Foundational Wheel

Learn the foundations of wheel throwing, from centering clay and shaping cylinders to trimming and glazing your pots. A hands-on introduction for beginners, with plenty of time to practice and build confidence on the wheel.

Dates: Nov 21 – Dec 19
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Instructor: Sav Novencido
Experience: No previous experience required
What's Included: Hands-on class instruction Unlimited practice during scheduled open studio sessions, starting after week two Make as many pots as you like; keep and fire your favorites, up to one ware board

$230

Book Class

01 / Outcome

About the Class

Develop enough control to center clay, throw clean cylinders, trim them, and move finished work through glazing

02 / Scheduled Classes

01 - Nov 21, 2026

Getting Started on the Wheel

Meet your classmates, choose a favorite ceramic vessel, and tour the facility. Discuss clay’s origins and properties, then watch demonstrations and practice coning, centering, opening clay, and forming cylinders. No pieces are kept this week; the focus is on practice.

02 - Nov 28, 2026

Cylinders, Bowls & Wedging

Learn ram’s head wedging, watch cylinder and bowl demonstrations, and continue practicing. We’ll also cover removing pots from the wheel so you can keep your first pieces. Open studio begins after this class.

03 - Dec 5, 2026

Trimming & Understanding Firing

Learn to trim your pots, with additional time to make. We’ll discuss the stages of clay, bisque and glaze firing, and how cones measure heatwork.

04 - Dec 12, 2026

Final Making & Bisque Prep

Finish trimming and add handles to turn cylinders into mugs if you’d like. Pinch pots offer an introduction to handbuilding as time allows. This is the last making class: all work must be finished and set out to dry for bisque submission.

05 - Dec 19, 2026

Glazing & Final Firing

We’ll cover glaze basics and a little glaze chemistry, then demonstrate how to dip your pots in our studio glazes. Glaze your pieces, wipe the feet clean, and submit them for the final firing. Your pots will be ready to pick up one week later.

Your Instructor

Sav Novencido

Glaze and Gas kiln resident at Shared Floor in addition to being a Wheel instructor at the studio. Sav has a background in Materials Engineering and currently works at Argonne National Laboratory. Sav's work is a reflection of their commitment to understanding themselves and the world around them