What we’ll do:

• Begin with a thick single slab of clay and a bisque mold as your foundation.

• Lay out and center your slab on the mold, turn it on the wheel to shape the initial form, then begin the reductive carving process: refining the foot, rim and interior contours.

• Further sculpt and refine, then explore finishing techniques with a curated set of tools: metal serrated ribs, sponges, plastic ribs and more. These tools will help you achieve a beautifully smooth, professional finish on your piece.

Why this workshop stands out:

• Learn directly from Olivia Tani, use slabs and bisque-fired molds in inventive ways.

• Get thoughtful one‐on‐one guidance in carving, finishing and tool technique — far beyond basic slab‐building.

• Walk away with a finished, refined plate/shallow bowl (and optional vase) ready for firing and glazing in your studio.

Who should attend:

• This workshop is ideal for participants who have some slab‐building and are comfortable working with clay on their own. Whether you’ve made simple slabs or basic wheel forms, this class will elevate your technique and expand your repertoire.

Tools and Materials

RCC will provide one bisque-fired, domed mold for use during the workshop. RCC will provide up to 25# of reclaimed clay per person, we use a Cone 6 porcelaneous stoneware. Participants may choose to purchase more clay or bring their own light colored clay to work with. No dark/red clay bodies. Please manage your own reclaim for out of house clays.

Please bring your own set of tools for this workshop - here’s what we recommend! Make sure your name or initials are written on all your items.

Banding Wheel (if you are local, we have a few for those traveling)
Ribs – metal and/or soft rubber
24 teeth per inch, long serrated Rib - highly suggested by instructor (Link)
Fettling knife
Exacto knife
Assorted wooden modelling tools
Scoring tool
Sur-form
Small Sponge

About Olivia Tani

https://www.oliviataniceramics.com/

Olivia earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2017.  Following graduation, she moved to Minneapolis, MN as a 2017-2018 Fogelberg Studio Fellowship resident artist at Northern Clay Center. Olivia continued her engagement in the Minnesota clay community and maintains a studio at Northern Clay Center and is represented in their sales gallery. Olivia has exhibited and taught around the country. In 2023, she was a visiting artist at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. In 2025, she presented at The Alabama Clay Conference and Ohio University’s Atmospheric Firing Symposium. In 2026, she teaches at the Gaya Ceramic Arts Center in Bali, Indonesia. Olivia’s writing is found in several Ceramics Monthly publications on her practice and techniques. She was recently selected as a 2024 Emerging Artist in Ceramics Monthly’s Emerging Artist Contest.

Artist Statement

I generate formally diverse and inventive objects, but speak with a coherent style and vocabulary of planes, angles, volume and compositional balance, creating a partnership of utility and sculpture. Indulging in moments of excess volume guides my formal stylization.  The attention to volume creates compositional balance, interacting with the hand, the eye, and light.

Building each piece has its own rhythmic and extensive process, heavily based in experimentation and spontaneity. My works are primarily slab-built and occasionally include wheel-thrown components. I approach them as a geometric puzzle, changing form with every slight adjustment to the surface planes. Each new piece begins with the general shape and the function it will serve. Building slab by slab allows for constant reflection and awareness of form. Every addition directly influences the next. This kind of control is constant throughout my practice; each section is measured, drawn, cut from paper, and made into a slab. My practice revolves around the idea of breaking down and building back up.

  Attracted to the challenge of translating an imagined three-dimensional form into a two-dimensional blueprint, I am drawn to the intersections of planes, and how that affects the composition of line, or where to create the illusion of an inflated mass, and finally, what inflation does to proportion and composition. These questions circulate until I find a language of shapes for a piece or series. The vernacular may change slightly from object to object, yet the same structural logic remains consistent. 

Ultimately, pottery evokes generosity. The fullness of the inflated elements attracts touch and interaction. I pay attention not only to form and function, but also to contact, questioning how a human body will approach and handle each object. The haptic quality of masses and volumes is attractive and engaging. I view my work as a kind of functional domestic sculpture.  In the end, the wares I make are utilitarian, yet they can stand alone as celebrations of form.

RCC Clay Participation Opportunities

Read our registration policies, refunds, and other conditions before registering.
Clay classes require some physical strength. Consider a one-time event if you are uncertain of your ability to participate.

• Fall Session Dates: Sept 7th-Nov 20th, varies by class

• Scholarships for session classes

• Gift Certificates. Share the gift of Creativity.

• FAQ’s for Classes at RCC (Learn More)

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations must be made via email to info@raincityclay.com
If you want to cancel your class, you may request a refund based on the bullet points below. Then you may rebook yourself for a class that fits better into your schedule.

Last-minute cancellations in classes are difficult to fill - please double-check your schedule before committing to an event. Refunds take several business days to process from the date we receive the email request.

• 100% of tuition (less a $15 processing fee) will be refunded if a student elects to drop a class no later than 10 days before the day of the first class meeting.

• 80% of tuition (less a $15 processing fee) will be refunded if a student drops a class within 7 days before the first class meeting.

• 50% of tuition (less a $15 processing fee) will be refunded if a student drops a class within 3 days before the first class meeting.

• 0% of tuition is refunded if cancellation is made within two days of class for any reason except for documented medical emergencies. (providing a doctor's note). There are no other exceptions to this policy.

• After this period, if a student elects to drop a class or transfer, tuition will NOT be refunded for any reason except for documented medical emergencies. (providing a doctor's note). There are no other exceptions to this policy.

• No refunds or credit will be given for missed classes. Students currently enrolled in 10-week classes may practice during open studio time to build skills even if a class is missed. One-day clay events and lessons do not come with open studio time.

• We reserve the right to cancel a class or workshop up to 3 days in advance of the first class due to insufficient enrollment. If a class is canceled, you will be offered the option of another class or a full refund.

• For some reason, should the studio have an unforeseen need to reschedule the class, you will be notified and given the option to take a class at a later date or receive a refund. Examples of these include power outage, covid flare up, or force majeure.

A minimum of 9 participants is required to run the class. If a class does not meet this, we will give advanced notice about any cancellations and a refund will be issued.