Latest reviews

Sonia Blakeley reviewed: Willow Weaving – ‘Alibaba’ Linen Basket

"Tremendous workshop! As an enthusiastic and complete novice I was stretched, challenged but equally supported to achieve great things and came home with a wonderful willow basket. We were inducted into a complexity of willow weaving skills and somehow supported to pull it off in two days. I couldn't be more pleased."

Denmark Farm Conservation Centre responded:

"Thank you for joining us Sonia. Very happy that you are so pleased with your basket. Look forward to seeing you and Mary again soon. "

Paul Dixon reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Really enjoyed the week and very proud of what I was able to create. Brilliant setup and just the right amount of "supervision". Thanks Mark and see you next year for course 2."

Donna Rose reviewed: Fabric Dyeing

"It is one of the best courses that I have attended. Jen was a fabulous tutor and made us feel immediately welcome. Over the 2 days we made samples using many different techniques. I came home with lots of lovely work and have been inspired to carry on dyeing!"

Sew Forest of Dean responded:

"Thank you Donna for your lovely review! It was a great couple of days in the studio and I'm so pleased you are going to do more dyeing - your pieces were gorgeous - I'm going to dye some t-shirts today! Thanks again, Jen "

Dorian Hobday reviewed: Portrait sculpture in clay

"I've studied under Luke in a sculpture course he has run in London. The framework and content of his teaching is excellent, as is the way he communicates with learners. He has warm manner and a calm supportive energy. I would thoroughly recommend any course he is running. "

Luke Shepherd responded:

"Hi Dorian. Thanks for your 5* review. The Sculpture for Surgeons Course I teach in London is very similar in content to the Portrait Sculpture Course. The emphasis is on looking, observing and seeing clearly. The majority of plastic surgeons do not have any previous sculpture training. It's wonderful however to hear how their surgery can be enhanced because of their better understanding of facial forms. I never dreamt I would work at such a level with both junior and consultant surgeons and to be able to meet their needs through my work with sculpture. "

Chrissy Bowe reviewed: Enter the world of Pyrography with Bob Neill

"I bought this as a Christmas present. Bob was extremely helpful and responded to every one of my emails. The present was a great success. Would thoroughly recommend taking this course. Many thanks Bob"

Becky and Stevie reviewed: A night (or morning/afternoon!) on the tiles: a 2.5 hour taster mosaic course

"We had a great afternoon creating mosaic coasters with Fiona! She was knowledgeable, helpful and so easy to chat to as we all worked away. We were able to be as creative as we wanted and try out different techniques, types of tile and tools. We hadn’t quite finished when our session ended, but she was happy for us to stay and do the last bit before we left. We are excited to grout them at home and see our finished masterpieces! Thank you so much, we loved it 😊 "

Valley Craft Studio responded:

"Thanks very much for your review. It was lovely to meet and chat to you both. I would love to see your grouted mosaics once you have done them xx"

Rozan reviewed: Spoon Carving with Touchwood Glasgow

"It was a great experience, I really enjoyed the day and learned a lot. Robert's explanations were clear and the general teaching style relaxed and patient. When needed he would help you individually as well, to guide you in techniques, or figure out what techniques would work best for you. I had a great day and came away with a skill to develop further and a spoon I was really happy with."

graham barley reviewed: Abstract Bluebell Woods in Acrylic Paints on a Canvas

"Amina was very welcoming and her studio is great to work in. Session was well prepared and I enjoyed it - wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. Thanks Amina."

A.S.K Art & Pottery Gallery & Studio responded:

"Thanks, Graham, you learned quickly and it was so lovely to chat with you. Toby and I hope to see you soon. Amina "

Jacky King reviewed: Fused Glass Afternoon with April Pebble

"I would thoroughly recommend this session on fused glass. April goes above and beyond to support as and when you need it. She's really keen to support as wide a range of learners as she can do. Don't hesitate to get in touch with her. I'm really excited to see the end product. Give it a go! "

April Pebble responded:

"It was a very relaxed atmosphere with you two so thanks for stopping in and I'm eager to see your decorations too! I will get them out in the post to you as soon as can be- April :)"

Jennie Regan reviewed: Portrait sculpture in clay

"The four day portrait course with Luke I attended was a great opportunity to learn from a talented sculptor who was actually able to communicate well and teach! I've never tried portrait sculpture before but Luke made me feel at ease. The course was well prepared with some theory as well as practical demonstrations and Luke spent plenty of time with each of us enabling us to really solidify our learning. It was a real pleasure to attend the course, I learnt so much. As for the sculptures produced by the group - I cannot believe how fantastically they turned out, every one capturing a real esssence of the model. I would certainly recommend the course to anyone considering portrait sculpture and would love to do it again. "

Luke Shepherd responded:

"Hi Jennie. Thanks for a lovely review. You're welcome on a course anytime!"

Nicola Axe reviewed: Portrait sculpture in clay

"I took part in a moulding and casting course with Luke. He is an excellent teacher, making sure we had a thorough understanding of the subject, then encouraging us to stretch ourselves, and develop the skills required to work independently. "

Luke Shepherd responded:

"Thanks Nicola. I love sharing my skills with other professional sculptors. It was great to have you along and I enjoyed the challenge of helping you get a really good cast from your symmetric stone carving. I'm not running a mould and casting course at the moment, although I have been invited to run one for the stonemasons at Exeter Cathedral. "

Sue Norton reviewed: Worthing: Beginners Pointed Nib Calligraphy

"I enjoyed the evening. Amy very good, gave clear instruction. Will definitely book more courses."

The Modern Calligraphy Company responded:

"Good Morning Sue. Thankyou so much for your lovely feedback. We are so pleased you enjoyed our workshop and we look forward to welcoming you back sometime soon. Best wishes The Modern Calligraphy Co Team."

Paul Dunkley reviewed: Portrait sculpture in clay

"Luke is the sort of teacher I needed back in my school days - in four days he converted a blithering idiot into a rather accomplished sculptor which is remarkable. This is further transcended by the fact he did the same to a dozen totally different people on the courses. The resulting clays are always articulate representations of the sitter despite the pupil. You will be amazed at you own ability guided by a consummate professional. I can't give Luke enough praise. I really wish he would do a course for politicians."

Luke Shepherd responded:

"Thanks Paul. I don't think there's a category on the Craft Courses website for courses for politicians (yet)...otherwise I'd consider your challenge! Funnily you mention politicians though, because many of my bronze portrait commission over the years have been of well known politicians - both on the left and right. Some of the stories I was told while they sat I was sworn not to repeat! "

Ann Cullum reviewed: Portrait sculpture in clay

"Before attending Luke’s class I’d not attempted sculpture of this kind. Luke provides a very supportive and informative class which opens your eyes into the important steps required to achieve a remarkable piece of work. The whole process was a joy to learn and with Luke’s humour as well as knowledge and guidance you’ll leave feeling confident in continuing to do more. "

Luke Shepherd responded:

"Hi Ann. Thanks for taking time to write me such a kind a review. Figurative sculpture can indeed be a challenge, especially when you're trying to get it to look like the model! And especially if you haven't attempted this kind before. It was great to see you jump right in and enthusiastically step by step develop your work. "

Olivia Squance reviewed: Mig Welding For Beginners Introductory Day Course.

"My mum did a welding course with Tony for her birthday. She enjoyed herself so much! Tony was patient and very knowledgeable walking her through a creation she’s wanted to make for a long time. Needless to say they made something amazing and my mum is incredibly grateful for the day and would recommend to anyone wanting to get into welding! Or have a brilliant creative day. "

Newport Wrought Ironwork responded:

"Thank you Olivia for the feedback, I really enjoyed the day I spent with your mum Bridget making the horseshoe fire brazier for her garden. Hopefully she will have many years of use from it and also continue being creative making stuff from metal. Regards Tony "

Lucianne Lassalle reviewed: Portrait sculpture in clay

"Luke was an attentive and brilliant teacher on this amazing course, with very clear and easy to understand step by step instructions, he really helped me to get a good grasp on how to create a great likeness of the model. Totally recommend this course. "

Luke Shepherd responded:

"Thank you Lucianne. It's always a pleasure to have professional sculptors participate on my courses. The beauty is there is always something to learn from working with others, seeing how they approach and tackle the subject. Even how they hold and use their modelling tools. The learning is 2-way. Thankyou!"

Christy Cruft reviewed: Portrait sculpture in clay

"Before enrolling on one of Luke's portrait sculpture courses, I've done very little clay sculpture myself. Luke's approach is very thorough and detailed. He also created a confidence building atmosphere in the group as well as giving each participant plenty of individual support and guidance. We also had a few short sessions looking at anatomical and portrait theory which I found very helpful. I now feel sufficiently competent and confident to tackle some portraiture work independently and I'm amazed at the likenesses that I'm achieving."

Luke Shepherd responded:

"Thanks Christy for your kind review. Please feel free to send me images of your work. I'd like to see what you are working on and I'm very happy to offer you feedback if you wish. All very best"

Sally Wood reviewed: One day silver jewellery designing and making workshop

"This was a really wonderful bespoke course. Bridget was lovely and very knowledgeable. Have an idea of what you want to make, but don't be too specific, helps to learn more. We were able to get ideas on the day looking at Bridget's own collection. My husband and I decided to make a ring as he had recently lost his wedding ring and Bridget made it easy to make design decisions and guided us through every step. I would definitely go again (even though not local to us) we had a really great day."

Bridget Bradshaw Designs responded:

"So kind of you to leave your review. Plus you are more than welcome to return anytime you wish, we all had so much fun. Kind regards Bridget xx "

Gwen reviewed: Fused Glass Afternoon with April Pebble

"My friend and I spent a fruitful few hours with April creating some beautiful fused glass ornaments. She was patient and kind and I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in finding out more. We are looking forward to receiving our creations in the post"

April Pebble responded:

"Your fused glass creations are being fired as we speak! It was a pleasure to meet you both and thanks so much for the kind words, April :)"

Rich reviewed: Atlantic Ribbon Stool - 3 day

"Great course, fantastic guidance given and incredible hands on experience using all the hand tools to produce an outstanding stool which I never imagined I would be able to hand craft from a few pieces of wood! Fantastic location with great views across the Cornish farmland in an amazing workshop. Picked up so many really good tips on how to produce real quality woodwork and looking forward to using them on my next project at home. Huge thanks to all for a fantastic course"

Lisa Tank reviewed: An introduction to Argentium Silver

"I spent a wonderful day with Elizabeth making a beautiful ring and bangle. Elizabeth's teaching and support was perfect and she was incredibly helpful, informative and patient! Her own work is stunning and I would highly recommend doing this workshop day with her."

Claire Freeman reviewed: Willow Hare Workshop

"Absolutely loved this workshop. I had been looking for a while to find a hare that I liked the look of. This one was great, nice chunky solid body with detail in the ears. Some hares on other workshops look a bit sparse. Rachel was a good tutor and explained things really well. She took time to go round everyone and help/answer questions. I think we were all impressed that our hares turned out to look just like the one on the literature. Would definitely recommend."

Frances reviewed: Lamp glass bead making

"Fantastic half-day workshop learning how to make glass beads. Jade is a lovely teacher, she explained and demonstrated the techniques clearly. I really enjoyed learning the basic technique and then trying various embellishments (using frit, bubbles, swirls). Amazed how many techniques I got to try in the session and delighted with my beads 😊 Totally recommend!"

Goldwrightsjewelleryschool responded:

"You both made such lovely beads, it was a lovely morning. I loved the bubbles :) Thank you for choosing Goldwrightsjewelleryschool xxx "

Marie reviewed: Stained glass sun-catcher workshop: Hampshire

"Rachel is so patient and supportive you can’t fail to finish the day with a lovely sun catcher. I really enjoyed the whole day and can’t wait to do more. "

Mary Luke reviewed: Bookbinding - make a hardback journal and leather notebook - two session workshop

"I very much enjoyed this 2 session course. We learned a lot with Suzy who is an excellent teacher. She introduced us to some very interesting techniques and gave advice on how we could make books at home. She is incredibly patient and explains everything very clearly. Thank you very much for 2; brilliant Saturday afternoons "

The Leaf Press responded:

"Thank you very much for your review Mary. The books you created were lovely and I'm so pleased you enjoyed the workshop. "