Every creative journey begins with inspiration...

This work is dedicated first to my mother, Nellie, who always supported my creativity, and second to the ceramic artists of the past 100 years or so, who helped shape studio ceramics as we know it and remain an inspiration to this day.

...And all makers start their journey as a beginner.

After teaching thousands of students, I understand the excitement of touching clay for the first time. In this course, I would like to share with you my love of clay, in the hope that you might find your own creative passion here too.

In the early 1980s, while studying painting at art college, I took a ceramics class for the first time since primary school. I was immediately fascinated by how clay could transform through making and firing, so I changed my study major over to ceramics. It took me a while to get the hang of throwing on the wheel... centering was a challenge for me and it wasn't until I tried throwing on a 'left-handed' wheel that it suddenly clicked! This is where my love for clay really became a part of my identity. I was a Potter!

...About learning pottery in the 80's.

During the 1980's, learning was very different from today. Back then, there was no internet, no online videos, and very few learning resources. Information came from old library books, black-and-white magazines, and handwritten articles. Inspiration was rare and precious. I slowly built a second-hand collection of books and texts by Leach, Casson and Rhodes, amongst others. These old pioneers in studio ceramics are still considered the go-to references... but be warned... they intimidate as well as inspire! ;D

One of the few modern, full colour inspirational resources available to me at the time was Craft Arts magazine, which my mother bought for me every month while I was studying. I still treasure those magazines, along with the pottery wheel she and dad gifted me for my 21st birthday. They remain sources of inspiration and motivation to this day.

...the changing scene of ceramics and a new career.

After graduating, I bought a small second-hand gas kiln and explored working as an artist-potter. However, due to an influx of cheap imports and the recession, the handmade crafts, including ceramics, went through a long decline, and countless artists and colleges closed their studios. Like many other craftspersons, I sought more conservative employment and, in my case, I became a teacher.

It took time to convince the school I worked in that ceramics was a serious art form, but eventually I set up a proper studio and taught Ceramics and Studio Arts for over 25 years. Many students found joy and confidence creatively working with clay and I saw how powerful an experience this could be for them, especially in an increasingly digital world.

...About learning pottery in the 2020's.

Today, the situation is completely different from when I was a student and one can access thousands of articles and video demonstrations on ceramics instantly. So many people today share their creative acivities and projects with clay online, whether hand-building or on the wheel. It gladdens my heart to see the revival of handmade crafts and of clay as an engaging and innovative material. And yet, in an increasingly complex world of social media and online infotainment, whilst this seemingly makes learning easier and more accessable, it can also be confusing and overwhelming without clear direction.

...A warm invitation.

And so, since 2020, I have returned to my own studio and now teach pottery online.

Through Clay Academy, I bring together decades of experience into a clear, structured learning path, designed to support a new generation of ceramicists and help them learn this rewarding and fulfilling craft-art, within a realistic timeframe!*

I warmly invite you to join Clay Academy and begin your own potter's journey with confidence and purpose.

Best Regards,

Wendy Ellen.