Ceramic arts workshops
In our Edinburgh based ceramics workshop we match the content of courses to your own learning aims. Small group sizes provide space to adapt to different styles of making and give appropriate support at the right moment. Alongside this you will gain a broad technical knowledge relevant to your first hand experience in the ceramic craft.
Learners will often adopt a skills building approach initially. Focussing on specific making techniques such as wheel throwing or hand building. New skills advance quickly meaning that specific design ideas can be accomplished.
A project based approach often arises, as incremental decisions build around the creative possibilities the material. Meaning that new ideas can be generated with a natural pace, alongside particular inspirations, in respect of form, surface texture, tone and hue.
Technical support is readily available where needed due to our limited group sizes of up to three persons. While each person enjoys sole use of their potters wheel for the duration of each ceramics workshop. The ceramics studio is a bright workspace housed within a building of art studios close to the centre of the city of Edinburgh.
Beginners wheel throwing and glazing course
The Beginners course is structured to give you the foundational skills of ceramic wheel throwing. Offering a rich starting point from which to begin enjoyment of this exciting and relaxing ceramics practice. The specific direction being determined by your own path of curiosity.
Participants will first develop the fundamental wheel throwing skill of creating the cylinder form. By centring, opening out and lifting the walls of the pot. From where a wide array of other forms can be reached. Leading onwards we think about surface approaches through coloured slips and glazes. As the ceramic surface can be approached in myriad ways, with marks added or removed, a surface can be discovered through feel and a natural progression of aesthetic decisions. This may lead to surfaces giving way to expression, illustration or maybe something more minimal.
With group sizes limited to a maximum of three participants there is ample space for specific support while making.
The Beginners course is priced at £230 per person for six weeks. Each weekly session is two hours in duration. The course fee includes all materials and high temperature firings.
Intermediate wheel throwing and glazing course
This course focusses on a personal creative approach to design, advancing your skills in ceramic practice. Participants will move towards more ambitious wheel thrown forms. Experiencing multiple ways that cylindrical forms can form a basis for advanced forms.
With new skills in ceramic practice the possibility of taking direct inspiration from other ceramicists opens up. The various stages of drying in clay offer great opportunities to further transform your pieces during this course including adding handles, spouts and creating surface texture. Learning from past experiences to advance decoration further with coloured slips, glazes, and surface design.
With limited group sizes of a maximum of three participants there is plenty of space for one-to-one tuition and discussion.
The culmination of the course will see participants take away all ceramic pieces they have completed during the course.
The intermediate course is priced at £230 per person for six weeks. Each weekly session is two hours in duration. The course fee includes all materials and high temperature firings.
Wheel throwing taster session
The purpose of the taster session is to give hands-on experience of making wheel thrown ceramics. Getting a sense of the studio and the range of possibilities presented by the clay material. This workshop includes a practical introduction to the core elements of wheel throwing, focussing on the fundamental skill of forming a cylinder. Being guided on how to centre the clay, open the form, lift the walls and how to manipulate the clay to create your finished work.
With group size limited to three participants there is plenty of scope for one-to-one tutored assistance, giving a good pace to development. Following the session the pieces are glazed and fired twice. Once complete collection can be arranged from the studio.
Please get in touch to discuss our current availability for taster sessions.
£60 per person for a two hour Taster session.
Workshop fee includes all materials and high temperature firings.
Double wheel throwing taster session
The Double Taster session extends upon the single Taster session to include wheel trimming. Introducing the core skills of centring, opening up, lifting the walls and adapting the form. While giving extension into the subsequent processes of wheel trimming and textural surface design.
Wheel trimming adds a finished foot and refines the shape of the pieces made during the first session. When complete there is the option to add surface design in textures or carved elements, along with adding coloured clay slip decoration. Finally we will spend some time considering glazing options through seeing samples of a range of possible glazes.
Participants will receive a thorough introduction to the fundamentals of wheel throwing followed by wheel trimming. Through clear and concise demonstration and description of the process. With further technical guidance on hand to help overcome any challenging aspects.
With group size limited to three participants there is plenty of scope for one-to-one tutored assistance, giving a good pace to development. Pieces will be twice fired after the session and can be collected from the studio on completion.
Please get in touch to discuss our current availability for sessions.
£120 per person for 2x two hour Taster sessions.
Workshop fee includes all materials and high temperature firings.
About
James' Edinburgh studio was established in the summer of 2019. Since this time James has practiced ceramics and enjoyed sharing his skills in clay including wheel throwing, hand building techniques and ceramic surface design.
Prior to the formation of the Edinburgh studio James taught Visual Arts and ceramics in Hong Kong for three years. Taking much inspiration from the material interactions of the city and the continual reworking of the urban environment.
James continues to teach wheel throwing workshops with small, valued groups of learners. Supporting those new and returning in building the necessary range of experiences and micro-skills- which each contribute towards well rooted confidence in clay practice. Every experience on the wheel develops anticipation for the action of the clay. With time these insights allow simple and well formed cylinders to be achieved. On reaching this fundamental milestone a multitude of pathways extend and unfold into new freedoms. Supporting learners along this journey is a challenge and one which James enjoys greatly.
Degree level Arts education in Fine Art BA (Hons.) from Norwich School of Art and Design and Masters in Ceramics and Glass from the National Glass Centre.
