Rites of Spring Ceramic Workshop - with Dana Sherwood

Rites of Spring Ceramic Workshop - with Dana Sherwood
April 18th, 2026 — 1:00pm–5:00pm

Celebrate the season of renewal in this hands-on ceramics workshop led by artist Dana Sherwood. Participants will adorn a bisque-fired porcelain vessel using a range of under-glazing techniques. This versatile method allows for painterly expression on clay surfaces—similar to watercolor painting—using a wide spectrum of mixable, layerable colors.

Drawing from nature and mythology in the context of traditional and contemporary art practices, the workshop invites participants to explore the springtime theme of rebirth through color, texture, and form. The session begins with a brief slide presentation of historical and contemporary examples, followed by a demonstration of surface-design techniques using non-toxic, food-safe underglazes, pencils, and chalks. There will then be ample time to decorate and glaze your own piece.

All experience levels welcome. All materials are provided. Completed pieces will be fired and available for pickup approximately two weeks after the workshop.

By the end of this class participants will:
- Learn several methods for applying non-toxic, food-safe underglazes to bisque ware.
- Explore techniques using underglaze chalks and pencils to add depth, texture, and contrast.
- Gain an understanding of layering and mixing underglazes to achieve a variety of surface effects.
- Learn how to apply and finish their piece using a vitreous clear glaze to seal and complete the work.

$250 AIHA members; $300 non-members
Advanced registration required; link forthcoming.

About Dana Sherwood
Dana Sherwood is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice examines the relationship between humans and the natural world to better understand culture and behavior in a changing environment. Informed by intuitive, magical, and ancestral practices, her work challenges dominant Western narratives and seeks to foster dialogue with the more-than-human world through ecological and feminist perspectives.

Her painting and ceramic work references ancient vessels, urns, and amphorae, recontextualized through a contemporary ecological lens, integrating imagery from mythology, folklore, and the native flora and fauna of upstate New York, where she lives and works. Since graduating from the University of Maine in 2004, Sherwood has exhibited throughout the Americas, Europe, and Australia. Her solo exhibitions and group shows include venues in the U.S. and internationally.

Website: danasherwoodstudio.com
Instagram: @danasherwoodstudio, @m_a_g_i_c_f_o_r_e_s_t_