The Art of Glazing with Mike Upp The Essentials and Artistry Behind Glazing
Sunday | March 1, 2026 | 9AM – 4PM | Dennis Ott Ceramic Studio
One-Day Hands-On Intensive
The Art of Glazing Ceramics is both a science and a deeply creative craft — it sits at the intersection of chemistry, physics, and artistic expression. In this seven-hour workshop, we will cover everything from application techniques to testing and tracking results so you can recreate them consistently.
What You’ll Learn:
Using a glaze testing methodology to improve your results
Overview of glaze faults & how to resolve
Using slips, engobes and washes to increase your palate
Glaze applications and techniques
Combining glazes to create new colors and effects
Glaze Composition
Measuring Specific Gravity to ensure consistent results
How to easily modify your glazes
Class Details:
Almost all of the ideas and techniques will apply to Cone 10 as well as Cone 6 glazes. The workshop is definitely not technical. It is designed to remove some of the mystery about glazing and to get people excited and positive using new techniques. This is a working session. A major focus of the workshop is to demonstrate a wide variety of glazing techniques, with plenty of time for hands-on work – applying some of the techniques learned in the workshop on your own pieces
Limited Enrollment: To ensure individualized instruction, class size is limited.
Materials Provided: Glazes for your ceramics are provided, as well as, firing the glazed pieces.
Materials: See Materials tab for details
Age Requirement
Ceramic workshops are designed for persons aged 18 and over, or with instructor approval.
26 0301w MU
Mike Upp
He studied ceramics at Arizona State in the 1970’s. After graduation, he developed his first studio in an old tobacco barn in an artist community on 300 acres in the hills of northern Tennessee. He was a dedicated student of the art form and produced functional pottery for a diverse range of markets for over eight years.
He left the art world and joined corporate America, where he spent most of his career in the software and alternative energy industries in senior marketing and sales positions for over 25 years. In 2012, he jumped back into ceramics with both feet, starting the Earth and Fire Ceramic Design Studio. He is also the President of the Sedona Visual Artists’ Coalition, which presents the Sedona Open Studio Tours on the last weekend of April, as well as a member of the board of the Sedona Arts Festival.
“I am passionate about producing art that people will want to use every day. In particular, glazes fascinate me. I love to experiment and develop new glazes and combinations as well as share this knowledge with students during my workshops.” – Mike Upp
Materials for students to bring:
Please bring 5 bisque pieces (Cone 5/6 clay – no larger than 6X6) to glaze during the workshop. Firing is included.
Students should bring a sketchbook for design planning and any personal tools they wish to use.
Aprons and towels are recommended for working with clay.
Cancellation Policy
Registration and Cancellation Policies
Registration
Each student must enroll individually.
Classes must be paid in full upon registration.
Students may register online or call Sedona Arts Center Office at 928-282-3809, Ext 1 or toll free at 866-282-3809 Ext 1.
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express are accepted or student may pay with cash or check by registering in person during office hours Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm.
In-Person and Online Classes Cancellation
Students must cancel or transfer at least 7 days prior to the first day of class.
If a student cancels or transfers before the 7-day cut-off, a 15% fee will be applied.
If a student cancels within 7 days prior to class, there are no refunds.
If Sedona Arts Center cancels the class for any reason, all payments made will be refunded in full.
Note: If traveling to Sedona, we strongly urge students to purchase refundable airline tickets or travel insurance in case of workshop cancellation due to insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen changes. Sedona Arts Center is not responsible for non-refundable ticket purchases or lodging fees.
Important Message
Sedona Arts Center is not responsible for providing make-up sessions or issuing refunds, credits, or transfers for courses missed as a result of illness, emergencies, or other events beyond our control. There are absolutely no refunds after the cut-off date for any reason, unless Sedona Arts Center has to cancel the workshop, then all fees paid will be refunded in full.
