Introduction to Hand Building with Jess Rossi

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Introduction to Hand Building with Jess Rossi

Wednesdays, 6 Classes

9am – 11:30pm

Offered For:

Fall Session One (Sept. 16, 23, 30, Oct. 7, 14, 21)

Fall Session Two (Nov. 4, 11, 18, 25, Dec. 2, 9)

Price:

$265

Discover and explore the endless possibilities of clay in this introduction to hand building class! Demonstrations and instruction will have an emphasis on play and experimentation.

By the end of this class, students will understand the fundamentals of hand building including pinching and pulling clay, coil building, slab building, hollowing out small scale sculptures, and basic surface decoration techniques. They will learn how to properly join clay to avoid cracks, smooth surfaces, and play with texture and surface design. Students will also be guided through the stages of a pot from greenware to bisque and then to glazing.

Purchase clay prior to your first class by calling 727-821-7162 ext. 2311 (Wed-Sat 10am-5pm).

Brown Clays:

259 Stoneware – Buff colored stoneware. Smooth enough to throw on the potter’s wheel, but strong enough to withstand most hand-building techniques. Can be fired from Cone 6 to Cone 10.

112 Speckled Brownstone – Plastic clay for wheel and modeling. Granular manganese gives speckled surface. Good in oxidation or reduction firing. Can be fired to Cone 6.

306 Stoneware – Smooth throwing body. Orange-brown in reduction. Gray at Cone 10 oxidation. Can be fired from Cone 6 to Cone 10.

Red Clays:

308 Brooklyn Red – Rich dark red colored clay. Contains grog that makes it exceptionally strong for sculpting or throwing large vessels. Can be fired to Cone 6.

108 Red with Grog – A high fire red clay with medium grog and sand for surface texture and minimal cracking and warping. Designed for sculpture, slab, and coil work. Can be fired from Cone 6 to 10.

White Clays:

240 White – Made by Standard clay. Very smooth, plastic throwing body that fires to Cone 6.

213 Porcelain – A white body formulated for Cone 6 firing. Plastic and throwable.

130 Porcelain – A white firing, high temperature plastic body. Very fine white porcelain grog enhances strength and throwability. Reduction firing: Potentially yields black specks. Can be fired from Cone 7 to Cone 10

Wear comfortable, non-restrictive clothing, keep hands free of Jewelry

Class will be held at:
Morean Center for Clay
420 22nd St S
St. Petersburg, FL 33712

Artist Bio:

Jess Rossi is a ceramic artist who graduated from Kutztown University in 2026 earning a BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in ceramics. While at Kutztown, she was heavily involved in the ceramic program where she worked as a studio technician, ceramic course assistant, and served as a Clay Club officer. Her work has been shown in the 33rd Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National 2025 in Lancaster, PA, as well as in her solo show titled “Intricacies” during the final semester of her undergraduate career at Kutztown University.

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