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Best Ceramics Classes For Adults In The Los Angeles Area

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(credit: Paul Morigi/Getty Images)

If your eyes do the opposite of glazing over when you think of studying ceramics during your hectic adult life, give yourself this kind of creative adventure in the form of fun classes held all over the Southland. All areas are ripe for the beginning, intermediate and advanced wheel throwers who find the sight of a kiln a sight to remember and, indeed, even embrace. That said, following are five of the best places for adult ceramics classes consistently held in and around Los Angeles.

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(credit: Noah Seelam/Getty Images)

Ball Clay Studio
4851 York Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90042
(310) 340-1435
www.ballclaystudio.com

For some of the best lessons in creating ceramic pieces with bragging rights in our artistic part of the country, sample the classes at Ball Clay Studio situated in Highland Park. All levels of adult artists are served at this intimate studio created by David Ball in February of 2013. David's space is an inspirational place to throw the wheel while creating everything your heart and hands desire. The beginning ceramics class is comprised of six sessions and eight weeks of open studio time, the latter a great opportunity for experimentation to perfect this creative art.

the clayh
(credit: The Clayhouse)

The Clayhouse
2909 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
(310) 828-7071
www.theclayhousesantamonica.com

Learn to work with clay with or without a wheel at The Clayhouse, situated by the sea in stunning Santa Monica. This stylish studio has all of the accoutrements for creating the best your imagination has to offer, up to and including about a dozen electric throwing wheels and nearly two dozen different glazes. Works of former students are on display, cooked in giant kilns also found on these very inspiring premises.

McGroarty Arts Center
(credit: McGroarty Arts Center)

McGroarty Arts Center
7570 McGroarty Terrace
Tujunga, CA 91042
(818) 352-5285
www.mcgrtoatyartscenter.org

A community arts center with unwavering community spirit, McGroarty brings budding artists together deep in the valley where eight-week winter sessions begin on January 6, 2014. Financial aid is available to all and ceramics classes are part of a packed agenda that includes all sorts of artistic endeavors held in an Historic Cultural Monument originally built in 1923 by Steven and Ida McGroarty. To say this is a safe haven for expressing your inner artist is a total understatement. Also offered is portrait and facial sculpting, figure drawing, and adult ballroom dance, just to name a few!

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Village Art Project
11602 Ventura Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 91604
(818) 985-9357
wwww.villageartproject.com

Looking to create a pretty pot or a smashing bowl? Head to ceramics classes at the Village Art Project in Studio City for just that opportunity. Saturday workshops are popular for excellent introductions about how to use the wheel to your best advantage and ongoing classes take place every day of the week except Sunday. Techniques taught include slabbing and finishing overgrazes and underglazes, in addition to regular glazes. Party on, grown-up ceramicists to be, party on.

echo ceramics
(credit: Echo Ceramics)

Echo Ceramics
4875 W. Washington Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90016
(323) 931-4810
www.echoceramics.com

Pottery classes at this loft-like outlet are stimulating for those looking for hands-on practice in two-hour increments. Patient teachers break down the best throwing techniques used by experts and you will generally get great results which are often evident during the very first session. Beginners classes are kept small while some intermediate classes give instruction on how to handily hand build as well as how to successfully surface decorate in a polished way. Beyond this Los Angeles-based ceramics studio's variety of classes, more are available in Westlake Village at Echo's studio annex in that valley enclave.

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TEST Los Angeles freelance travel writer Jane Lasky, contributes to publications such as Travel + Leisure, Vogue and Esquire. Her weekly sojourning column ran in 40 newspapers for 20 years. Jane is anything but an accidental tourist. Check out her articles on Examiner.com.

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