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Cream & Sugar Set.jpg
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Patterns to Pots: Hand Building with Soft Slabs with Liz Zlot Summerfield: June 12th-14th, 2026

from $550.00

Description: This workshop intends to demystify working with soft slabs and offers the essential components to creating unique slab built pots. Students will be introduced to the technique of making and working with paper patterns. They will begin with simple functional forms and expand to include components such as lids, feet, and spouts.

One full day will be dedicated to surface which includes slip trailing and the making and applying of terra sigillata. Participants will practice on premade bone dry pots they bring to the workshop.

This workshop emphasizes one-on-one interaction in a supportive, positive environment where experimentation is encouraged and individual development is nurtured.

Fee: $550. This fee includes the workshop, materials provided by the instructor, and a $20 non-refundable registration fee.

Date & Time: June 12th-13th 9:30am-5pm, June 14th 9:30am-3:30pm

Level: This workshop is designed to accommodate clay enthusiasts from advanced beginner and beyond. Ages 18+.

Format: Hands-on & Demonstration

Firing: Bisque firing is available for an additional $20. See options below. Participants may pick up fired work or request shipping for an extra fee.

Accommodations: Our “not so tiny” tiny home, The Casita, is located just steps from the teaching studio. This newly constructed home can accommodate 2 adults and has a full kitchen and bath. Additional accommodations can be found in the workshop guidehere.

Cancellation policy: 100% refund if we can fill your spot. 50% refund if we cannot fill your spot. No refund will be provided for cancellations received less than 2 weeks prior to the workshop date. We kindly ask that you refrain from participating if you are sick or have been in close contact with others who are sick. Our goal is to keep everyone healthy!

Workshop Guide: This guide includes important information specific to this workshop such as tools, materials, and more.

Waitlist: If a workshop is sold out, add the workshop to your cart, enter your email address and you will be notified when a spot opens.

Option:

Description: This workshop intends to demystify working with soft slabs and offers the essential components to creating unique slab built pots. Students will be introduced to the technique of making and working with paper patterns. They will begin with simple functional forms and expand to include components such as lids, feet, and spouts.

One full day will be dedicated to surface which includes slip trailing and the making and applying of terra sigillata. Participants will practice on premade bone dry pots they bring to the workshop.

This workshop emphasizes one-on-one interaction in a supportive, positive environment where experimentation is encouraged and individual development is nurtured.

Fee: $550. This fee includes the workshop, materials provided by the instructor, and a $20 non-refundable registration fee.

Date & Time: June 12th-13th 9:30am-5pm, June 14th 9:30am-3:30pm

Level: This workshop is designed to accommodate clay enthusiasts from advanced beginner and beyond. Ages 18+.

Format: Hands-on & Demonstration

Firing: Bisque firing is available for an additional $20. See options below. Participants may pick up fired work or request shipping for an extra fee.

Accommodations: Our “not so tiny” tiny home, The Casita, is located just steps from the teaching studio. This newly constructed home can accommodate 2 adults and has a full kitchen and bath. Additional accommodations can be found in the workshop guidehere.

Cancellation policy: 100% refund if we can fill your spot. 50% refund if we cannot fill your spot. No refund will be provided for cancellations received less than 2 weeks prior to the workshop date. We kindly ask that you refrain from participating if you are sick or have been in close contact with others who are sick. Our goal is to keep everyone healthy!

Workshop Guide: This guide includes important information specific to this workshop such as tools, materials, and more.

Waitlist: If a workshop is sold out, add the workshop to your cart, enter your email address and you will be notified when a spot opens.

Liz grew up in Northern California and was a child of both an entrepreneur and an admirer of the arts. Both parents instilled a determination and confidence in her that she could succeed at anything she worked towards.

She attended the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis to complete her Master of Fine Arts in 2004. Since graduation, she has lived and worked as a studio artist in Bakersville, North Carolina with her husband and glass artist, Scott Summerfield.

She has been an instructor and visiting artist at numerous clay facilities, colleges, and universities. She exhibits and sells her work nationally through exhibitions, galleries, and fine craft shows.  Her work resides in various permanent collections. She has been featured and on the cover of Ceramics Monthly and Clay Times magazine. She has also written several articles and recently created online instructional hand building courses to accommodate distance learners.

In 2020, she and Scott created Double Island Studio, a communal space created for art making, teaching, and learning.

“A pot is like a book…how much do I want to give away on the first page?” This thought came to me recently when I was working in the studio, and I felt the need to write it down. It is a nice reminder to myself as to why I do the things I do in my studio practice. My work tells a story intended to be “read” over several chapters.

My pots are not loud nor are they big. They are quiet and small and if one is willing to sit with them, they have a lot to tell. They are my life story; the ups and downs, who I have met along the way, and the family I have raised. They are my collected moments.

My goal is to create a dialogue with the user, and with this they might tap into unexpected memories, thoughts, and experiences. What continues to fuel my interest in the making of clay objects is a constant curiosity to fulfill a set of personal intentions. I believe this continuous search allows my work to remain relatable and timeless.”

Follow Along: @lizzlotsummerfield

Learn More: www.lzspottery.com