While I specialize in beginners, all are welcome! Most people who come to Waveform have never been on the wheel before, or they tried it once and loved it, or they tried it once and were intimidated, confused but still intrigued. Some people come to me to revive an old hobby, or for 1:1 coaching on a particular technique. Wherever you are in the spectrum I meet you where you at. I also work with a handful of regulars if you'd like to make clay a habit.

Yes; school-aged youth are welcome in the studio, meaning your child is already well into kindergarten. Kids under 12 must take a class alongside a guardian, peer or sibling. Kids 12 and up can be in the studio independently.

Throwing is when you work with wet clay on the wheel, spinning it and pressing it with your hands until it is firmly in the center of the wheel. Once the clay is centered, you learn various techniques to create a form. It is squishy and messy and chaotic and fun!

Trimming is when you work with the piece after it has dried a little bit and become “leather hard.” The clay is no longer wet and sticky: it is more like the consistency of chocolate. When we trim, we flip our piece upside down. We secure it to the wheel and carve it with metal loop tools, changing the shape of the bottom and creating a foot. This allows for our piece to sit on top of the table in a more elegant way.

While trimming is a great way to get to know the clay in all of its forms, you do not need to sign up for a trimming class in order to visit Waveform. You can sign up for a Single Throwing class or a Claydate for 2 and I will write your name on the bottom of your work. However, if you are intrigued, come back and trim your work during a second class!

I recommend wearing clothes that you are comfortable in, stretchy pants and things that you don't mind getting clay on. Clay comes out of clothes but can be challenging to get out of jewelry. If you think of it, trim your nails beforehand. If you have long nails that you want to keep, we can make it work. As with any novel, physical activity, please make sure to let me know about any injuries, limitations or chronic pain; hydrate and eat well the day of your session!

Throwing on the wheel is a physical experience and it's important for me to have awareness around any of your limitations or needs. I practice trauma-informed care to the best of my ability, which means asking for consent with hands-on assist, and being aware of sounds and sensations that can be overstimulating or off-putting. If you have anything you would like to share with me in order to better my instruction, I am curious and open to hearing anything that you think might be relevant.

Waveform has always had an Equity Fund – whenever someone tips me, that money goes into a fund to support a sliding scale system where people pay what they can, no questions asked. This program centers BIPOC as well as folks who grew up in the Bay Area.

Waveform is a queer, non-binary space where we make room for everyone to be themselves. Knowing and making an effort to use someone’s pronouns is a standard form of affirmation and respect.

I encourage experienced students with the space and the drive to get their own wheel! Waveform utilizes beginner wheels, which are a great option for your first wheel; for resources for starting your own home studio, YouTube is incredible! You’ll get familiar with repairing plugs, reclaiming clay and CLEANING. Always cleaning. For tools and clay, Clay People in Richmond, CA is the go-to pottery supply shop for clay folk in the Bay Area.

If you’re looking for intermediate classes or the opportunity to experiment with underglaze, slip and glaze, my go-to Oakland recs are Merritt Ceramics or Clay Clubhouse. Taking a college class is also a great way to get experience, however, the time commitment can be daunting for some. For parents of small children looking for more studio time and structured camps, check out Kids ‘N’ Clay in Berkeley.

Your work will be ready 4 - 6 weeks from the date you came in for class. The studio will email you to notify you when the work is out of the kiln with instructions for pick up; please make sure to check “Updates” or your Spam folder! If you have not heard from us in 4 - 6 weeks, please reach out.