What a lovely weekend! I braved a solo trip for this course and felt welcome and part of the group from the outset. I’m looking forward to receiving my three finished pieces once they have been fired. All being well I have two useable mugs and a bowl to show for my weekend. For the weekend course each potter has their own wheel, a very generous amount of clay to work with (you’re not going to run out) and the perfect combination of instruction, demonstration, support and freedom to find what works for you. Up to the point of adding colour the clay is completely recyclable so you can afford to experiment and make mistakes. It’s great to see that resources aren’t being wasted.

Whilst I am generally quite crafty, I am not necessarily artistic and I’m definitely very heavy handed. Pottery did not come naturally to me and I definitely felt that I was significantly behind my fellow potters. Jon & Sarah and all of the other potters were supportive and encouraging. At the end of the weekend I lined up my finished pieces to take a photo before heading off, without everyone else’s work to compare against I suddenly had a real sense of achievement.

Definitely go on this course. Go with the intention of experiencing something new in a really friendly and supportive environment. If you can, don’t compare your work to everyone else’s. Perhaps you’ll be amazing at it, perhaps you’ll be terrible but have a good chuckle at your mistakes, you’ll probably reach a new found respect for the Pottery Showdown contestants either way!