Workshops

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.

Suggested Tools: Metal or plastic ribs, knife/wooden tools, finishing sponge, needle tool, scoring brushes and tools, small knife tool (kemper cut out knife or similar––x-acto knives not allowed)