November Exploring Porcelain with Hugh Remar

This workshop explores porcelain and its potential across various stages of workability, from wet and on the wheel through glazing. This workshop is predicated on the belief that porcelain is a magical and dynamic clay, one whose uses and applications are unique within the disciplines of ceramics, fine arts, architecture and industrial design. The workshop, broken into 4 distinct segments, will explore different approaches to porcelain, each week focusing on a different stage and texture.

Hugh J. Remar is an artist, often working in ceramics. With a background in architecture and as a pastry chef, Hugh’s work explores space, space, material ambiance, perceptions of luxury, and a whole list of art-school adjacent topics like rumination, obsession, perfectionism and music. He works primarily in porcelain, which he continues to think of as the most magical material on earth. He lives and works in West Hollywood, California.

Still Life Studio
850 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405

Week 1 will explore wet clay, primarily on the wheel. We will discuss throwing techniques specific to porcelain, as well as approaches to trimming. Attention will be paid to achieving translucency, preventing (or working with) warping, and throwing consistent and larger vessels with this often challenging clay. 

Week 2 will focus on clay in its leather hard stages. Working off the wheel, the class will discuss various approaches to hand-building with porcelain. Attention will be paid to slabs, coils, and the unique difficulty of affixing porcelain attachments.

Week 3 will work with bone dry clay and decorative approaches to porcelain before it goes into the kiln. A dedication portion of this installment will focus on water etching (or dry erasure), shaping porcelain into dynamic forms, fixing superficial cracks and attachments, and explore approaches to rehydration and slip decoration.

Week 4 will focus on glazing. Porcelain interacts with glazes differently than stoneware clay bodies, and certain approaches to prevent spillage and enhance translucency will be discussed. Students will also learn about historical porcelain glazes and how they work.

Materials for this course will include one bag of Laguna 550 porcelain per student, though students may choose to purchase their own and use any translucent, pure grolleg porcelain they wish (Babu and English porcelains from Laguna as well as Coleman porcelain are excellent alternatives, though slightly more expensive than 550). Of note, clays like Nara Porcelain or other white-firing clays labeled “porcelain” are not, in fact, true porcelains, and while lovely clays in their own rights, they will not behave or achieve the effects intended from this class. After all, a central goal of this course is to learn what porcelain actually is!

This course is an intermediate level, intended for students with a decent familiarly with ceramics. While experience with porcelain is by no means a prerequisite, an ability to wheel-throw, trim, hand-build and generally fabricate ceramic work with intention is necessary. The technical aspects of this course are material-specific, so if you’re not sure how to slip-and score or are still growing confidence while centering clay, it is best to take a different, more general skills-based course. You can ask your instructor about using your own clay body. They will likely be pretty accommodating.

Class sessions are two hours to allow for plenty of time for instruction, hands-on time, and Q+A with the instructor.

Throughout the month of the class, you will have the opportunity to fire up to 15 pieces with the various methods you will cover in the course. 

Potters of varying skill levels from intermediate to advanced are welcome in this class. You should have enough experience to make pieces on your own and basic familiarity with clay fabrication and making. If you've completed a Beginning Wheel or Beginning Handbuilding course and are curious about porcelain and high-fire clay bodies, this is a great next step.

Our FAQ page contains more general information about the studio and our classes. 

By enrolling in a class or workshop, you are acknowledging that you have read and understand the safety instructions and liability waiver.

Cancellations made 4 or more days before the date of class will be refunded. For cancellations made fewer than 4 full days, but more than 24 hours before the start time, a 50% refund or 50% credit toward another class or workshop will be issued. We cannot provide refunds or credits for cancellations or rescheduling requests made fewer than 24 hours before the start time of class, if you miss your class, or arrive too late to participate. 

Our classes are for adults. If you have a child under 18 interested in taking a class, please contact us before enrolling.