Best Clay Classes In San Diego - Winter and Spring 2026
After selling out our most popular courses last year we’re excited to announce new dates to help even more students deepen their ceramic practice. At Tao of Clay, we’re passionate about supporting a growing community of artists whether you’re just beginning or looking to refine advanced techniques.
Winter and Spring Ceramics Courses
Discover the most exciting ways to grow your practice this season. Whether you're eager to master the wheel, explore sculptural forms, or experiment with a unique Japanese technique these classes offer space for curiosity, skill-building, and personal expression, all within a supportive, inspiring studio environment.
1. Intro to Throwing: Build Your Foundation (6 Weeks)
Kick off the season with this six-week, step-by-step immersion into wheel throwing. No experience required, we guide you gently but fully through wedging, centering, coning, throwing basic cylinders, shaping inward and outward, trimming, handle pulling, and glazing.
Our mindful approach, rooted in the Tao of Clay method, prioritizes why you learn each technique, not just how, so you develop confidence and clarity at each stage. Plus, you'll get access to open studio hours for extra practice.
Learn More and Sign Up For Intro To Throwing
2. Coiled Sculptures: Organicity & Clay (6 Weeks)
Immerse yourself in a sculptural journey guided by the concept of Organicity, trusting the natural rhythm of making and letting forms emerge intuitively. This immersive six-week course teaches coiling techniques to build expressive, structurally sound sculptures while nurturing your creative instincts.
Open to all skill levels, it’s ideal for those seeking a more intuitive, mindful approach to form and material.
Learn More and Sign Up For Coiled Sculptures
3. Intro to Hand-Building: Slow Making & Form (6 Weeks)
This six week course invites you to slow down and connect with clay through a tactile, meditative approach to making. Instead of focusing on the wheel, you’ll learn foundational hand building techniques rooted in tradition, including coil building, slab construction, and Kurinuki, an expressive geometric Japanese method.
Designed for beginners and those returning to clay with fresh curiosity, this class emphasizes working intuitively with your hands, developing form from the ground up, and building a deeper relationship with the material itself. We’ll also introduce basic surface design and glazing so you’ll leave with finished pieces that are both expressive and functional.
Learn More and Sign Up for Intro to Hand-Building
More at Tao of Clay:
Learn about our guest artist workshops
View our full course offerings
Learn about ceramics and mindfulness