If you’re hoping to secure a seat in one of our 6-week pottery classes and it's your first time joining us, we do recommend signing up to our mailing list, having a look at our class times in advance and being ready to book at 10am when Term 3 is released. If signed up to our mailing list, you’ll receive a password to access bookings at this time. Please note that our evening classes especially sell out very very quickly!
We offer 6-week courses in either hand-building or 'throwing' pottery on the wheel.
So, which one is for you?
As a beginner, in both types of class, you'll start with the basics and build up to more advanced skills. We wouldn’t like to say that one skill is is ‘easier’ than the other, but the atmosphere, pace of the classroom and outcomes of the class might be quite different.
In a wheel throwing class, you'll first learn how to prepare and centre clay and practise forming cylinders and other functional forms. In further weeks you'll learn how to 'trim' or 'turn' your work and your final week will be spent glazing your creations.
Learning to throw on the wheel is definitely a marathon and not a sprint. Our students describe it as relaxing and meditative but equally, sometimes frustrating and harder than it looks! Just like learning to play an instrument or a new sport, you’re utilising your body and co-ordination in a new way, mistakes are bound to happen and that’s part of the learning process. Prepare to get in the zone, embrace a new learning journey and get messy.
The benefit of hand-building is definitely having more control over what you can make from the get-go. If you're looking to create larger pieces or creative and experimental pieces that aren't always circular, hand-building is for you.
Some hand-builders will enjoy carefully planning and designing their piece in advance before making it come alive. Some will simply play and test things out as they go, responding to the clay as they work with it. In our hand-building classes you’d also have plenty of time to explore surface decoration and to add texture to your work.
We offer two hand-building classes a week; one on a Tuesday night, focusing just on hand-building, and the other on Wednesday night, which combines both wheel and hand-building practices.
Intermediate or advanced level students are also welcome in both types of class and are always welcome to skip any basic information and get started working independently. Our teachers love to get to know you and help you to reach your goals.
In your final week of term you'll glaze your work which will be left with us to be fired. You'll receive an email notifying you of the collection date for that term (usually 1-2 weeks later) which you'll need to attend to come and pay your firing fees ($9/kilo) and take all your wonderful creations home.
We hope to see you there!
Team Bisque