Description: Your throwing MOT; going back to basics with all things throwing. We take it slow, pausing to think about why techniques work, not just doing them. Emphasis is pulling your walls with efficiency through the ‘3Ps’, and a little bit of speed...

Two streams: cylinders or bowls.

Suitable for: Anyone on their throwing journey who wants a refresher, feels a bit stuck, or has recently finished their first course with us. Nikki will run the majority of these sessions.

Weight of clay: c. 400–500g

Description: A very natural progression from throw. This course begins with pulling, with a razor focus on SPEED and PRESSURE to get brilliant pulling slugs. We will really break down our throwing rings to see them as our pulling speedometer.

Suitable for: Intermediate potters who feel confident centering, but want to get more lift in their pulls.

Weight of clay: 1kg

Description: Everything can be going well on the wheel - until it isn’t! This session is all about what to do when things go wrong and how to fix them. The course is run in two halves to cover different ‘fixes’ before and after lifting clay:

1. Wedging, centering, opening: Check your wedging, smooth centering, and coning down to avoid cracks. Opening up without losing centre, using the rollover/volcano technique (1 or 2 hands).

2. Pulling, fixing walls, evening rims: How your inside hand leads the pull, finger distance, pressure, speed, pre-pulls, and using ribs to re-centre and tips for fixing rims.

Suitable for: Anyone comfortable when things are going well, but wanting more tools for when things go wrong. (The trick is usually in and up!)

Weight of clay: Where you feel manageable: typically 600 g–1 kg

Description: Now that you’re making pieces you love, we move onto what many consider the best part of throwing: trimming (or turning). This isn’t just shaving off material - it’s sculpting, shifting from additive to subtractive techniques. We’ll start with tap-centering, then explore core design aesthetics and what the different tools do, different ways to attach pieces to the wheel, and the concept of integrity when it comes to the weight of the piece.

Suitable for: Those with significant throwing experience who want more time trimming and to learn tap-centering.

Weight of clay: N/A — all pots provided, though you’re welcome to bring your own.

Description: We touch on some introductory techniques in class, but the world of surface decoration is constantly evolving. This session explores as many techniques as possible, including when and how to apply them at different stages. We also discuss how surface decoration interacts with glazes. Emphasis is placed on working with the shape of your piece, using design, pattern, texture, and colour to enhance and emphasize the forms you’re creating.

Suitable for: Anyone wanting to spice up their surfaces.

Weight of clay: N/A — all materials provided, though you’re welcome to bring your own.

Coming In & Collaring
Arguably one of the hardest skills on the potter’s wheel: coming in. While the previous Shaping class touched on this, this session focuses fully on the many hand positions to bring the clay in at the right time, with an emphasis on collar-and-pull to mobilise material rather than just compress it and avoid collapsing necks. We’ll finish with closed forms and share a top tip to avoid roof cracks - this is then a natural introduction to lidded jars.

Out & In: Shaping
Once you’re confident getting height in a few pulls and coming in, it’s time to focus on shaping: bellying to go out and collaring to come in. We’ll introduce ideas of “the dance”, the importance of ribs, and consider where to leave excess clay to stretch later.

Suitable for: Those confident centering clay and getting some height quickly to therefore be ready to focus on shaping.

Weight of clay: c.800 - 1000g

Description: These sessions are all about going big — with intention.

Proper clay preparation is paramount when throwing large, which is why the course is divided into 3 parts.

1. CLAY PREP + CENTERING: We’ll start with wedging clay correctly (cut wedging and spiral wedging) , centering calmly while mobilising your body weight (it doesn’t have to be aggressive).

2. CYLINDERS: Second part is all about moving significantly larger volumes of clay up, using sometimes the entire edge of your hand or even standing up. Principles of Flow will kick in here, where the same 3Ps will come into good use.

3. BOWLS: The final part of the scale trilogy is all about bowls - with the added challenge of gravity. As the clay grows, the outermost points move faster than the inside, so slow, controlled work on the wheel is essential. There is an irony here though, as in moving slower on the wheel you tend to throw ‘faster’ as you move more mass per rotation of the wheel (queue interstellar music).

Suitable for: Those beginning to work with pieces 2.5 kg–3 kg+ who are ready to respect all that comes with throwing big. Clay wedging may take longer than the throwing itself! We’ll run this course more regularly in the summer, so trust that you can embark when you’re ready.

Weight of clay: 4kg+. There will be no modular assembly building - rather we wish to empower you to throw bigger, better and in one piece. If you have bats, this would be a very appropriate time to use them (can attach using chucks or pins).