About this Workshop
In this one day workshop, Jessica will teach you the process of handbuilding a tealight. You will receive a demonstration on constructing the tealight body, and time to work on your own. Midway through the class, Jessica will switch to a leather-hard tealight body to demonstrate her relief carving technique. Students are encouraged but not required to bring a leather hard pot (handbuilt or thrown) with walls that are 1/4″-1/2″ thick to practice carving. Firing of one piece is included in this workshop.
Jessica Ayala is a Brooklyn based ceramic artist and educator. Her practice includes production pottery for the consumer: crafting individual items by hand using pinch and coil techniques, as well as forms on the wheel. She alters her forms to take new shape and pierces through them, carving out decorative negative spaces that can be accentuated by light. This method can be recognized as “devil’s work.” Her inspiration for this technique comes from the Mexican craft of Papel Picado, or “pierced paper.”
Jessica has participated in various markets throughout Brooklyn, including the Brooklyn Ceramic Arts Tour with Brooklyn Horticulture, Newcomb Pottery, and GasworksNYC. Her work was included in Michael Forester’s toy dispenser Gallery at NCECA 2024. She received a fellowship to the 2024 Asparagus Valley Tour in Massachusetts, and displayed her first sculpture piece at From Here to Sunday, in Gowanus, Brooklyn. She teaches at Clayhouse Brooklyn and GasworksNYC.
Make-Up Classes ClayHouse Brooklyn is not responsible for providing make-up classes or issuing reimbursements for classes changed or missed due to illness, emergency, COVID-19, pandemics and weather closings, substitute teachers, or other events beyond our control. Students in semester courses may make-up up to 2 missed classes by attending a similar level class within that same semester. There are no makeup classes for workshops, private lessons, or parties. Pottery Pickup Fired pottery will only be held at our studio for 1 month. Please bring your own bag to take home pottery - bags will not be provided.
Class cancellation made more than 7 days prior to the scheduled start date will be eligible to receive a full refund minus a $25 processing fee. Cancellations made less than 7 days prior to the scheduled start date will receive a 50% virtual credit that is valid for 6 months from issuance. Cancellations made within 24 hours of the class start will not be eligible for refund or credit. Please be aware that once the class begins we are unable to offer refunds, credit, transfers to other classes, or deferrals to other semesters. Our policy is non-negotiable and exceptions cannot be made. To request cancellation of a class, please email: pottery@
