Leaf Rain Chain

Leaf Rain Chain (4-week class)

Dates: Thursdays August 4, 11, 18, and 25

Times: August 4: 2-5pm, August 11, 18 + 25: 2-4pm

Instructor: Johanna Buwalda

Cost: $120 / person

This is a Handbuilding class which means that instead of mainly using a pottery wheel, we will use slabs, templates, forms and other tools to create our pottery rain chains . The instructor will help you design your leaf and guide you through some different techniques to create the leads for your chain.

During the first class we will create the leaves. The second class is for finishing, the third class is for glazing, and the fourth class is for assembling.

Class length: 3 classes. The first class is 3 hours. Classes 2-4 are 2 hours each
Maximum 8 students.
Clay needed: about 10 pounds of buff clay/student (included with the class fee)

Meet the Instructor:

Johanna Buwalda was born and raised in the Netherlands. After some roaming around the world and living in various countries, she settled in Chicago in 1994. Johanna has a master’s degree in Education in Early Childhood Development, and a master’s degree in Psychology. She is licensed to practice clinical counseling in both Illinois and Wisconsin.

Johanna has over 30 years of experience as a therapist, administrator, and trainer working with survivors of war including refugees, torture survivors, development workers, and veterans in the Netherlands, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and the US. She has written and presented extensively about her work.

Johanna is currently self-employed, serving as an independent contractor therapist for Road Home Program for Veterans and their families at Rush University Hospital in Chicago. She also works alongside immigration attorneys to help immigrant families stay together. She is a clinical volunteer for various veteran organizations and The Marjorie Kovler Center for the Treatment of Survivors of Torture.

Since moving to our beautiful Northwoods in 2018, Johanna loves her new life kayaking the Wisconsin River with David and their four dogs, and making pottery in her home studio as well as at the Warehouse. She pioneered our one-day beginning wheel boot camp and teaches multiple level studio pottery classes as well as our popular monthly (weekly during the summer) clay class. She also teaches various classes in our youth program.