Hands-On Workshop with Hsin-Chuen Lin

Enhance your ceramic skills with an immersive intensive workshop tailored for advanced practitioners. This two-day, hands-on program is specifically designed for wheel throwers seeking to refine their techniques for enhancing and decorating the surfaces of their pottery. Hsin will impart his meticulous methods for enhancing wheel-thrown surfaces, including chattering, sgraffito carving on the leather-hard surface, creating crackle patterns with sodium silicate, and applying roller textures to thrown cylinders prior to “volumizing.” Participants will have ample opportunity to experiment with the provided tools to achieve chattering/carving textures. Additional techniques can be tailored to individual interests upon request. Hsin’s extensive followers of over 126K on YouTube underscores his exceptional ceramics expertise and effective teaching approach.

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This course is tailored for intermediate to advanced makers looking to deepen their skills and expand their creative repertoire. Beginners are encouraged to gain some experience before enrolling.

What to Know Before Class

Location & Hours

Tao of Clay

1012 Sicard St, San Diego, CA

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM both days, with a one-hour lunch break at 12:00 PM.

Clay & Materials

25 lbs of our in-house clay will be provided for use during the workshop. Additional clay is available for purchase at the studio.

We will also provide the following materials as requested by Hsin:

Cardboard cylinders

Roller textures

Propane torches

Colored slip

Newspaper

Sodium Silicate

You are welcome to bring any of your own favorite tools to use for throwing as we will not be providing tools for this workshop. We also have a shop on-site with our favorite tools for throwing and hand-building, should you need anything or are unable to bring your own.

Dress Comfortably

We’ll provide aprons, but please wear clothes you don’t mind getting messy. Short nails and tied-back hair are recommended. See our blog post for more information on how to prepare.

Firing Information

Tao of Clay is a Cone 5 electric firing studio.

Firing is not included in the workshop registration fee. However, if you would like to have your pieces fired, we offer optional firing services at $3.00 per pound. All work fired at Tao of Clay must be glazed by the participant within 2 weeks of the final day of the workshop, during our student open hours, using Tao of Clay studio glazes.

Student Open Hours:

Tuesdays: 6–9 PM

Wednesdays: 10 AM–2 PM

Fridays: 6–9 PM

Sundays: 1–5 PM

Please note: The studio may occasionally be closed for special events. Please check our studio calendar for any updates or closures that might affect student open hours.

Additional Notes:

• You will receive an email when your pieces are ready for pickup after firing.
• You will have 2 weeks from the date of that email to collect your work.
• We do not offer storage beyond that timeframe.
• If you prefer, you may take your pieces home unfired at the end of the workshop.

Shipping

If you’d like to fire and have your work shipped from Tao of Clay, we’re happy to discuss this on a case-by-case basis. All shipping costs and arrangements are the responsibility of the student.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations made more than 30 days before the start of the workshop will receive a 50% refund.

Unfortunately, no refunds can be issued within 30 days of the workshop start date.

We reserve the right to cancel the class due to low enrollment or for other necessary reasons.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please email us at info@taoofclay.com.