(This workshop is sold out, but they have a waiting list)

As intermediate throwers hone their skills, they often begin to show an affinity for working more precisely. Precision throwing can lead to sublime beauty or to mechanical repetition, leaving pots a bit stiff. As potters develop their eye along with their technical skills, they sometimes yearn to make forms that breathe – pots that show the plasticity of wet clay, even after they are fired.

While demonstrating, I will discuss principles of design and how it relates to pottery. We will cover the relationships between rims, feet, bellies, handles and spouts and talk about how our use of simple or compound curves, or possibly straight lines impact our forms. We will also discuss the use of “shape language” to help create a cohesive body of work.

This workshop will be structured for the potter with basic throwing skills, who would like to make relaxed forms that feel both well designed and more gestural. You won’t be encouraged to unlearn any of your hard-won technique, but rather to expand the ways of gently altering thrown forms.

Instructor: Steven Hill

Preparing for the workshop – Items to bring with you.
Bring all throwing and trimming tools you want to work with. Specific tools I suggest are:
Kemper S4 Stainless Steel Scraper – This is essential and their similar shape, S3, doesn’t cut it for this class!
Blue or Green Mud Tool Rib – Shape 3
Red Mud Tool rib – Shape 0 or 1
Curved rib for shaping bowls
A chamois for use on rims
Students will use either ^5 or ^10 Laguna B-mix.
Demonstrations – Most days early in the morning and again in the afternoon
Friday
Mugs, both flat bottomed and trimmed w/ foot
Handles
Saturday
Bowls / plates
Sunday
Pitchers, spouts, handles OR to be determined…
There will be time for follow-up after all demonstrations, but due to time constraints, students should not expect to finish most projects during class time. The studio will be open in the evenings for students to work. There will be a reception on Friday evening, and I will give a PowerPoint presentation.

Description: Join Steven Hill for a 4-day workshop to learn glaze application that achieves a varied, layered surface in mid-range electric firing. You will see Steven’s personal studio, receive one-on-one coaching to apply his glazes to your own work, watch a throwing demonstration, see finished glaze results, receive glaze recipes and more!

Friday, April 17th, 10am – 5pm -Lunch provided at 12:30pm-

Steven will address ways to achieve the kind of richness and surface variation in electric kilns that potters have come to associate with reduction / atmospheric firing. The basic techniques of spraying and the more advanced theories of layering and blending glazes will be explained and demonstrated. Glaze participants will wax their pots, develop a plan for glazing, and apply liner glaze.

Saturday, April 18th, 9am – 5pm -Lunch provided between 11:30am to 1:30pm-

All participants are welcome to watch as Steven shares his techniques on spraying glaze. The class will be divided into 2 groups. The morning group will glaze from 9am - 1pm and the afternoon group from 2pm – 6pm. You will be given a specific time slot to work with Steven (sign ups for the time slots will happen on Friday afternoon). Glazing takes place outside, so it is easy to observe as long as the weather is nice. Since this is a shorter work day, we encourage you to socialize with other participants or visit a couple of the galleries in the city, only a 25 minute drive away. Kilns will be loaded at the end of the day and begin firing so we can unload on Monday morning.

Sunday, April 19th, 9am – 5pm -Breakfast and Lunch provided-

Steven will begin the day with a demonstration of his approach to making gestural forms at the wheel including assembly of multiple parts and application of slip. After lunch, Steven will lecture on spraying equipment, firing cycles, and further glaze experimentation.

Monday, April 20th, 9am – 1pm, -Breakfast provided-

We will unload the kilns, discuss the fired results, and answer questions. All participants are welcome.

Participants should bring 2 vertically oriented pieces (thrown or hand built) no more than 8” h x 6”w, and 1 horizontal piece no more than 2” h x 8” w. The clay should be ^6 or ^10 porcelain or white stoneware. Pieces should be bisque fired before the workshop. Steven will be working with Standard 257 English Porcelain. If you normally work with textures or slip, feel free to use them on your pieces. Since Steven will work with each participant as they’re glazing, 3 is absolutely the maximum # of pieces!

Steven Hill Journey Workshop 2026 - 2027

Adamah Art Studios 

June 7-12, 2026

November 5-8, 2026

May 6-9, 2027

 My journey began with a summer workshop in 1972, taught by Peter Sohngen. Since the early 80’s, I have shared MY aesthetic and techniques in over 300 workshops. This workshop is different; it is about you and your relationship with clay. This journey is YOURS. – Steven Hill

 You are inspired,

You are motivated,

Begin your journey… now.

 What inspires you? Art? Music? Nature? Technology? Architecture? Each of us is capable of expressing unique individuality in our ceramic work. Is your work as personal as you would like it to be or does it seem more like a collection of techniques learned from others?

 Your journey begins with 6 days exploring your relationship with clay at Adamah Clay Studio. Through a combination of individual critique, group discussion and hands-on experimentation, you will set in motion the search for personal expression. You will leave The Journey Workshop with a plan for the upcoming year and return to your studio with focus, renewed motivation, a group of peers and a mentor to help keep you on track. 

 Who is a prime candidate for the Journey Workshop?

This workshop is perfect for the professional who feels stale, for the amateur that wants to develop their body of work, or anyone who wants to take their pottery or sculptural work to a deeper, more personal level. You should be comfortable with basic ceramic techniques, as this workshop is not technically oriented. In the past, however, people at all levels of expertise have benefited greatly from taking the Journey Workshop.

Workshop Structure:

There has been an explosion of books on creativity! I have read these 4, and think all of them can be beneficial.

·       Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert.

·       The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin.

·       Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon.

·      Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking, By David Bayles and Ted Orland.

 I’m not asking anyone to read all 4 books! If I was given that assignment I would rebel! I encourage you to look at all of them and pick one or two to add to your library and read.

 A private Facebook (or Discord) page will be set up in advance for students to communicate with each other before and during their journey, posting images, thoughts, questions, and inspiration. The Facebook page is critical to group camaraderie and motivation. For the first weeklong session, bring as much information about yourself as possible… images or examples of recent pottery or other artwork, a journal or sketchbook, music, or anything relevant to your individuality. Each day during the initial week we will spend about half of our time in class discussions and group exercises. The rest of your time will be spent working in clay, drawing, journaling, or other individualized creative activities, applying insights gained in the class. Towards the end of the initial week, you will write a personal contract to help formulate your plan for the upcoming year. As your journey progresses throughout the year, you will have the option to schedule FaceTime or Zoom critiques with Steven for $90 an hour. We will meet for a mid-year critique at Adamah Clay Studio in November 2024. In late May 2025 we will reconvene for final critiques and to share and celebrate our individual journeys. The workshop will culminate with a show and opening.

 You will NOT be learning Steven Hill’s techniques in The Journey Workshop. Instead, this workshop is designed to help you find YOUR voice in clay. Steven will push you to go deeper and discover personal ways of expressing yourself. Yes, it is true there is nothing “new” in art, but that doesn’t prevent you from bringing your own authentic spirit as a potter, sculptor, artist and human being to your personal work.

 The Journey Workshop DOES NOT INCLUDE firing at Adamah Clay Studio, unless you would like your work to be bisque fired to take with you. Work made for the show at the end of the Journey Workshop will be made and fired in your studio throughout the upcoming year.

 Workshop Schedule:

·      June 7-12, 2026 – Initial weeklong workshop at Adamah Art Studios.

o   June – October 2026 – Studio work and preparation for mid-year critique.

·      November 5-8, 2026 – Mid-year critique at Adamah Art Studios.

o   November 2026 – May 2027 – Studio work and preparation for show.·      May 6-9, 2027 – Journey final critique, show, and celebration at Adamah Art Studios.

 Additional Reading:

To find out more about Steven’s philosophy on these workshops, read the May 2007 article in Ceramics Monthly, Rethinking Ceramics Workshops. The Eight-Month Workshop: A Journey of Discovery, Steven’s article about the first Journey workshop that began at the Metchosin’ International Summer School of the Arts in Victoria, BC in July of 2007 and ended at Center Street Clay in Illinois, in March of 2008, is in the June 2008 issue of Ceramics Monthly. PDF’s of these articles can be downloaded at: http://www.stevenhillpottery.com/articles/. These two articles are feeling somewhat dated, as the process has evolved over 12 earlier Journey Workshops, but they are worthwhile reading, nonetheless.

 Steven’s most recent article, Finding Your Voice – Influences and Guidelines, October 2023 Ceramics Monthly, is essentially a blueprint for the Journey Workshop. Steven highly recommends you read it if you are interested in taking the Journey Workshop.

 If you have additional questions about the Journey Workshop you may contact Steven Hill directly at sahill@me.com or Tia Hewuse at Adamah. tia@bethelhorizons.org

More information about this workshop will be available soon!

Instructor: Steven Hill 

Dates: August 9 – 14, 2026

Time: Sunday 5:00 pm – Friday 12:00 pm

Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced

Intermediate throwers seeking to refine their work often strive for a balance between precision and fluidity. In this workshop, Steven will demonstrate design principles that make forms feel alive, discussing how elements like rims, feet, bellies, handles, and spouts, as well as curve and line choices, shape the character of each piece. Participants will explore “shape language” to build a cohesive body of work and learn gentle alterations to add gesture and ease to their forms. Beginning with drinking vessels and moving to pitchers and lidded jars, this workshop is ideal for those ready to create pottery that feels both well-designed and expressive.

Instructor: Steven Hill 

Dates: August 16 – 21, 2026

Time: Sunday 5:00 pm – Friday 12:00 pm

Skill Level: Intermediate, Advanced

In this five-day workshop, you will learn the spraying and layering techniques that gives Steven Hill Pottery its unique look. You will use Steven Hill’s glazes, Steven Hill’s spray guns, and receive coaching directly from Steven.

Sunday: Course introduction 

Monday: We will begin with everyone waxing and glazing 2 pots (1-vertical, 1-horizontal), loading a kiln, and firing. Steven will personally coach everyone spraying their pots. This firing will be unloaded on Wednesday morning.

Tuesday: Steven will address ways to achieve the kind of richness and surface variation in electric kilns that potters have come to associate with reduction / atmospheric firing. The basic techniques of spraying and the more advanced theories of layering and blending glazes will be explained and demonstrated. Students will wax their pots and develop a plan for glazing.

Wednesday: This is our main glazing day, and the class will be divided into two groups. The morning group will glaze from 9am – 12pm and the afternoon group from 1pm – 5pm. Steven will work with each student as they’re glazing to provide guidance. After the glazing is completed, the kiln(s) will be loaded, and firing will begin.

Thursday: In the morning session, Steven will throw, assemble, and apply slip to a few pots, while demonstrating his approach to making gestural forms. After lunch, Steven will lecture on spraying equipment, firing cycles, and further glaze experimentation.

Friday: We will unload the kilns and discuss the results.

Materials to bring:

• Participants should bring 4 vertically oriented pieces (thrown or hand built), no more than 8” H x 6” W and 2 horizontal pieces, no more than 2” h x 8” W. The clay should be ^6 or ^10, white stoneware, or porcelain (preferred) and the pieces should be bone dry or bisque fired. If you are taking the Gestural Throwing workshop the previous week, you do not need to bring pots, as you will make them.

• If you normally work with textures or slip, feel free to use them on your pieces for experimentation.

• Since Steven will work with each participant as they’re glazing, six is absolutely the maximum # of pieces!!! No exceptions!