's different from other techniques. I'll show you the process, give you some tips and hints for success, chat about different ways to use this technique beyond the straightforward, and answer any questions you might have. We'll also chat about ways to layer this technique with other stuff (technique stacking!) for more variation and depth in your surfaces. Saturday, May 9th at 11am. It's free. There's coffee. There's community. Come learn a thing with me and hang out!.

• Our First Monthly Studio Potluck aka Family Meal will be this month and I'm so freaking excited, y'all We're just simply going to hang out and share a meal we made with their own dang hands. It's a pretty straightfoward thing, but, I also think sharing space and time like this is incredibly healing and there's something about going back to simple, human, communal stuff. Like with all new things you try to get going, I imagine it'll take a minute for this to grow (or for people to even realize it's happening, haha). So, I could really use some help to not only get the word out, but to help me make it something special for everyone. In addition to folks I want to just come to the potluck with their amazing selves (that's everyone reading this), I need a small subgroup who are willing to come almost every time, help me get it established, help me plan and set up and then tweak it to make it better and better and help me get the word out. So, 2 things. If you just want to come and potluck, great! That's what most folks will be doing and I'm so glad to have you. HERE is a sign up sheet, just so we have an idea of who's coming and what category of food they'll bring with and we don't end up with 24 potato salads and a bowl of sad microwave popcorn. Or, like 80 people and not enough food. Eek. Nightmare fuel for this worrywort. If you like this idea and want to help shape it/run it with me because you also think it might be healing, thank you times a zillion. There will be a section on the sign up sheet to let me know you're interested in being more involved and I'll reach out to you (with ALL the gratitude!) to chat. Also...if you can't afford to bring something to share, I get it. Stuff is insane expensive. Come anyway. We want you there. There's also lots of other ways to pitch in, so reach out. Family Meal will be on Saturday, May 23rd at 6pm.

• Our "extra help" workshop this month is for the wheel and is designed for anyone who's feeling overwhelmed or lost or who just can't seem to get centered or pull even walls. All these feelings are totally normal, but it helps to, well, have a little help. We'll look at what's happening, help identify where things aren't quite right and get you back on track. This one is perfect for Beginners through Advanced Beginners who feel like it hasn't quite clicked yet. Only $35 for a 3 hour class to deal with all the things that can go wrong on the wheel. This is the workshop that has helped so many folks at the studio feel confident with throwing and made it fun, and not frustrating, to come to the studio to create. Saturday, May 23rd 11am to 2pm. You can sign up HERE, if you're interested.

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New to the studio? Things to be aware of

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.
• 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, 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 to stay on top of everything going on this month.

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June Early Registration (active link on May 14th at 1pm)

• Make sure that you can find your "Booking Confirmed" email after you register - it will have your member page link for June in it.
• Registration will go live for everyone else on May 15th at 7am.

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When to come & practice, and when to avoid

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

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.

There's an extra Sunday in May, so no wheel class on the 31st - come on in and use the space to practice on that day.

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.

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.

Wednesday Classes:

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

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.

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

• Saturday, May 9th 11am-1:30pm or so Coffee Talk on Underglaze Monoprinting in the Handbuilding Room. FREE! Come hang out, have a coffee and a snack, and learn a surface technique. No free table space during that time.
• Saturday, May 9th 3-5pm Private Wheel Workshop - no free wheels
• Saturday, May 23rd 11am-2pm, Wheel Workshop on how to fix all the shit that's going wrong - open to anyone. $35 for a 3 hour class to help you troubleshoot and fix your throwing. HERE is a link to register, if you're interested. No free wheels during this workshop.
• Saturday, May 23rd 6pm - ??? POTLUCK! So, I'll probably be up there at about 5:30 to set up, and I honestly have no idea if we'll be taking over the whole studio, or if this first one will just be 4 people awkwardly staring at one another across the handbuilding table. I'd probably just avoid the studio this day, unless you want to come to the potluck! Sign-ups and info are under the May Stuff to know heading.

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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.

• 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 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.

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• 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.

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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.

• Instagram @gooddirt_athens

• Facebook gooddirtathens

• 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.

• YouTube Good Dirt Classes Check out our past tutorials

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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.

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