In brief…
Pottery Novice Nights are suitable for adult learners. This class is for beginners as well as anyone with some experience in pottery and ceramics, but it is mainly aimed at beginner level. You are welcome to join us for a one-off class as a pottery experience, or to attend multiple Pottery Novice Nights as suits your schedule.
You will learn in our beautiful ground floor courtyard garden studio right in the heart of Shepherd’s Bush in West London. We have free after hours on street parking and excellent public transport links.
Class description
Adult Pottery Novice Nights provide a relaxed environment in which the teachers respond to the requirements and enthusiasm of the learners. This is a creative space in which you can pursue learning the craft and art of clay at your own pace. If you ever wanted to have a go on the potter’s wheel, why not make a Friday evening of it?
Each Pottery Novice Night class is seen as a training-wheels assisted departure into the world of creativity. Our tutors will do their best to ensure a fun-filled, positive and relaxed environment is created to get students’ creative journeys on the go.
Included in the price
The price of this class includes all your material costs such as clay, slips and glazes. Shared tools, aprons and towels are also provided. A bisque firing for your two favourite pieces is also now included in the price (size restrictions apply – but most standard size cups and bowls are covered!) .
The nature of clay…
When booking this single drop-in class, please be aware that working with clay is a multi-step process. While small hand built pieces, such as pinch pots or small sculptures, can be finished in one session, if you want to keep the work, it is best to have it fired.
If you would like to glaze it yourself and have it glaze fired, you will need to book a second class. We offer Facilitated Glazing Sessions. Firing will keep it from crumbling away or turning back into mushy clay if some water gets on it. Fired work can also be painted with acrylics or oils, and sprayed with a water repelling spray. Or bake-on-in-the-oven paints are available from some art suppliers as well). But if you want it completely water proof and food safe, glazing is the best way to go.
Wheel thrown work often requires three sessions – one to make it, the second to trim (tidy the base), decorate it and make any additions, such as handles, and the third to glaze it. As part of Friday Novice Nights we offer a service in which we tidy the base of each pot for you before firing it, so there is no need to come back for a trimming session. Hand built or sculpted work often can be made and decorated with slips in one session, but you will need a second class to glaze it.
Possibilities…
GLAZE IT: £20 per person per hour.
Come to one of our Friday evening Facilitated Glazing sessions!
INDEPENDENT WORKING: £18 per person per hour.
Book an Independent Pottery session (experienced potters/ experienced returning students only). This session does not include teaching and you must complete an induction at your first session. Flexible times and dates.
When will my work be ready?
Your work will be ready to collect one month after the class in which you made it, and will be stored at Kite Studios for no longer than three months after the original class date.
Collecting your work
Please remember to come and collect your work one month after you have made it! Our collection times are listed here.
In the interests of the environment…
If you have travelled from afar and it is not practicable for you to come back, please consider not having your work fired. Enjoy the experience at your class and take lots of photos of your creations! Firings take quite a lot of time and energy, both for our pottery team and for the planet.
Adult Pottery Newsletter
If you would like to find out more about all things pottery at Kite Studios you can sign up to our adult pottery newsletter, each month the newsletter contains updates from our classes, events and news in the pottery world! If you would like to join you can sign up using this link here: Adult Pottery Newsletter Sign Up Form
Who teaches the class
Pottery Novice Nights are taught by Emilia Radlinska.
