MASTERING BIG POTS
In-Person · Brattleboro, Vermont
Five days at the wheel beside me. Seven potters, one wheel each, and the scale you have been chasing.
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
The Intensive
A week-long immersion in Brattleboro, Vermont, focusing on the foundational strategies of large-scale wheel-thrown vessels.
Curriculum
Materials: Selecting and conditioning clay bodies for scale.
Ergonomics: Techniques to minimize strain and ensure physical longevity.
Construction: Sectional stacking and spontaneous improvisation.
Technical Control: Structural joins and moisture management (torches/fans).
Design: Aesthetic and logistical considerations for monumental forms.
Requirements
Level: Intermediate to professional wheel skills.
Proficiency: Ability to comfortably center and throw 5 lbs of clay.
Logistics
Capacity: Limited to 7 participants for individualized instruction.
Equipment and materials: Dedicated wheel, storage, and shared studio tools provided; unlimited clay available
Accommodations: Students are responsible for transportation (Hartford BDL Airport) and lodging.
Inquiry: Contact for tuition details and payment plans.
Material Fees
Clay used in the workshop is covered by the tuition fee.
In cases where students wish to keep work, the charge for greenware is $2/lb. The cost of fired work is $5/lb., post-firing weight. Pickup or shipping required within 30 days of firing.
$1,800
Reserve your place with $600 today; the balance follows in two monthly payments of $600.
✓ Only seven of you, so I'm at every wheel, every day
Questions before you decide? Write to me first.
THE 2027 SESSIONS
January 20–24
Winter intensive
7 Slots
March 10–14
Early spring
7 Slots
April 7–11
Early spring
7 Slots
May 5–9
Late spring
June 30–July 4
Summer session
7 Slots
7 Slots
How payment works. Reserve with $600 today; the remaining $1,200 follows as two monthly payments of $600, completed before your week begins. The three-payment option is offered while a session is more than ten weeks away, so the earlier you reserve, the more you may spread it. Closer in, the full $1,800 is taken at booking.
$600 HOLDS YOUR PLACE
The whole thing, divided into three, finished before you arrived.
$600
Today
Your deposit holds the place the moment you book.
$600
One month on
The film puts the fundamentals in your hands, at your own pace, in your own studio.
$600
One month on
The final payment, always before you arrive.
BEFORE YOU DECIDE
Am I ready for this?
If you can comfortably centre and throw five pounds of clay, you are ready. The week is built for intermediate and professional potters who want to go larger. You needn’t arrive knowing how.
What’s provided
A dedicated wheel that is yours for the week, storage, shared studio tools, and all the clay you can use. You bring only yourself and your hands.
Getting here
Fly into Hartford (BDL), about an hour away. I’ll send lodging suggestions once you’re booked; most students stay nearby, and we share the studio by day.
Still unsure?
This is a small room, just seven of us. I would rather you arrive certain it’s right. Write to me, and I’ll answer myself.
A WORD BEFORE
YOU BOOK
I keep these weeks small on purpose. Seven potters mean I can stand at every wheel every day, and that we come to know one another’s work. We make big pots, but what people remember is the room.
If that’s the week you’ve been looking for, I’d be glad to have you.
— Stephen
CAN’T MAKE IT IN PERSON?
Join Our Online Sessions
Master the logic of scale through a curated 10-lesson digital program designed for the independent studio.