-- Opening reception on Sunday evening at 7pm to meet the staff. -- Five days of Hands-on instruction from 10am to 4pm. -- Materials: Clay, glazes, colored slips -- 6 wheels, all tools, aprons -- Full sit-down lunches on workshop days. -- Picnic on the beach Tuesday evening. -- Field trips: American Museum of Ceramic Arts, sunset walk at Santa Monica Beach, Laguna Clay shopping trip. -- Daily transportation to and from the workshop venue from local hotels. -- Open studio every evening.
Teens ages 16 and up are encouraged to sign up.
Skills we will demo, coach on, and practice: For total beginners and more advanced beginners review and learn: -- Full Throwing Procedure: Center, Open, Pulling -- Perfecting surface: clean up, smoothing, trimming and smoothing rims, wet trimming -- Shaping: collaring, enlarging -- Making lids and galleys. A galley is the top edge of a pot that a lid fits into. -- Wet and Dry trimming -- Kurinuki carving and trimming -- Creating a cracky texture with sodium silicate -- Throwing large with Zac Hould -- Scraffito -- Leather hard underglazing -- Creative thinking
More: Besides a great place to work, the studio is open to the outside with the occasional deer and birds sweetening the sounds of the day. Everything you need is included -- clay, glazes, firing, aprons, all your tools, 6 pottery wheels -- all in a fully functional community studio. The studio has 8 members and you will get to meet some of them. They will be working alongside our group and assisting and helping from time to time.
Participants will make new friendships, learn new skills and techniques on the wheel, learn a little about creative meditation and have a full week of rest and relaxation with fun events sprinkled throughout the week, hiking and sunset on the beach.
Coaching and instruction is from 10 to 4 every day. Afternoons can be more self-directed time. We provide a schedule of afternoon activities for you to choose from, including coached studio time, trips and other activities. Dinner is not included but the evenings are open studio till 9pm for those who want more practice.
Location: Monrovia is at the northern and eastern most corner of Los Angeles County. It's a residential area that borders on mountains and open space. So we have wildlife visitors from time to time. It's a lovely area. To start each day you may choose to join in on a hike in the nearby mountain trails to lovely views within a one mile round trip hike. Hiking time is 9am each morning.
Transportation: We have 3 airports nearby to choose from: Los Angeles International, Ontario and Hollywood/Burbank. We don't provide transportation to and from the airport to Monrovia hotels. Transportation notes:
-- If you fly into Los Angeles International (LAX) you can catch The Flyaway bus to Union Station and get on the Gold Line train to Monrovia. Let me know and we can arrange to pick you up from the Monrovia Gold Line Station and take you to your nearby hotel. LAX is about an hour away by car from Monrovia. The Flyaway/Goldline combination takes about 2 hours, not counting waiting 20 minutes for the Flyaway. -- If you fly into Ontario airport, transportation to Monrovia hotels is available by shuttle. Check with your hotel to see if they pick up. Ontario is about 40 minutes away by car. We recommend this airport if convenient. -- Hollywood Burbank airport is also close. Shuttle, Lyft, or Uber is available to get to Monrovia which is about a 1/2 hour away.
Locally we can pick up from hotels to bring you to the studio in the mornings. Other options to get around if you don't have a car: several of the hotels have shuttles. Lyft and Uber is available and easy. We provide transportation on our field trips to the American Museum of Ceramic Art, to sunset on the beach and to Laguna Clay shopping trip and back to studio or to hotels.
Lodging: Lodging is not included. Please make your own arrangements at nearby hotels, or airbnb's. Arriving Sunday and departing the following Saturday or late Friday. There are quite a few hotels within just 2 miles of our location. Here are a few reasonably priced hotels nearby (~2 miles): -- Hilton Garden Arcadia/Pasadena, 199 N. 2nd Ave., Arcadia, CA 91006 -- Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles Pasadena/Monrovia, 700 W. Huntington Dr., Monrovia, CA 91016 -- Hampton Inn Los Angeles/Arcadia/Pasadena, 311 E. Huntington Dr., Arcadia, CA 91006
Airbnb and VRBO: Feel free to call me and I can give you a few nearby choices to contact if you prefer. It's sometimes difficult to judge distances when you don't know the area well so call or text me if needed. If you would like to share an airbnb or hotel with other participants, if you sign up early I can help make that connection too.
Meals: We provide lunch every day Mon - Fri. We can accommodate dietary needs so let us know food sensitive or special diets when you register.
Even though we don't provide breakfast and dinners. There are many really good dining options and grocery options nearby. It should not be hard to accommodate any and all dietary preferences.
Travel: We are happy to answer any questions you may have about travel to the Los Angeles area.
What to bring: Casual clothes for studio time. Sweater or Jacket for evenings. Warmer jacket or extra layers for beach. Water bottle.
Completion of work and Shipping:
Bisque fired items can be packed and shipped to you at an extra cost. If you would like studio staff to glaze your bisque items before shipping that will be an minimal extra cost as well.
Local participants can get passes to come and glaze after the retreat week during open studio hours on an ongoing basis.