Beginners Pottery Throwing 4 Week Course | Starts Sunday 11th October

📍 Stoneleigh Arms Arts Space, Leamington Spa

Come along and join ceramicist and artist Jeanette Sheppard for this four-week course, designed for complete beginners and anyone looking to improve their centring skills. With demonstrations, plenty of practice time, and guided support from Jeanette throughout, you’ll be encouraged to develop the essential techniques needed to throw at the wheel.

What You'll Master

The course is designed to build your skills progressively, ensuring you find your "rhythm" on the wheel.

OCTOBER 11TH/Week 1 – The Essential Skills

This session is all about becoming comfortable with the process, enjoying the feel of the clay, and building confidence at the wheel. We’ll start with the fundamentals, including coning, centring, opening the clay, and pulling up the walls. 

OCTOBER 18TH/Week 2 – Shaping

This week we’ll focus on how to throw a cylinder — a foundational shape in wheel throwing. We’ll look at developing control as you create height and form.

OCTOBER 25TH/Week 3 – Curves and Coloured Slips

We’ll explore learning how to throw a bowl. This session will lead you through how to open out the base, create smooth curves, and build familiarity with shaping the clay. In preparation for Week 4, Jeanette will demonstrate how to use coloured slips as surface decoration.

NOVEMBER 1ST/Week 4 – Make It Yours

In this final week, you’ll have the opportunity to continue to work on your skills at the wheel and you’ll have the chance to decorate some of your work using coloured slips. Also, Jeanette will offer to show you how to do simple turning – the process that refines the base of a pot. 

Participants will be able to choose FOUR pieces for bisque firing after the course has finished, with the option to collect them at this stage.

An alternative option is for you to come back for a clear glazing session at an additional cost - dates and times will be sent to you at the end of the course. 

Space on the course is limited to 5 people to ensure plenty of 1-on-1 guidance, however, this workshop requires a minimum of 3 participants to run. In the unlikely event that we don't reach this number, you will be notified well in advance and offered a full refund or a transfer to a future date.