Where Clay Becomes Art: A Look Inside MHCC's Ceramic Program And Process

Photo by Aung Pyae Lin

Christian Ilechukwu

The Advocate

The potter’s wheel goes round with stillness, and a wet ball of clay slowly turns into the shape of a mug. It’s a lot of work, it takes time, and things may not always go as planned, but for Jamie Teigen, a student at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, that spinning wheel became something they love and can’t stop doing.

During the pandemic, their ceramics classes were all online and all hand-building: rolling slabs, coiling snakes of clay, pinching little pots. They didn’t enjoy it much. “It wasn’t that much fun,” Jamie says. Hand-building felt slow and fiddly compared with what they pictured when they thought of pottery.

Then they came to MHCC. They signed up for a ceramics class, mostly to give it another chance. Instructor John Hasegawa showed them the wheel, and everything changed. “I fell in love with wheel throwing,” they say, “and I haven’t been able to shake it.” They hated the hand-building but got hooked on the wheel the moment they tried it.

Jamie likes to mix things up. One term they’ll throw a bunch of mugs — “You can’t go wrong with a mug, they’re classic.” The next term it’s plates, then something bigger. Their biggest project was a large ocean-themed vase. They invested time in the surface work, and it became one of their favorites.

At MHCC, the ceramics program is in the Visual Arts building. There are wheels; kilns, including a wood-fired one used occasionally for special projects; shelves of tools; and buckets of glazes in all kinds of colors. Classes range from basic hand-building and wheel throwing to glazing, safety and design principles. Hasegawa runs the department and is known for being patient and passionate, helping students get the feel for clay. The Clay Club meets every other Thursday at noon in VA06. It’s open to students and community members, no experience needed. They host workshops, demos and even sell pieces at events, such as holiday fairs, to support programs like the campus food pantry.

Now, here’s a step-by-step look at how to make a piece, based on what Jamie shared.

Wedging the clay

Grab a block of clay from the studio — usually mid-range stoneware that fires to cone 6. Jamie likes a cone-10 clay called Deschutes White because it’s bright white and easier than true porcelain. Take about 2 pounds for a mug, less if you want it lighter. Knead it hard on the table like dough. This mixes it evenly, pushes out air bubbles and makes it smooth. If you skip this part, your piece might crack or explode in the kiln.

Throwing on the wheel

Slam the clay down in the center of the wheel. Wet your hands, spin it up and center it so it doesn’t wobble. Open a hole in the middle for the base, then pull the walls up. “The wheel spinning really fast and then you pull up on it,” Jamie says. This is the fun, addictive part.

Cut it off and start drying

Use a wire tool to slice under the piece and lift it off the bat — the flat disk on the wheel. Set it aside to dry a little. It needs to firm up before the next steps.

Trimming

When the clay is hard — not sticky, but still carvable — put it back on the wheel. Trim the bottom to make a clean foot ring. This lifts the piece, helps keep it from sticking to tables or kiln shelves and improves how it looks. Add carvings or textures here. For Jamie, the detailed parts come first. “If you rush trimming, it creates problems,” they warn. Slow down, or you’ll regret it.

Handles and extras

For mugs, pull a handle from a coil of clay and attach it with score-and-slip — rough up the spots and add wet clay like glue. For bigger pieces, like the ocean vase, add attachments or more decoration. Let it all dry completely so nothing cracks from wet and dry clay shrinking at different rates.

Bisque firing

The studio team loads the dry pieces into the kiln for the first firing — low heat, around 1,900 degrees Fahrenheit. This burns off leftover moisture and organics. The clay hardens to “stone”; you can’t reshape it anymore, but it’s still absorbent enough for glaze.

Glazing

Dip the bisque piece in glaze, brush it on or use the spray booth. Glaze is powdered material mixed with water; the dry clay absorbs the water, and the color sticks. Wax the foot so it doesn’t fuse to the kiln shelf.

Glaze firing

Back in the kiln it goes, hotter this time — cone 6, about 2,100 degrees. The glaze melts into shiny glass fused to the clay. This vitrifies the piece: no more soaking up water, food-safe and finished. Unloading after cooling is exciting — sometimes perfect, sometimes surprising.

Clean up

Sand any rough edges or drips. Then it’s done. Hold it, use it, give it away.

Making ceramics requires patience — drying between steps, kilns cooling for days. “So much waiting,” one woman says with a laugh. “You just have to be patient.” But that slow pace is part of the reward. In a world that rushes everything, clay forces you to slow down, touch it, feel it and wait for it.

Jamie understands the waits are worth it. Their pieces end up in kitchens, on shelves, holding coffee or plants. The big vase or quirky pumpkins become stories. At MHCC, with John’s teaching and the Clay Club crew, it’s not just a class — it’s a place to keep creating, fail a little, try again and end up with something real.

If you’ve ever wanted to try, the wheel is waiting. Grab some clay, get your hands dirty and see what happens.