In-person course
in Camberley Maker & location details

(23)

Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Glazed waiting to be fired

Warming the pots

Using tongs to remove the pots

White crackle glaze

Bird in white crackle on driftwood

Turquoise crackle with copper flashes

White crackle and turquoise over

Students with some of their pots

Students with their finished pots

Raku I white crackle glaze

Some lovely pieces, some sculpted and others thrown on the wheel

Description

Raku workshop. There is a maximum of six places available on this course. (ONLY ONE PLACE LEFT on this date, next available date is Saturday 26th April 2025). Raku is an ancient Japanese craft using a technique which enables you to glaze the work, fire, and take home unique and beautifully finished pots in one day. On this course you will be able to choose at least three bisque fired pots to glaze and fire in the Raku kiln. You will be encouraged to fully participate in every process, glazing, placing the pots in the hot kiln and observing carefully until the kiln reaches the correct temperature and then removing your pieces and placing them into a bin of combustible materials for reduction. Once the pots have been in the reduction bin for approximately 45 minutes, they are removed from the bin, the pots are still very hot at this stage, but can be plunged into cold water before cleaning and ready to go home with you. We try and have at least three firings during the day to enable everyone to experience the process fully. This course is held in Camberley, Surrey and is a joint venture between Gone To Pot Ceramics and Spindleberry Pottery. Janet has been giving private pottery throwing lessons for several years, at her studio in Farnham. She produces functional stoneware pottery in blue and green glazes, sculpts figures and animals and has a love of working in porcelain. Suzanne is a very experienced teacher, tutoring pottery to special needs students until her retirement from the profession. She now has the time to concentrate on her love of pottery, teaching private students and runs a local U3A pottery group. Working with fused glass is another one of her skill sets. Alan, (Janet’s husband) has a background in the building industry. He has designed and built the Raku kiln to meet our needs and desire to have our own purpose built kiln that would suit our specification. Over the course of time the kiln has been adapted to improve the air flow. Suzanne, Janet, and Alan, will guide you through every process, explaining each step and helping you along the way. Teenagers must be 16 or over and accompanied by a paying adult. PLEASE NOTE this course is held outside and it can be cold. Please ensure you wrap up warm if you book when the weather is likely to be cold. SAFETY REMINDERS: Please wear old clothes, this is a smokey environment. Long hair should be tied back, and covered shoes must be worn.

What's included in the price?

At least three bisque fired pots and a choice of glazes. If you wish you may bring your own bisque fired pieces, no bigger than 10” tall and of even wall thickness, otherwise they may break in the kiln if the wall thickness is uneven. Tea, coffee, soft drinks, and biscuits are available throughout the day. Light lunch is provided (sandwiches, tomatoes, savoury snacks, a selection of fruit and choice of cakes). Please let us know of any special dietary requirements.

Duration

1 day

Cancellation policy

Easy - Cancellation and a full refund can be obtained up to 2 weeks before the course starts

Maker

Gone To Pot Ceramics

with Craft Courses since 2019

Message the tutor

Suitable for

Adults
Seniors
Teenagers
Suitable for all abilities
Daytime (weekdays)
Weekends
Parking provided
Suitable for beginners

What does this mean?

Message the tutor

Venue

Spindleberry Pottery, Spindleberry, Pine Avenue, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 2LY

Reviews

All maker's reviews

3 Sep 24'

Angela reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"I had such a wonderful day experimenting with glazes. It was so exciting to see how everything turned out, experiencing the unpredictable nature of Raku. The group was just the right size for sharing experiences but also having plenty of opportunity to have a go. Very knowledgeable people and great company."

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Hi Angela, so glad you enjoyed your day. You all went away with some lovely pots. So nice to have met you and hope we meet again one day. Kind regards Janet, Alan and Suzanne "

4 Aug 24'

Lunel reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"I had such an incredible time on this course - the perfect balance of theory and practice with an action-packed hands-on experience that was something I would highly recommend. Suzanne and Janet were fantastic instructors and were incredibly hospitable. Thank you ladies, I am so proud of my pots and can’t wait to be back! "

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Hi Lunel, Thank you for your kind review We had such a lovely day didn’t we. You all made such lovely pots all of them were beautiful. Kind regards Janet and the team "

10 Apr 24'

Alice reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"Many thanks Janet, Suzanne and Alan for a wonderful day! It was really fun to decorate the pots and be so involved in the process and then exciting to see the results and take them home! "

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Thank you so much for your kind review, so glad you enjoyed your day. Kind regards Janet, Alan and Suzanne "

7 Apr 24'

Andrew Miles reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"Full day of glazing and raku firing"

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Hi Andrew, thank you so much for your 5 star review, it means a great deal to us that you enjoyed your Raku experience, it was lovely to meet you. Kind regards Janet, Alan and Suzanne "

22 Feb 24'

Alison reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"This experience day did not disappoint! It was as exciting and enjoyable as we had hoped it would be. We were lucky with the weather and worked alongside a great group of people. Both Janet and Suzanne were encouraging and supportive throughout. We would definitely recommend this experience day. Thank you."

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Hi Alison, thank you for your kind review. Yes we were really lucky with the weather and everyone produced some lovely pots. I particularly liked your pot with all three glazes on, it was lovely, kind regards to you and Richard, Janet "

3 Jul 23'

Joanne Rogers reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"If you like spending the day with likeminded creative people then this is the day for you. We were shown the Raku technique and were allowed to fire 4 pots. We started slowly but after we saw the first pots come out of the kiln we were all excited to try new and interesting things and were encouraged to do so my Janet and Suzanne. The tuition was excellent and we were lucky with the weather as it was outdoors but under a canopy. I would definitely recommend this course and will probably be doing it again myself now I have seen the results. "

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Ho Jo, thank you so much for your kind review. We had a lovely day didn’t we. Every one produced such lovely pots and you were such a lovely bunch, thank you too. Kind regards Janet and the team."

19 May 23'

Sarra reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"Had a lovely day - the experience was fun, well explained and we were all delighted with our Raku treasures!"

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Hi Sarra Thank you so much for your kind review. We all had a lovely time and some lovely results too. Glad you enjoyed your day. Kind regards Janet and the team"

14 May 23'

Sarah reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"What a lovely day in Suzanne’s beautiful garden. Suzanne, her friend Janet & husband Alan, pulled together as a real experienced team, explaining every step. Provided a selection of beautiful shaped pots to be painted, samples of coloured pots previously fired to give ideas, ample equipment, and safety throughout. Raku history & process was discussed, safety issues addressed, as students we were encouraged to participate at every step. Would recommend. "

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Hi Sarah, thank you so much for your kind review. So glad you enjoyed it. We all had a lovely time creating Raku pots. Your pieces were great. Kind regards Janet, Suzanne and Alan"

19 Mar 23'

Rebecca Smeeth reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"A truly wonderful day. We learned so much and did so much in just a few hours. I love every single one of my unique pieces. Would highly recommend anyone of any level to attend this course. I’ll probably go back again myself!"

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Hi Rebecca, thank you for your kind review. Your pots were lovely, well done, all six of you produced beautiful pieces and you all seemed to enjoy each others company too. kind regards Janet, on behalf of the Raku Team"

20 Oct 22'

Zoe reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"We had a lovely day with Janet, Suzanne and Alan. They were welcoming, friendly, and really happy to share all their knowledge and advice. We had a nice lunch, and came home with some pieces that looked amazing! We were really pleased with our days creations. Thank you so much!"

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Hi Zoe, so glad you enjoyed your Raku experience we all had a lovely day so nice to have met you. Janet and the team"

13 Sep 22'

Roz Chapman reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"I approached this course with some trepidation as I have severe rheumatoid arthritis which badly affects the use of my hands. No need to worry! I was given unobtrusive help and support enabling me to enjoy the day to the full. A word of advice to anyone who likes to have total control of their artistic endeavours, just go with the flow, literally, and let the glazes and raku furnace do their own thing...the results will surprise and delight you. The harder I tried at the beginning the less pleasing were my results. Plenty of lovely food and drink available throughout the day."

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Hi Roz, thank you so much for your kind review. We are so glad you had an enjoyable day. We also had a great day, such a lovely group. Kind regards Janet and the team."

12 Sep 22'

Tess reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"Excellent selection of pots to choose from and teaching was informative but informal so could be as creative as you wanted. Highly recommend it. "

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Thank you so much for your kind review, we all had a lovely day and it was so nice to meet you. Kindest regards Janet, and the team"

18 Jul 22'

Pam and Gary reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"We had a really good day. We were looked after well and enjoyed meeting everyone. It was good to experience something where you didn’t know exactly what you would get at the end of the process and I appreciated that. We liked our pots and looking at the pots of the other people in our group. A great day. Thank you. "

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"So glad you enjoyed your day. We enjoyed it too despite the very hot weather. Kind regards Janet Suzanne and Alan"

14 Jul 22'

Nicki England reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"We had a lovely day with Suzanne, Alan and Janet. They were very welcoming, knowledgeable and helpful. Due to the heatwave, the kiln stayed hot and we got to glaze and fire several pots. We were all given the chance to get involved in all aspects of the firing, and were delighted with the outcome of the pots. We went home tired, smokey, but happy!"

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Hi Nicki, so glad you had an enjoyable day, in spite of the hot sunny weather. You certainly produced some lovely pots. Kind regards Janet on behalf of the team."

10 Jul 22'

Jane reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"A very pleasant first experience of learning about and experiencing the art of raku - all in beautiful surroundings and with great hospitality. Thank you."

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Thank you Jane for your review, glad you enjoyed the day, despite the very hot weather, Janet "

30 May 22'

Sue Barnes reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

"Great raku day with Suzanne, Janet and Alan. Only 6 in our group which was really nice and friendly. We were taught everything about raku. They showed us every element of firing then we could do it ourselves if we wanted to on the next firings I came away with 4 lovely pots. Would definitely recommend this course."

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

"Hi Sue, thank you so much for your kind review. Also many thanks for sending us the photos you took, really appreciated as we don’t have time to take any ourselves. Some lovely pots were produced by everyone, so glad you enjoyed your day. Kind regards Janet and the Raku team."

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Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Description

What's included in the price?

Duration

Cancellation policy

Maker

Gone To Pot Ceramics

Suitable for

Venue

Price:

Duration:

Time:

Next available date:

Reviews

Angela reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Lunel reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Alice reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Andrew Miles reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Alison reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Joanne Rogers reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Sarra reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Sarah reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Rebecca Smeeth reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Zoe reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Roz Chapman reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Tess reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Pam and Gary reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Nicki England reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Jane reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Sue Barnes reviewed: Experience the Japanese art of raku using fire and flame

Gone To Pot Ceramics responded:

Have you done this course?

Similar courses, kits, live classes and online workshops in: