The Figurative Vessel with Lee Akins

Class Description

Discover the art of large-scale coil building in this immersive two-day ceramics workshop, focused on exploring the relationship between vessels and the human body. You’ll explore techniques to bring out the essence of your piece, and learn Akins’ unique decorative methods to enhance its visual appeal. Open to all skill levels, this workshop is a perfect opportunity to expand your creative expression in clay. Day 1: November 16, 10:30AM-4PM (1 hour lunch break) Under Lee's expert guidance, students will develop and conceptualize their forms and be introduced to three different distinct building methods to achieve them. Day 2: November 17, 10:30AM-4PM (1 hour lunch break) Students will finish building their pieces and explore Lee's unique surface treatments including the use of oxides, vitrified slips, underglazes, and more. Lee Akins was born in Texas and spent most of his early years in Taiwan. He received his BFA in Ceramics from The Dayton Art Institute in 1975, and M.F.A. from Southern Methodist University in Ceramics in 1986. He has taught ceramics at the college level for more than 45 years including Dallas County Community College and Colin College, Plano, TX. In 2008 he retired early and moved to New Mexico to become a full-time studio potter. He continues to teach part-time at UNM Taos and Taos Ceramics Center. Lee coil builds terracotta, creating vessels and sculptures influenced by his time in Asia. "My work seeks to combine figurative imagery with the format of the traditional clay vessel. The vessel has historically been a powerful metaphor for the body, with each part of the pot being named for the corresponding area of the body. A full lip, a gentle curve of the neck, a rotund belly or a broad shoulder all combine to provide animation to the pot... My most recent work strives toward an elegant organic form, one that is obviously a hand-made object but has an internal natural order." His work has been featured in ceramic magazines and publications including a feature article in Ceramics Monthly, August/September 2006. Instagram: @lsakins Website: www.leeakins.com

Policies

Refund Policy: - A refund or credit will be granted (minus $20 processing fee) if a cancellation request is received at least TWO WEEKS prior to the day of class - For cancellation requests placed 48 hours or less prior to class date, a credit (no refund) MAY be granted ONLY if your spot can be filled - If multi-day workshop, no refunds or credits are granted after attending the first day - Try Days or Workshops missed due to failure to attend will not be credited Picking Up Artwork: Pieces made in Try Days take a minimum of four weeks to fully complete (bisque and glaze firing). We will email you once everything is complete and is ready to be picked up, please check your spam folder just in case! In-person pick up is required, we do not ship.

Contact Us

• South Delaware Street

  3050 South Delaware Street suite 100, San Mateo, CA, USA

  (650) 638-8139

  contact@clayroomsf.com