ABOUT THE WORKSHOP RETREAT
Join us August 9-14 for Hand-Turned Ceramic Pottery with Paul Briggs. In this extended, hands-on workshop, participants will explore how to build tall, wheel-like vessels using only their hands. Working from a single ball of clay, students will learn to “turn” a form through intentional pinching—lifting and shaping the walls in a manner similar to pulling on the wheel, but without the use of any machinery or added material.
Through guided demonstrations and steady practice, participants will examine how clay moves when compressed, supported, and gradually coaxed upward. Emphasis will be placed on patience, rhythm, and touch. Students will learn how to evenly distribute clay, maintain wall integrity, and grow a vessel vertically while preserving strength and balance throughout the form.
Moving beyond the familiar three-inch pinch pot, participants will work with up to five pounds of clay, developing a single, continuous pot without adding or subtracting material at any stage. Instruction will focus on hand positioning, compression techniques, and strategies for sustaining height and volume in larger pinch-formed vessels.
This workshop is best suited for those with prior experience in pinch-forming or other clay processes, as the technique requires sensitivity to moisture, thickness, and structural limits. By the end of the session, participants will have expanded their understanding of handbuilding and completed a substantial, refined vessel shaped entirely by hand.
ABOUT PAUL BRIGGS
Paul Briggs is a ceramic artist and educator who was raised in New York’s Hudson Valley, where he first encountered ceramics in the ninth grade. In the studio he found a rare sense of focus, a place where his attention could settle and deepen through making.
His interest in understanding art objects as material forms began during his undergraduate studies and has continued to shape his thinking about clay and form. Briggs has studied and taught across the fields of education, ceramics, and theology. He earned an MFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design and a PhD from Pennsylvania State University.
He currently teaches ceramic art at Alfred University, where his work as an educator centers on thoughtful engagement with material, process, and the philosophical questions embedded within creative practice.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Fees: $675 (covers workshop fees, materials, and meal plan) + $450-$600 for overnight accommodations in our Antinori Village. Follow this link for info on our accommodation options: hambidge.org/room-board
Check-in: is 1-5pm on the first day of your workshop. If this is an impossibility, please confirm any deviation in advance with staff at workshops@hambidge.org. A mandatory group orientation is held at 5pm on the date of your arrival. Departures are by 2pm on the final day of your workshop.