Mud Club Studio Guidebook
Thank you for becoming a member of our beautiful new pottery studio space in Artisan Square! This is a collection of information about how the studio operates. Please check in from time to time, we are still learning and evolving! Please let us know what is working and what needs improvement!
What Is Included-
The monthly membership includes access to the space 4-8 times per month, firing of pieces, use of tools and equipment during studio membership hours.
Mud Club Membership - Regular -$125 + GST/Month
Lite - $85 + GST/Month
Clay
Clay must be purchased at The Burrow.
The Burrow fires to cone 6 (stoneware/mid-range).
The Burrow offers the following types of clay: Georgies White Salmon Clay, GeorgiesTrillium Porcelain Clay, PSH Cone 6 Black Clay
1 25 lb. bag - $65 +GST/PST
1/2 bag, 12.5 lb. - $45
1/4 bag, 6.25 lb. - $25
The studio also has recycled clay available at 1/2 price!
The membership does not include instruction, and therefore previous experience is required; usually this means you have taken at least one wheel throwing or hand building class at The Burrow, or have formal ceramics training.
The Burrow's Creativity Studio is a studio for hobbyists and small-batch potters, not for production potters. Therefore members may only fire and purchase up to 1 25-lb. bag of clay per month.
Regular Members can visit up to 2 times per week, for up to 2.5 hours at a time.
Lite Members can visit up to 4 times per month.
At The Burrow, we focus on the process of creating ceramics, rather than the finished product. We encourage our members to only fire pieces they really care about, rather than using the studio to maximize volume. Because of this, we allow members to purchase up to one 25-lb. bag of clay per month.
Membership Payment Policy
The monthly membership is a 1 month commitment, followed by month-to month. We request two weeks notice to cancel. Memberships may be paused, however we can not hold your spot or guarantee one will be available. If you choose to cancel your membership, all project must be completed before it expires. After your membership expires, we charge $25 per drop-in to complete any unfinished projects. The Burrow will store your projects for one month after your membership expires; after this point, they will be recycled or donated.
Studio Capacity
The studio capacity is eight people- a maximum of 6 people on wheel
Labelling
Members are asked to carve or stamp their name very clearly into their work; please use more than just two letters.
For works in progress, place your work on a ware board, cover with plastic, and put your name and the date on the outside of the plastic.
Anything unlabelled will not be fired.
Storage & Timelines
We are a small space and cannot store work indefinitely.
Please label all wet projects with your name and the date; anything unlabelled will be recycled
Wet projects can be stored on the work-in-progress shelves for up to 1 month, after this point they will be recycled.
Please glaze bisque ware within 1 month of it being unloaded.
Please pick up finished glaze work within 1 month of it being unloaded.
Glazes & Underglazes
The Burrow offers 5 dip glazes - clear, alabaster, matte grey, gloss black and majolica.
We also have a variety of store bought coloured and metallic glazes. These are not for dipping or pouring. Please only apply one thick coat. Please do not mix glazes.
We also offer many different underglaze colours, as well as a beautiful variety of home made slips and stains.
When glazing, try to waste as little as possible – wax bottoms or areas that don’t need glaze, and go slowly in an effort to get it right the first time.
Make sure all glaze is wiped or waxed to 1/4” from the surface of the shelf
No full double dips — overlaps are fine, but full double dips tend to blister, pinhole, and run onto the kiln shelf.
If you think your piece might run, please label it. Please fully close lids of all glaze buckets. If members have their own store-bought glazes or underglazes they want to use, they can bring in the packaging and have a staff member review it.
Members may also request different underglazes and glazes. We are still trying to add to our collection!
Equipment
The Burrow's Creativity Studio offers the following equipment:
6 Electric Pottery Wheels, 1 Table-Top Wheel
Wedging Table & Boards, Banding Wheels
Many Stamps and Rollers
Various molds for slab building
Members are asked to put their throwing slop or trimmings into the appropriate recycling bin for the clay they used.
When washing splash pans out after throwing, please make sure that any clay particles go into the recycle bucket rather than down the drain.
Clay Dust
Dust from all clay contains free silica that is too fine and heavy to be expelled from the lungs. Over time this can cause silicosis, a lung disease. Here are a few things we do at The Burrow to prevent this:
Wet wiping: Please wipe down surfaces with a sponge instead of brushing, sweeping, or blowing.
Mopping: Please mop after every wheel throwing session, or if you dripped on the floor while glazing.
Sanding: Only wet sanding is allowed in the studio; to dry sand bisque ware, please take work outside to do so.
Firing
The Burrow only fires work made by studio members and students; we do not offer a firing service.
Please make sure all glazes are wiped off to at least 1/4" above the bottom of the pot.
We do not give any guarantees on when your work will be fired; if you would like your piece for a certain time, please give yourself an abundance of lead time and let us know. We will do our best to accommodate your request.
We do our best to ensure that everything survives the firing — however, The Burrow is not responsible for a piece cracking, breaking, blistering, exploding, or any other unsatisfactory result.
Cleaning Up
Please makes sure that no clay or clay water goes down the drain by using the 3-step system; always rinse hands and tools in the bucket before turning on the faucet.
When cleaning wheels, please sponge away all clay from the wheel head, splash pan, floor, and surrounding area.
When cleaning hand building areas, sponge down canvas until clear Please dry all tools thoroughly!
Timing Your Visit
Please allow for at least 20-30 minutes of cleanup after trimming, glazing, hand building, or wheel throwing
