ART FOUNDATIONS: Clay Handbuilding Part 2 with Portia Williams, Nov 21, 2026

Clay Handbuilding Part 2: Glazing Your Bisque Ware

with Guest Instructor Portia Williams

Same clay. More color!

Your clay pieces have survived their first trip through the kilnnow its time to bring them to life with color. In Clay Handbuilding Part 2, guest instructor Portia Williams will guide students through the next step in the ceramic process: glazing bisque-fired pottery.

Well begin by looking at what happens to clay during the bisque firing and why glazing is different from simply painting a surface. Youll explore glaze colors, finishes, application methods, and effects while learning how the choices you make now can dramatically change the appearance of your finished pottery after firing.

Then youll glaze the pieces you created in Clay Handbuilding Part 1, experimenting with color and design to make each piece uniquely your own. After class, your glazed work will be fired again in the kiln, transforming the glaze into its final finished surface.

In this workshop, you’ll:

• Learn the basics of ceramic glazes and the glazing process
• Explore different colors, finishes, and decorative possibilities
• Learn proper glaze application techniques
• Consider how glaze combinations can affect the finished piece
• Glaze your own bisque-fired pottery
• Prepare your work for its final kiln firing

Saturday, November 21 | 11:00 AM1:00 PM
$20 | All glazing materials included

Guest Instructor: Portia Williams

This workshop is designed as the follow-up to Clay Handbuilding Part 1. Students should bring their bisque-fired pieces from the first workshop to glaze during class.

After the final firing, we’ll let you know when your finished pottery is ready to pick up at Alabama Art Supply.

All skill levels are welcome.

Alabama Art Academy at Alabama Art Supply
1006 23rd Street South
Birmingham, AL 35205
205-322-4741
AlabamaArt.com

Portia Williams, Mixed Media Artist

Bold. Expressive. Transformational. Art is the process of revelation and it is my wonderful challenge to channel and interpret the unimagined and unspoken into the realm of the perceived to express beyond what the written or spoken word can convey. With each body of work, my goal is to transport the viewer to a place of imagination and wonder where with each observation, a new revelation is unveiled.

Part of theAlabama Art Academy: Art Foundations series build confidence and essential skills while discovering the materials and techniques artists use.