Listening to the Earth: A Transformative 4-Week Clay Experience
the earth speaks, may we learn to listen
A 4-Week Immersive Clay Series
In a world where we often rush past nature’s whispers, how often do we take the time to truly listen? This April, I invite you to slow down, tune in, and engage in a transformative journey with clay. The Earth Speaks: May We Learn to Listen is a four-week immersive clay series designed to deepen our relationship with the land, our ancestors, and ourselves through the sacred practice of working with earth.
About the Workshop
This 4-week container focuses on the holistic integration of our relationship to the natural cycles of the Earth, community and self, while learning about ancestral pottery techniques derived from indigenous groups of the Philippines, Mesoamerica, Asia, and Africa. While we will cover modern and traditional pottery techniques, this container will also cultivate a space to discuss and reflect on our own lineages, cultural and creative practices, and diasporic stories through the clay. Ultimately, coming to a deeper understanding of the anthropology of clay and the interweaving of humans and earth. Participants will walk away from this container with 4-5 handmade vessels. This program is intended for those who have intermediate experience with clay, although beginners are welcome.
Each week, we will focus on a different aspect of clay’s journey:
Gathering #1: Wild Clay Foraging and Intro to the Elements – 4 hrs +/-
We will open this container with the ocean and mountains in Daly City, allowing our vessels to be immersed in nature. This half day excursion is centered around the elements - water, earth, fire, air, and the fundamentals of working with wild clay.
Gathering #2: Elemental Ritual Vessel (earth, water, fire) – 3 hrs
Reflect on your own daily rituals. This elemental ritual vessel is the gift to yourself as a daily reminder of the love and commitment to your journey. Building upon the techniques from our first gathering, we will meet in the studio to create the remainder of our projects inspired by your daily rituals.
Gathering #3: Honoring Your Inner Guides and Divine Allies – 3 hrs
This session dives in the sculptural work inspired by your own cultural lineage. Clay has been used as a medium for storytelling, documentation, and ceremonial artifacts for millenia. Allow your inner guides to connect you to the people, places, practices you care deeply about, and what that can be represented as a sculpture. Draw inspiration from your background, and allow the creative flow to lead the way.
Gathering #4: Natural Finishing Techniques (glazing with natural ingredients and alternatives) – 3 hrs
In our final session, we touch on glazing and finishing of your fired vessels. Natural additives to glazes, such as egg shells, plant ashes, and wild clay. We will also cover alternative methods of firing and finishing vessels with beeswax, without the use of glaze firing.
Climate Conscious Initiative Programming
As part of our commitment to sustainability, this workshop emphasizes eco-conscious clay practices. We will focus on low-impact foraging, natural clay processing methods, and energy-efficient firing techniques. Through this practice, we honor not just the art of clay, but our responsibility to the planet.
Why Join?
This series is for those who seek to reconnect with their hands, their heritage, and the earth. It’s for artists, healers, and seekers who yearn for a more mindful and reciprocal relationship with the natural world. By engaging with clay in a intentional and intuitive way, we cultivate patience, presence, and reverence for the elemental forces that shape our lives.
Event Details
📅 Dates: 11 AM - 2 PM ~ April 27, May 4, May 11, May 18
*dates subject to change
📍 Location: Artillery Ceramics, 2751 Mission St., SF, CA
Register Here: Eventbrite Link
Spots are limited, so I encourage you to sign up early! Let’s come together to listen, shape, and honor the earth through clay.
See you in the studio! 🌿👐🏽
Mayari
