Nestled within a beautiful village, surrounded by mountains, bubbling clear streams, forests, and within easy reach of estuary, sea, and beaches, Garden Stream Pottery is an ideal location to relax and allow creativity to blossom.

The retreats are designed for individual bookings, for 1 – 4 adults. Dates and times and can be arranged to suit you. You can also choose the length of the retreat, and this can be from 1 up to 7 days.
The retreat can be tailored individually, and you can make your own timetable from the list of activities below:

Hand building with clay: A variety of hand building techniques such as coiling, pinch pots, slab building, using plaster molds, model making, tile, and plaque making will be taught. Hand building is a very versatile method of working with clay and pots. tiles, sculptural forms and jewellery can all be created. There will also be an introduction to different decorative techniques such as the use of stamps, sprigs, relief, burnishing, drawing and carving into the clay work.

Glazing and decoration: Glazing is a magical part of the ceramics process where your ceramics pieces are transformed through glaze. We have a wide variety of coloured glazes, underglazes, slips and oxides. If you choose to complete your hand-built ceramics with glaze I will guide you through different methods of applying glazes to reach the finish you would like.

Raku firing: Raku is a wonderful and exciting way to fire ceramics outdoors that gives unique and beautiful glaze affects, from deep turquoises, iridescent greens and blues, beautiful crackle whites, to rich coppers and warm organic tones. Raku is an ancient Japanese technique and the word itself translates as ‘enjoyment’ . Join us on this course where Celtic and Japanese influences are blended to create a unique and creative experience.

Lino cuts and how to use these with clay: make your own lino cuts and learn how to imprint these into clay to create beautiful tiles, plates, boxes.

Pottery wheel for beginners: Garden Stream Pottery is equipped with one potter’s wheel. You are welcome to have a go on this during the retreat and will have the opportunity to learn basic throwing skills.
Drawing and Journal work: Garden Stream Pottery is situated in a lovely garden with a backdrop of hills and trees. There is a stream running alongside the garden and so there is plenty of scope for drawing and quiet spaces for journal work and reflecting upon creative ideas.

Art based mindfulness practice: these workshops are designed to enable you to relax and discover a new way of working with art materials including clay.

Celtic Japanese Tea Ceremony: Raku is intrinsically linked to Japanese tea ceremony bowls, and if you wish to, you are invited to a special Raku Celtic and Japanese Tea Ceremony created by Ursula and Sonja. The tea ceremony is also linked to mindfulness and is another opportunity to slow down and relax.

Guided walks: there are many beautiful footpaths on our doorstep, and we will be only too happy to guide you and show you the local area.

We aim to create a relaxed, friendly, creative and supportive environment. The number of people (1 to 4 people) allows plenty of time for individual tuition to enable each person to feel confident to bring their own ideas and imagination into their ceramic work.

The day will run from 10 am to 4 pm. The price includes all tuition, activities, art and clay materials, a journal, tools, firings. A homecooked vegetarian meal will be provided mid-day, as well as refreshments throughout the day (i.e. tea, herbal teas, coffee, biscuits and cake). If you have any dietary requirements, please let us know

Currently, Garden Stream Pottery cannot provide accommodation for the retreats, but we can recommend very reasonably priced self-catering accommodation within the village and within easy walking distance. We can also recommend nearby camping, hostels and B&Bs.

To book a retreat or to find out further information please contact us by e. mail or by telephone.