Primitive Pottery Workshop
The making and production of pottery in the American Southwest begins in early agricultural settlements and spreads throughout the region rapidly. To this day decedents of prehistoric people still make pottery similar to what their ancestors crafted and relied upon for 1,200 years. In this extensive single day workshop join Jeff Martin from Primitive Lifeways where he will take you through the process of crafting pottery using wild local native clays identical to what prehistoric people used.
When and Where?
On Saturday February 3rd 2024 starting at 10:30am and ending around 3:00 we will craft our pottery at Lake Weatherford in Weatherford, TX. We will first meet in the main parking lot at the park (look for the Primitive Lifeways truck). This park will come up on GPS when using Google or Apple Maps to navigate. This workshop is come and go as you please--most students will have pots made by 1:00
Cost?
This workshop will cost $50.00 per person. *Please register ahead of time**
What to Expect?
After taking this class you will have a clear and precise understanding on how to locate and and manipulate different clay types. Jeff will first discuss how to find clay in a dry desert environment by looking at geological features and landmarks. Once students understand what to look for, we will take clay samples and show how to process and test them for plasticity. After the clay is processed students will learn how to temper(add sand) the clay and mix it with an appropriate amount of water. Each student will then use the clay and various pottery making tools to craft their jar or bowl. During this crafting process, Jeff will guide each student through the entire process so they don't miss a single step. As always, we encourage students to ask questions throughout the workshop.
Will we Fire the Pots?
When each student finishes making their pot we recommend a slow drying process so cracks do not appear. Sometimes this drying time can last up to 1 month in time. Therefore in this workshop we will not be firing pottery. However, in the following month we will host a day workshop on firing all of the pots made by students in order to turn them into a ceramic.
