Hawk Circle Wilderness Education

The Native Clay Pottery Workshop

with Barry Keegan
July 17-19, 2009

Cost: $275

Food is included!

Location: Hawk Circle Cherry Valley

Pottery technology marked the end of Archaic culture in North America. More than a survival skill, it is a luxury, a primitive living skill and a form of art. This course will teach how to make both larger decorative cooking vessels as well as the fast simple two-day survival cook pot. This course will be taught by Barry Keegan, who has taught pottery since 1994. He learned to build clay pots at age 9 from Beatrice Sanford, who lived right next door. He later took a weekend course with Jeff Kalin, who was taught primitive pottery and firing by Errett Callahan. Barry also took many courses with Errett. The firing technique used in this workshop is purely Errett’s.

This workshop will cover methods of hand building pots with local natural clays ending with an outdoor firing. In this course students will learn how to locate and identify good clay, along with digging, storage and the process of refining clay. Over two days, participants will learn to use various construction methods, including “pinch-pot” and “coiling” techniques. The use of tempering, cord-wrapped paddling, shell smoothing, slip and burnishing will all be taught. The opportunity will be provided to base shaping and decoration after archaeological samples, using known styles, such as rocker-stamping, paddling, incision and impression, or free form. A cooking demonstration will be included.

Note that adequate drying and proper storage are needed before the firing of pots in an open, outdoor, primitive firing, which will be done on a separate weekend of good weather. Participants will be invited to attend the firing at no extra charge. Dates and scheduling of the firing will be discussed and coordinated at the workshop.

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