Learn Ceramics with Monique
Take some time to learn the healing craft of wheel-thrown ceramics in a relaxed setting — one-on-one, with a partner, or with a few friends. These are private lessons designed for individual attention so you can improve your skills and let loose from the stress of daily life.
Healing with clay
Did you know that just 45 minutes of working with clay can lower stress hormones by 30%? It also releases serotonin and dopamine, making you feel more relaxed and happy.
All day long we are thinking, sometimes struggling with overthinking, depression, or anxiety. When you settle down at the wheel and your hands touch the cool clay, all of that goes out the window. Actually, in my mind it goes into the clay. I like to imagine it sucks the stress right out of my body.
Ceramics can be a powerful tool for grounding and coming back into your body. In my lessons, I like to focus on this practice of returning to yourself. We will develop skills that go beyond ceramics, creating something amazing in the process!
Beginner Lessons
-
You’ve never touched clay in your life (ooooh, youre going to love it!)
or you’ve tried it a long time ago and don’t remember much
or maybe you’ve tried it recently and you want more practice & individual attention to improve your skills.
I’m here for you and can’t wait to work together! We are going to have a great time and learn a lot. It’s important to know that wheel throwing isn’t easy at first, it takes time and dedication, so come with that in mind.
-
This is an in-depth program. We will start with some theory—what is clay and how does this all work?— then go into clay preparation and wedging. Then we will work on centering (the most important and time consuming thing to learn, but so worth it) and opening the clay. Then pulling up the walls and shaping. Next comes trimming and the first firing. Then glazing, the second firing, and finally, admiring and using your work!
-
A lovely workspace, all the clay you need, use of the wheel and tools, and the costs of firing and glazing. One-on-one, hands on instruction by a calm and attentive teacher with years of ceramic experience. By the end of the course you will have 4 finished pieces to take home and a strong knowledge of all that goes into making wheel-thrown ceramics.
-
We pick a day and time that works for us both and meet once or twice a week. Each session is 3 hours long, except for trimming and glazing which each take 2 hours. This is about 20 hours of instruction across 7 sessions.
Lesson 1 — theory, wedging, centering, opening
Practice 1 — practice what you learned from lesson 1
Lesson 2 — pulling up and shaping the walls
Practice 2 — practice what you learned from lesson 1 & 2
Lesson 3 — use what you’ve learned to make 4 pieces to keep
Lesson 4 — trimming (cleaning up the base of your pieces)
Lesson 5 — glazing
-
For 20 hours of hands-on instruction and practice days, the price for a single person is €485.
If you bring a partner or friend, each additional person is €295.
I cap the classes at 4 students to ensure each individual has enough attention.
-
Send me a message using the contact form below to ask about availability or any questions, then we can schedule our sessions and arrange payment. I look forward to hearing from you!
Intermediate Level — Mentorship
-
This is for students who have already taken beginner classes or have experience on the wheel, but aren’t sure where to go next. Moving from beginner to intermediate is a matter of hours on the wheel, and little tips along the way can help speed up progress.
This course is especially suited for students who are looking to develop their own personal style and learn more about all aspects of ceramics.
-
We will spend the beginning of each lesson discussing a topic, focusing on personal development and creating your own style. The rest of the lesson is hands-on, practicing technique and troubleshooting.
This course is customizable so if you have a project in mind, I am very excited to work with you on that!
-
Use of the workspace, wheel, and tools, all the clay you need, use of studio glazes, firing in the kiln, and one-on-one, hands on instruction by a calm and attentive teacher with years of ceramic experience.
At the end of the program you will leave with xx finished pieces ready to take home and enjoy.
-
We start each lesson talking about a topic and spend the rest of the time practicing. Topics are introduced so you can think about it and apply it next time. For example, we talk about forms so that the next class you will have decided what forms you want to make.
Each session is 3 hours, except for glazing which takes 2 hours. A total of 20 hours over 7 sessions.
Lesson 1 — Discuss: clay theory, throwing with consistency. Practice: wedging & throwing basics (centering, opening, pulling, shaping the walls)
Lesson 2 — Discuss: forms; cups, bowls, plates, lidded vessels, etc. Practice: throwing
Lesson 3 — Discuss: style; looking at other artists’ work helps you develop your own style and decide what you actually want to make. Practice: throwing
Lesson 4 — discuss: surface design, handles. Practice: throwing
Lesson 5 — Discuss: trimming as part of the form. Complete: throw 4 forms to trim and glaze
Lesson 6 — Discuss: glazing. Complete: trimming, handles (if relevant), surface design
Lesson 7 — Complete: glazing
-
For 20 hours of focused hands-on instruction, the price for a single person is €485.
If you bring a partner or friend, each additional person is €295.
I cap the classes at 4 students to ensure each individual has enough attention.
-
Send me a message using the contact form below to ask about availability or any questions, then we can schedule our sessions and arrange payment. I look forward to hearing from you!