12 Oct 20'
"What an enjoyable two Saturdays we had on the raku pottery workshop .
The location is beautiful and the workshop barn is comfortable and warm ( the wood stove was on and gave the barn a very cosy feel )
On the first workshop Saturday Chris ,our tutor gave us a brief history on raku plus demonstrations on various hand builds . We then made items of our own ready for the following Saturday .
Our host George is a very welcoming lady who looked after everyone very well and the lunches she provided were simply delicious and consisted of a choice of two homemade soups , three different types of homemade bread and if that’s not enough you also get a choice of two things to have after .
On that particular day it was blackberry crumble and ice cream or carrot cake .
Tea , coffee , fruit teas , water are for everyone throughout the day when ever they wish .
Chris is a very easy going tutor , he brings examples of his work so you can see the end result .
Chris would encourage you to have a go at trying out things and experiment making your own vessel / pot etc but also guide you through stages as a group so that you all have at least 4 items ready to fire .
The second Saturday had the added bonus of the outdoor kiln and watching the pots being taken out and placed in the firing bin was good especially if you are hands on and get involved in the process . Of course the best bit is where you get to see how your chosen glazes that you’ve spent time on during 2nd Saturday , actually look like once they are taken out of the smoking straw filled bin and plunged into a bath of water .
A word of warning though on day two , don’t go dressed in your brand new costly clothing as it is a raku pottery workshop after all and the fire pit gives off billowing smoke and you will smell like you’ve just climbed out of it yourself !
I would recommend this two day workshop to any one whether they’ve done any form of pottery before or whether they’ve never touched clay in their lives or even gone to a workshop of any description.
I loved every minute of it ."
Cowshed Creative responded:
" Thanks so much Donna for such lovely detailed feedback. Really appreciated and hope to see you again."