WORKSHOPS

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TO SCHEDULE A WORKSHOP, LECTURE, IMAGE PRESENTATION, OR DEMONSTRATION:

CALL: 256-435-4105 or 256-452-8213

I thoroughly enjoy conducting workshops with the spontaneity created from working in front of a spirited and knowledge-seeking audience while demonstrating my techniques and discussing my aesthetics and philosophies on art and design with the hope of inspiring others to make art!

Past workshops include Penland, Arrowmont, John C. Campbell Folk School, Odyssey Center, St. Pete Clay Company, The Potters Council, The Kiln Studio & Gallery, Wesleyan Potters, Snow Farm, 92 St. Y, Greenwich House Pottery, Workhouse Art Center, Snow Farm, Georgia Potters' Council, and more.

My workshops vary from a one or two-day demonstration, to a one or two-week, hands-on workshop, to a one-day lecture on glaze development or a one-week glaze development workshop. I also like to include Lynnette Hesser, my wife and pottery companion, in my workshops. Below are outlines for several of our workshops, or I can design a workshop to meet your specific needs.

Possible Workshops:

“Steve Loucks & Lynnette Hesser - Stretching Your Techniques" (Demonstration)

We conduct a one or two-day workshop where we simultaneously demonstrate the various techniques that we use to make our work while discussing our aesthetics and philosophies on art and design. Both wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques are demonstrated along with altering, embellishing, and assembling. Additional techniques include carving geometrically and organically, altering, embellishing, and assembling soft clay slabs for serving dishes, lid fit, sprigging and press molding on wooden and plaster molds.

"Steve Loucks - Complex Assembled Vessels" (Hands-On Workshop)

This is a one or two-week-long, hands-on workshop where I demonstrate and help students construct complex vessels by assembling sections that are thrown, altered, and embellished. The vessels include teapots, pitchers, and jars. The artwork is glazed using a Shino base glaze with several other glazes layered on top and fired to cone 10 in reduction.

“To Set The Table” (Hands-On Workshop)

This can be a one or two-week-long, hands-on, workshop. Both wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques are demonstrated along with altering, embellishing, and assembling. Additional techniques include carving geometrically and organically, altering, embellishing, and assembling soft clay slabs for serving dishes, lid fit, sprigging, and press molding on wooded and plaster molds. We demonstrate and help each student make their own Place Setting: Plate, Bowl, and Mug or Goblet, Napkin Holder, and a Vase. Basic glazing methods are demonstrated. Pieces finished by Wednesday morning are bisque fired and then glazed fired for the attendees to take home Friday evening. For the two-week-long workshop, additional pieces include a Teapot, Pitcher, Large Platter, and a Covered Dish. Plus, I get more involved and in-depth with glaze applications and firings.

Steve Loucks & Lynnette Hesser - "Serving with Finesse" (Hands-On Workshop)

Improve your throwing and handbuilding skills while making unique serving dishes for your special occasion or favorite foods, for example, cheese balls, shrimp cocktail, asparagus, deviled eggs, baked salmon… Learn how to enhance basic bowl forms by darting, stretching, and altering. Then, embellish them with carvings, sprigs, lids, and/or handles. We will demonstrate all the clay techniques used and more, as well as, help students individually. Serving dishes finished in time will be glazed and fired to cone 6 in the electric kiln while we continue making wonderful serving dishes all week long. All levels are welcome.

Steve Loucks & Lynnette Hesser - "Drinking Vessels with Panache" (Hands-On Workshop)

Add your own flair to drinking vessels from delicate teacups to robust growlers. Learn to carve, alter, assemble, and embellish wheel-thrown or handmade pieces with designs, pedestals, handles, stoppers, and much more. We will discuss design concepts and glazing methods, then fire early finished work to cone 6 electric while continuing to make work all week long.

Steve Loucks & Lynnette Hesser - "Bowl-ing with Cone 6 Glazes” (Hands-On Workshop)

Learn how to accentuate simple wheel-thrown bowls with carving, altering, assembling, and embellishing techniques to make them unique for a variety of occasions and purposes. Bowls finished in time will be glazed while we continue making wonderful bowls all week long. Steve will also explain and demystify glazes while demonstrating various application methods for all to use on our bowls for cone 6 electric firings. All levels are welcome.

"Demystifying Glazes" (Lecture Workshop)

This is a one-day workshop filled with lectures, demonstrations on glaze testing, and PowerPoint presentations. I explain and discuss in a simple,

non-mathematical, kitchen-method approach, what is a glaze in theory and in reality, an easy glaze testing method, how to develop your own glaze, how to adjust a glaze, and the language of glaze characteristics and qualities.

"Developing Your Own Glaze" (Hands-On Workshop)

This is a week-long, hands-on workshop. It includes all of the lectures and presentations in my "Demystifying Glazes" workshop along with hands-on glaze testing and glaze development. Each student tests and develops their own MATTE, SATIN, and GLOSSY glazes using a particular flux or influencing material. All glazes and testing information are shared. This workshop is centered around firing to cone 6 for a quick turnover of information, but the same methods and processes are the same and directly applicable for cone 10.