Clay Special Topics: Sgraffito and Mishima

Sgraffito means “to scratch” in Italian and is a decorative technique where a colored underglaze or slip is applied to a piece of pottery. The potter then scratches through the colored layer to create contrasting images, patterns, or textures by revealing the original clay color underneath. Mishima is a traditional Japanese decorative technique where potters carve a design into the bare clay and then inlays a contrasting color into the line using slip or underglaze. Excess color is then wiped or carved away revealing a crisp design. Both of these texhniques are foundational to clay surface design and beginner friendly. They can be used on pottery or scuptural clay works and can even be used together on one piece! On the first day, students will construct 2-3 forms using simple handbuilding techniques, focusing on a smooth surface in prepreation for misima and sgraffito on the second day. This class is open to all skill levels and beginner friendly! This workshop will be held May 16 & 17 from 3-5pm. This workshop is limited to participants 18+. There is a minimum of 4 participants and a maximum of 10. If the minimum is not met, participants will be refunded. Please email Amy Smoot at asmoot@ with any questions.