Winter Light: Ceramic Candleholders

WildCraft is pleased to partner with Nola Clay, a local artist-run teaching studio, to offer this three-hour introduction to handbuilding techniques. Experienced instructors will guide students through fundamental methods including pinching, coiling, and slab construction—approaches that predate the potter's wheel and remain essential for contemporary ceramicists.

Students will gain foundational understanding of clay's behavior from initial forming through decoration, surface embellishment, and the critical stages of drying and shrinkage. The workshop covers glazing principles and firing processes, demystifying the transformation that turns malleable earth into durable ceramic.

Working with these time-honored techniques, students will create a unique set of three candle holders, each shaped by individual hands and creative vision. The intimate scale makes them ideal first projects, allowing focus on fundamental skills while creating immediately useful objects for winter evenings.

Students will choose from a selection of beautiful glaze finishes, learning how different glazes interact with clay and flame to create varied surfaces and effects

Due to the time needed to dry greenware, Nola Clay studio staff will trim, glaze and fire the work. Students will be able to pick up finished work within three weeks. Materials fees cover the creation of up to 3 pieces, if additional pieces are made during the workshop, staff can assess an appropriate fee.

This workshop takes place at Nola Clay studio in inner NE Portland.