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Celadon Glaze Formulation with a Dash of Local Flavor with Sam Clarkson: July 13-24, 2026

$1,200.00

About the Workshop:

We’ll focus on glaze formulation in this workshop, experimenting with incorporating local materials and bringing out the special qualities of the glazes in gas reduction and soda kilns. We’ll cover basic celadon formulation, as well as variations and understanding how the materials work together. Bring your questions! No experience in glaze formulation is necessary, just interest!

We’ve been waiting until we had our gas kilns up and running to bring our dear old friend Sam to teach this workshop. He is an absolute master of formulating many styles of celadon glazes- from ancient translucent olive greens and sgraffito-decorated surfaces to viscous deep blue greens reminiscent of Korean Koryo surfaces, and his own bright thick contemporary sky blues.

About the Workshop:

We’ll focus on glaze formulation in this workshop, experimenting with incorporating local materials and bringing out the special qualities of the glazes in gas reduction and soda kilns. We’ll cover basic celadon formulation, as well as variations and understanding how the materials work together. Bring your questions! No experience in glaze formulation is necessary, just interest!

We’ve been waiting until we had our gas kilns up and running to bring our dear old friend Sam to teach this workshop. He is an absolute master of formulating many styles of celadon glazes- from ancient translucent olive greens and sgraffito-decorated surfaces to viscous deep blue greens reminiscent of Korean Koryo surfaces, and his own bright thick contemporary sky blues.

About the Instructor:

Sam Clarkson has been involved in the ceramic arts for over 30 years, and has exhibited nationally and internationally. He lives and works in the mountains of Santa Cruz, CA, and teaches ceramics at Cabrillo College in Aptos, CA. Sam has a BA from Pomona College, an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School, and an MFA from Penn State University, where he pioneered the use of liquid biofuels in ceramics.  

“In the flow of history, ceramic art records human life for all who understand the language of clay.  My roots dig deeply into this language.  Like all languages it is capable of communicating the sacred and the profane.  An intuitive spark or a practical desire begin my search into form. I search for beauty and resonance through repetition.  I once believed that I worked in the most archival material: that everything I made would last tens of thousands of years. 

The wildfires of August 2020 took away my home, studio, and a ceramics collection built over more than thirty years, and forced a deep awareness of the temporal nature of life and objects. The loss of all these dreams as well as twenty years of family history has spawned a wider appreciation of what matters in life, a broader vision of who I am as an artist, and a focus on what I say in the language of ceramics. 

I speak of quality time with loved ones and compassionate connection.  I speak of the reverence which comes through immersion in the present moment.  I speak of the mysterious, raw nature of this life we live.  My best work embodies a subtle beauty that will unveil itself with time.”

Learn more about Sam’s work here.

We’ll email you as soon as we receive your registration with accommodation options, directions to Cider Creek Collective, and other details.

We have 4 campsites on the property, and also a list of nearby, affordable vacation rentals.