Teaching
Along with making pots, teaching enriches my work and my life. I invite students to work with me to learn firing and forming techniques and methods of transforming clay into useful & beautiful pots.
"As a teacher, Robbie Lobell is amazing. Smart, perceptive, generous, enthusiastic and facilitative. Studying with her is learning at its best. In the 40+ years I've spent with teachers, earning my doctorate, volunteering in my children's schools, and taking many workshops and classes in ceramics, I can truthfully say that she is one of a small handful of the finest educators I've ever known."
—Deborah Bernstein, Peter's Valley Craft School, August 2004
I give lectures and demonstrations, and teach courses and workshops in several formats including weekly classes, one-day and weekend workshops, week- and two-week long workshops, and extended courses. My goal as a teacher is to guide the student—through skill development, learning to "see", and understanding form & function—toward their own unique creative voice.
Weekly Classes
The pottery classes I teach in my studio are designed for beginners and those with previous clay working experience. Students learn to make bowls, cups, dishes, vases, and more on the potter’s wheel. Handbuilding projects may include tiles, boxes, sculpture, or wherever one’s creative impulses may lead... Demonstrations, hands-on practice, and lively discussion will give students the foundation to explore the art of working with clay. Call or email for exact dates & fees. View Current Classes
Multi-day Firing & Forming Workshops
These workshops are designed for experienced clay workers interested in learning about soda firing, how to think about form and surface, & how to fire my 70 cubic foot propane-fueled soda/wood kiln. Participants are hands-on in all aspects of kiln loading, firing, & unloading. Call or email for exact dates & fees. View Current Workshops
Pottery Retreats & Learning Vacations on Whidbey Island
A unique learning vacation or retreat on Whidbey Island can be arranged for you, with a friend or partner or a group of friends or colleagues. Learning to throw on the potter's wheel, making tiles for your home, hand-building garden pots, or forming personal iconography in clay are a few samples of possible themes that can be explored. Central Whidbey Island offers a wide variety of classes and workshops in painting, drawing, photography, and fiber arts at area studios and the Coupeville Arts Center if one of your group would like to work in another medium.
The spectacular area of Whidbey Island and the Pacific Northwest offers many attractions including beachcombing, kayaking, whale watching, bicycling, hiking, and bird watching with beautiful vistas in all directions. Whidbey Island is about an hour north and one ferry ride from Seattle, Washington.
Please email if you would like to be on my email list announcing classes, workshops, exhibitions, and events.
Private Firings
A quarter, a half or the full kiln space may be rented to experienced clay workers. For further information, please call or email.
