Beginning Ceramics is a year-long introductory class that explores clay as an artistic medium and as a form of visual expression. Clay is a material used by artists to create pottery, objects with utility and usefulness (sometimes called utilitarian forms), and sculptures, three-dimensional objects that visual communicate the ideas of an artist. Ceramics is a unique artistic medium because it straddles the worlds between being Craft and Fine Art. In this class, you will learn about ceramic building techniques, the stages of clay, how to treat the surface of your objects through the use of staining techniques, underglazes, and glazing, the firing processes used in ceramics, and about the history of clay and its cultural context. In addition, you will be introduced to different artistic processes, the visual elements and the principles of design, design thinking, visual thinking strategies, visual literacy & communication, and the studio habits of the mind.