From Earth to Fire: Foraging & Firing Wild Clay

From Earth to Fire: A Journey in Southern California Wild Clay

This five-session intensive program with Atoosa Lotfi follows clay from raw earth to finished ceramic piece using locally foraged Southern California clays. Over the course of 3 weeks, students will develop a deeper connection to ceramic materials and processes by participating in guided field exploration, hands-on clay processing, making sessions, and a final beach pit-firing experience. Learn about the materials that have made ceramics possible for thousands of years, and how different cultures throughout history have worked with clay.

What you'll learn & do:

• Explore and forage from natural clay sources in the field
• Learn to identify and evaluate natural clays
• Process raw clay into a workable clay body
• Understand clay properties and how the material behaves
• Form your own project-based ceramic work in the studio
• Experience traditional outdoor pit-firing techniques
  
• Build practical, hands-on skills for future ceramic projects

The Schedule:

• January 29: Materials Lecture, (6-9p @ POT Gardens)
• January 30: Foraging field trips. (9:30-12:30p & 1:30-4:30p offsite)
• January 31: Clay Processing. (4-8p @ POT Gardens)
• February 6: Making Session (4-7p @ POT Gardens)
• February 20: Final pit firing (Dockweiler beach, time TBD)

The Rest:

• Ages 18+
• Limit 10 students
• For students & lovers of clay who are seriously interested in the medium and expanding their practice
• Especially beneficial for those with their own studios and kilns
• All levels welcome
• Payment plans available at checkout

Atoosa Lotfi (@atoosa.lotfi) is an Iranian-born ceramicist and materials scientist with formal training in ceramics. Her work is informed by a deep understanding of materials as she has participated in residencies across the United States, Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa, where she studied and worked alongside internationally recognized ceramicists. These experiences exposed her to a diverse range of clay traditions and firing techniques. Atoosa guides students through the process of understanding, sourcing, and transforming clay while fostering curiosity, experimentation, and a deeper connection to the material itself. Her teaching combines hands-on skill development with insights into the many ways people around the world have engaged with clay as a medium for creativity, utility, and expression.