CMW Reviews
You don't have to take our word for it....
Old Forge Creations Blog Post - Ceramic Materials Workshop - Understanding Glazes Class
"You both have totally changed my ceramics, I am having the best year ever! Best thing I have done in my career was to take your courses." - Ellen M. Advancing Glazes July 2021 Student
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"...A palette of some very pretty nude tones from the results of my last @ceramicmaterialsworkshop lab. There is a load of titanium in the base glaze creating lots of interesting texture and phase separation...The next step is going through these again and selecting a few more to develop. CMW say they will change your practise forever and it’s definitely true! It was the best investment to learn the chemistry behind glazes. Highly recommended to any potters who want to deepen their glaze knowledge." - Kate S. - Understanding Glazes April 2022 Student
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"I am sure you are busy, but please know that I have really learned so much and appreciate your attention to detail. I have been potting for 45 years, got to the point where I really could make/produce any form I wanted but was discouraged at having to rely on guess work to finish a piece. I have just about all of the necessary raw materials from past half hearted attempts but I do feel smarter about the process now. Thank you!" David F.- Student- March 2022
"Hi Matt, Quick note to say thank-you to you, Rose and your team for making this course (and all of them) available. I'm a hobby potter without access to local knowledge/mentoring, so my knowledge is built up from books, online resources and trying things out. Without CMW I am quite sure I'd have a basic understanding of glazes and be struggling to understand why something happened with no way to figure it out. I have a long way to go, but I absolutely love understanding the chemistry of the raw materials we use and I love experimenting - all this is due to these courses. I'm excited for the journey ahead - confident that I can come up with an approach to trying new glazes and solving problems. For now I will stay a Patreon member, hoping that one day I will have the time to really go full glaze and clay nerd and come back to the Alumni class :) For sure, I'll be passing on CMW info as I share my own journey. Looking forward to Glazes 3 and Crystalline :)" Sue - Student - March 2022
Matt! That last lecture I was crying too!
you know what I love about you in this experience, beyond the wealth of knowledge, is your realness, vulnerability and passion for the subject. You can’t just manufacture that, it comes from within and believe me, it resonates and connects and inspires. I cannot thank you and Rose enough for putting your knowledge and experience out there and putting yourselves out there, too. I can’t tell you how many times during all the lectures I’ve burst out laughing at your quips, jokes and asides. Although I’ll take a break before subscribing to Si:Al later this year, I’ll be stalking you guys via FB, the podcast and Patreon.
CMW Student - March 2022
you know what I love about you in this experience, beyond the wealth of knowledge, is your realness, vulnerability and passion for the subject. You can’t just manufacture that, it comes from within and believe me, it resonates and connects and inspires. I cannot thank you and Rose enough for putting your knowledge and experience out there and putting yourselves out there, too. I can’t tell you how many times during all the lectures I’ve burst out laughing at your quips, jokes and asides. Although I’ll take a break before subscribing to Si:Al later this year, I’ll be stalking you guys via FB, the podcast and Patreon.
CMW Student - March 2022
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"Just so you know, after more than 50 of making pots on and off, I'm setting up a new studio to make truly durable and pleasing ware for use in the home. I was totally at sea as to finding suitable clay and glazes till I found CMW. CMW pulled my bacon out of the fire big time! Now I am confident that I will have the knowledge i need to accomplish my goal. I'm also really interested in chemistry now, which I could never have imagined! You guys are totally the BOMB!!! Kudos!" Roger - Understanding Glazes Student - March 2022
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"...I can't even express in words how happy I am with the pots came out of my kiln yesterday.
...I just have to say that this has been the most liberating class ever. I look at recipes now and immediately have a hunch about where I can take them with a little work. That kind of nerdy creativity is just so satisfying, and I really feel like I have control over my identity as a potter! I'm eternally grateful for that, and for you." CMW Student - Feb 2022
...I just have to say that this has been the most liberating class ever. I look at recipes now and immediately have a hunch about where I can take them with a little work. That kind of nerdy creativity is just so satisfying, and I really feel like I have control over my identity as a potter! I'm eternally grateful for that, and for you." CMW Student - Feb 2022
CMW Student - Jan 2022
New # MATTKATZMADEMEDOIT
"...I’ve been catching up on the lectures and hangouts and I just want to say a sincerely thank you. This course has been the best thing I’ve done and though I didn’t get to do all the lab work... I have learned a huge amount from others through the hangouts and your delivery and style of teaching has made a subject that seemed so overwhelming to me ,just so easy to process and digest...I’m so looking forward to the clay bodies workshop in the new year and I’m hoping life will not get in the way of the labs and hangout participation then ! " Karen - Student - Dec 2021
" Sooooo excited by these glazes! I’ve been dreaming of a navy blue matte glaze, and after a couple rounds of testing, I got it, plus a couple other blues I’m in love with. Made it all by myself. I can’t thank @ceramicmaterialsworkshop enough! Best $500 I’ve ever spent. Now, time to play with some other colors." Jane - Student - Dec 2021
Old Forge Creations Blog Post - Ceramic Materials Workshop - Understanding Clays
Anna W. - Student - Dec 2021
"I am listening to your lecture in the car through traffic and it's a different experience now that I understand what you are talking about and actually experienced it myself." Shay C. - Student - Dec 2021
"Hey, just a quick message to say how fantastic your course is, I am only 5% through but learning so much. Love the style, love the module set up, love the clarity of the information. I will recommend to all my potter friends and just wanted to say a big thank you " Simon - Student - Dec 2021
" Hey Matt - I just wanna thank you and Rose again for teaching, in a really enjoyable way, the science behind glazes.I would've never imagined how cool chemistry could be and "CMW's workshops will change your studio forever" is nothing short of the absolute truth. Wish you guys a wonderful holiday and I'll see you later!" Giuliano R. - Student - Dec 2021
"I have just finished your Middle Glazes online workshop, and wanted to drop you a line to say thank you. Matt, I will miss you talking to me on my screen - but more importantly, I have learned so much! I have a totally new approach to glazes (and clay bodies) and so many insights… now I just need to put them into practice, and try and remember all the amazing things I have learned. I am busy printing out reminders to dot around my studio!" Ruth G. - Student - Nov 2021
CMW Student - Nov 2021
Rod H. -Student - Nov 2021
"Not posting yet, still working. Just home from the studio. I made my various test pieces of my #7 clay tonight for Lab 2. Just wanted to say, I love slipcasting but it is mostly about the mold making. Casting slip is horrible and I have a hate/hate relationship with it. Tonight was the first time I was in love with a clay, literally. I couldn't stop messing with it. I can honestly say I didn't even have the thought when I started this course that I would like a casting slip or plastic clay. I just hoped I could find two that blended well together and basically work like my old clay. But I did not think I would enjoy working with them. It's like I had a clay epiphany tonight. Not only can I enjoy my molds but I can also enjoy the clay. The casting slip was like firm butter and stayed pliable for a long time. So amazing! Thank you both, a month into the course and my expectations have been far exceeded!!!"
Andy - Student - Aug 2021
Andy - Student - Aug 2021
If you're thinking about taking a course from @ceramicmaterialsworkshop DO IT! There are two weeks until the next session begins Oct. 1st and it will revolutionize your studio. Here are all the glaze tests I ran for my final lab for @ceramicmaterialsworkshop. This lab explores the results of combining colourants by testing all possible pairs of 9 different colourants to make 36 separate glaze tests. I also wanted to see how the glaze looked on different clays and over my white glaze. The class gave me an understanding of glaze materials and glaze chemistry including glaze flaws and how to fix them. It was a ton of work but the labs really underscore the concepts and the online meetings are a fantastic opportunity to see and understand test results of other students from around the world. The last part of my reel shows the 66 glaze tests I made for the course and I actually skipped lab 4 knowing my results wouldn't evolve due to the stability of the glaze I investigated. CMW Student - Sept 2021
This summer I took Matt and Rose Katz’s online glaze class @ceramicmaterialsworkshop .
These little tiles are from one of the assignments. The class is pretty exciting if you want to dive into glaze chemistry with a hands on approach.
At first the price of the class seemed like a hurtle. I also have had bad experiences with online classes and was pretty hesitant to take one again. This online class was REALLY different. I have to say it’s been totally worth it! Anyone who wants to build a solid ground in studio ceramics would benefit from this class. There’s some really cool information and research that you’ll want to understand, especially if you work at cone 6 like I do.
I started out teaching myself glaze chemistry with some old books because I often like to do things the hard way by myself 😂 That was a really tedious approach and not something I expect many people to find appealing. It was sort of fun to remember the very few things I learned in high school about chemistry and I got a little bit out of that, but not enough to really understand what was going on with my glazes.
The most exciting thing about the glaze class is that some of the concepts aren’t yet available in book form. Even if they were, I’m not sure I’d be able to pull all the information out there into a digestible form by myself. The class is also full of people from around the world and has become a community of sorts for people who are making their own glazes. A gift that continues even after class is over! I’ll be referencing this class and community for a long time. Thanks @ceramicmarerialsworkshop ! Ellen B. - Sept 2021
These little tiles are from one of the assignments. The class is pretty exciting if you want to dive into glaze chemistry with a hands on approach.
At first the price of the class seemed like a hurtle. I also have had bad experiences with online classes and was pretty hesitant to take one again. This online class was REALLY different. I have to say it’s been totally worth it! Anyone who wants to build a solid ground in studio ceramics would benefit from this class. There’s some really cool information and research that you’ll want to understand, especially if you work at cone 6 like I do.
I started out teaching myself glaze chemistry with some old books because I often like to do things the hard way by myself 😂 That was a really tedious approach and not something I expect many people to find appealing. It was sort of fun to remember the very few things I learned in high school about chemistry and I got a little bit out of that, but not enough to really understand what was going on with my glazes.
The most exciting thing about the glaze class is that some of the concepts aren’t yet available in book form. Even if they were, I’m not sure I’d be able to pull all the information out there into a digestible form by myself. The class is also full of people from around the world and has become a community of sorts for people who are making their own glazes. A gift that continues even after class is over! I’ll be referencing this class and community for a long time. Thanks @ceramicmarerialsworkshop ! Ellen B. - Sept 2021
""...today one of my regular customers said, “ I went to a pottery show - and I can honestly say your glazes are above and beyond anything we saw there.” Very cool that education and work pays off.""
Erik - Student - Aug 2021
Erik - Student - Aug 2021
When it’s a nice day but you have a glaze lab to complete you move the testing outside. I always thought I would just teach myself glaze chemistry but taking an actual course has been so much better because @ceramicmaterialsworkshop has already figured out a systematic, logical way to cover the material with cool hands on labs and a knowledgeable instructor to answer questions! Thank you CMW, Looking forward to taking the next course! CMW Student - May 2020
"I have to say the lectures are very clear and thorough! (especially for someone like me who actually has a PhD in chemistry)..."
Racheli -Student
Racheli -Student
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Anne Currier, Professor Emerita,
Alfred University - After years of teaching ceramic materials courses in a traditional classroom lecture, Matt Katz developed and designed the Ceramic Materials Workshop specifically for online educational access. These innovative courses have proved highly successful; student evaluations consistently praised Matt for his knowledge of ceramic materials and their applications and applauded him for his concise and personable presentation of challenging technical content. The online format proved exceptionally conducive to robust group interaction and discussion. I highly recommend these classes. Saila Milja-Smyly -
So you want to make some pancakes, and following your recipe, start by mixing and measuring pancake mixes from five different boxes because you have a vague idea that one of them contributes some egg, the other some milk derivative, and yet another some baking soda, and that all have some proportion of flour. Not! Because you want waffles instead, and reach for some of the same boxes but have to run to the store because the recipe calls for a boxed mix that has the same ingredients but in different proportions. That’s what I was doing with my glazes by merely trying to find and follow recipes based on composite raw materials, before learning here how to mix glazes based on the UMF. Now, after taking the brief introductory class and the first full glaze class, I can start with my own idea of what I want the glazed surface to look and feel like, tailor the recipe for my electric cone 8 single-firing process, and use those materials that work best to achieve the specific result. I’m also making more work because glaze testing and development takes so much less time now. These classes are packed with more information I could have ever hoped for, and I’m looking forward to the next semester already! Soojin Choi -
For me, this class really helped me to understand about ceramics, especially glazes. I'm a beginner in ceramics, so I was really curious a lot of things in glaze. I just mixed glazes based on formula before because I didn't know about anything. But now, I understand about chemistry in the glaze and know it better and use it better! Just I hoped the class to be longer because I needed more time to understand each lecture before next one started. As international student and who doesn't have basic chemistry information, it was little bit tough haha. But I'm really glad that I took this class and learn a lot of things about glazes. And I like so much how Matt Katz, who is the professor in this class, taught about chemistry and basic information of glazes. I really hope to take another class (maybe about clay) next time with him. Sarah Snavely - greyhoundsculptor.com -
I found out about the availability of this class on Facebook. I was amazed to have this opportunity to sign up and learn online. I live in a small town in southwestern North Dakota. It is both rural and remote (180 miles to the nearest Starbuck's kind of remote). I've taken all the ceramics classes offered by the nearest college, Dickinson State University. Of course, they don't offer enough classes and, while the instructor does her best, the depth of knowledge is what it is. This class was so valuable to me and the experience was beyond my expectations. The opportunity to take a class like this from a respected institution with a knowledgeable and thoughtful instructor from my computer at home so beneficial. I loved the way Matt Katz structured this learning experience. If I didn't understand the concepts I'd re-watch power point lectures (sometimes over and over). I loved that I could post questions on the discussion board, that they were answered quickly and that I had the opportunity to discuss those questions (and hear other student's questions) on the twice-a-week google hangout online meetings. If another online ceramics class is offered I would love to take it. I'm going to tell all of my clay friends to take this class! What a fabulous experience. Owen Dearing - mugrevolution.com -
"I cannot say enough in regards to how amazing this is" Read Owen's full review of his experience taking Introduction to Clays at his blog. |
Derek Au - Glazy.org -
These past few years of exploring glazes felt like wondering around a strange city without a map. I bought glaze books that offered some great recipes, but I felt I was just sightseeing. Through thousands of tests, I gradually became familiar with various neighborhoods like Celadon and Iron Red. But what I really needed was a vantage point from which I could see where I was and how the various regions related to one another. Of course such a "map" already exists- UMF and the Si/Al Stull Chart. While there are many books and websites that explain how the basics of UMF, the explanations are often dry and technical. It wasn't until I listened to Matt's lectures and talks that I began to truly understand things. I now have a "map", and my glazes have vastly improved. Justin Crowe -
Matt Katz is not only a brilliant glaze chemist, but he is an artist. This makes him sympathetic to ridiculous requests for material performance and quality standards (but how to I make the porcelain WHITER?!?!). Matt helped my memorial product company create a glaze made from cremated remains. The glaze went on to be featured on the Today show, the Guardian, NPR, BBC, The Times London and more. We could not have done it without him. I highly recommend his expertise. John Lipsky -
Matt gives an outstanding workshop. We just finished a 3 day workshop at Wesleyan Potters in Middletown, CT and my head is spinning from all that I learned, especially learning that there is so much more to learn. John Tilton - John Tilton Pottery -
I have been taking a couple of online glaze courses, and am really happy about them, and want to let people who are interested in glazes know about them. I think Ted Secombe said it best when he said, "I am not a chemist, I am a cook." That probably describes most of us -- we learn to add and subtract materials and we develop a collection of recipes that work for us. And this cooking is an incredible tool, because we develop a feel for what materials do, and we learn how to use our particular ones, which are often unlike ones with the same name. This course is about another tool, one which allows us to understand the structure of the glaze from the perspective of chemistry. It is taught by Matt Katz of Ceramic Materials Workshop, who also teaches glazes at Alfred University, a unique place, in that it is renown in both Ceramic Art and Ceramic Engineering. I think Matt is an exceptional teacher. He is able to explain things in a clear way and his enthusiasm is infectious. He really knows a lot. I have no way of quantifying this because I'm not there yet. But a lot. He has devoted his life to this. The videos are very enjoyable. So what am I learning? I learned how to calculate the Unity Molecular Formula for a glaze, learned how to use the automatic UMF Calculator that he provides, so that I don't have to do that calculation too many times, but most of all, there is a chart that was developed by R.T Stull in 1912, and if you look at the UMF on this chart, you have a good idea what the glaze is going to do, and if that turns out to be something that you don't want it to do, you have a path to nudge it in the correct direction. Part of the course is looking at glaze faults, and this has also been helpful with my stoneware glazes. How to look at the basic ingredients of a glaze, and see the relationships that need to exist to have a strong, functional glaze. There is much more than this. I'm just trying to give an overview. The courses I'm taking are "Glaze of our Lives," (Understanding Glazes for the Beginner), and "Glazed and Confused," (Understanding the Unity Molecular Formula). They are introductory courses but I've been making pots for almost 50 years, and there was a lot there for me. |
Ray West - Sequoia Pottery -
I have recently been taking online courses by "ceramics materials workshops" instructor, Matt Katz, a knowledgeable and effective communicator. Not the more advanced one yet, just the two more beginning ones. You'd think after almost 50 years of making pottery I wouldn't have much left to learn but you'd be wrong. Being mostly forced away from my workshop and home (although I get to go up today) appears to be developing a silver lining. The following is part of the discussion after one of the lectures:
"Just a couple of thoughts. Yes, we use mined material, we use energy to fire our work, and some of our materials are toxic, particularly by breathing, at the mine, in the communities around mines, in our workplaces, schools, homes, and communities. We contribute to the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, to airborne particulates, to methane leaks, to hydrocarbon emissions. Even though, as you say, artisan ceramics is a tiny, tiny part of the larger stream of these materials and pollution, we are in a special position because part of what we do is symbolic that has meaning beyond obvious function. We celebrate the elements, material culture, material itself, by suffusing them with beauty and meaning. What we do is important.
So here is what in part we can do to address these things. Make work that will last, that will not break or deteriorate unduly. Make glaze and clay that together are durable in themselves and in complementing each other. Make beautiful and /or meaningful work that will last and be appreciated for generations. Use local materials where possible. You pointed out that the vast majority of kaolin is used for paper in a modern infrastructure that does not need paper to communicate, as you are showing here.
This is the point. Thank you so much, Matthew Katz for these workshops, for potentially contributing to artisan ceramics' continuing journey into excellence. The time is right."
I have recently been taking online courses by "ceramics materials workshops" instructor, Matt Katz, a knowledgeable and effective communicator. Not the more advanced one yet, just the two more beginning ones. You'd think after almost 50 years of making pottery I wouldn't have much left to learn but you'd be wrong. Being mostly forced away from my workshop and home (although I get to go up today) appears to be developing a silver lining. The following is part of the discussion after one of the lectures:
"Just a couple of thoughts. Yes, we use mined material, we use energy to fire our work, and some of our materials are toxic, particularly by breathing, at the mine, in the communities around mines, in our workplaces, schools, homes, and communities. We contribute to the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, to airborne particulates, to methane leaks, to hydrocarbon emissions. Even though, as you say, artisan ceramics is a tiny, tiny part of the larger stream of these materials and pollution, we are in a special position because part of what we do is symbolic that has meaning beyond obvious function. We celebrate the elements, material culture, material itself, by suffusing them with beauty and meaning. What we do is important.
So here is what in part we can do to address these things. Make work that will last, that will not break or deteriorate unduly. Make glaze and clay that together are durable in themselves and in complementing each other. Make beautiful and /or meaningful work that will last and be appreciated for generations. Use local materials where possible. You pointed out that the vast majority of kaolin is used for paper in a modern infrastructure that does not need paper to communicate, as you are showing here.
This is the point. Thank you so much, Matthew Katz for these workshops, for potentially contributing to artisan ceramics' continuing journey into excellence. The time is right."