If you want to take things seriously and get a grounding knowledge in pottery you're ready to start out in one of our 6 week beginner courses.
But which one you ask...?
Check out our Beginner Classes
Sounds like you should consider checking out one of our one-off classes like Friday Night's Date Night or Saturday's Make a Thing Class.
These offer an easy one off experience where you'll get an exciting taste of what working with clay can be like, plus you'll get to take home a new creation!*
*a few weeks later
Ooh! Low Commitment Offerings
Sometimes you reach a bit of a plateau with your work, if you're finding yourself there you might consider signing up for and intermediate course at Kiln.
Thomas Baker runs an amazing 6 week Intermediate Wheel Throwing course and soon we'll introduce an Intermediate Hand Building course.
Tom covers a great range of next level skills to make your potting life easier, more interesting and most importantly enjoyable! You'll cover skills like spiral wedging, forming large bowls, lidded vessels and more.
Help me get out of the mud!Well of course you do! How about a private class for you and your friends? We can handle up to 8 on the potters wheels and up to 20 if we have some fun using our hands.
We're pretty flexible with time-slots so get in touch with us to get the ball rolling!
Get behind the Wheel!
We run a mean team building class at Kiln Studio!
We can handle teams from two to twenty, so if you'd like to convince the social club manager that the next event should be happening at Kiln, them them to call us and we'll do the rest!
Get in touch to find out what we can offer your workplace.
Get the whole crew muddy!
Here at Kiln we have 3 amazing residents desks available. These give you 24hr access to our studio and residency can run from 2 weeks to 6 months.
Whether you're looking for a new experience, want to get immersed in pottery or just need a space to work from we've got you covered.
Get in touch to find out what we can offer and how it works.
Become a potter.
Getting bored of the same old friday nights? Well sign up and get your butts into Kiln for a creative way to kick off your weekend! You may even have something to show for it!
These evenings are free-form guided play with clay, we'll have a bunch of examples of possibilities and a small mountain of clay for you to work with.
At the end of the evening you'll be able to select your favourite creation which will be glazed and fired, after which you'll be able to collect from us 4-6 weeks later!
Each week we take on a project that can be completed by any skill level, it maybe a mug, vase, doggy bowls, you name it!
Pop in for a cup of coffee and some pastry and get those creative juices flowing! Once you've completed your creations we'll take care of the glazing and firing and you'll be able to collect from us 4-6 weeks later!
Check out the booking page to see what projects are coming up.
You've always wanted to try out the potters wheel? Or maybe you've had a small taste and are craving another go! Well here's the low commitment answer to your prayers!
With 4 hours of clay goodness (an hour for lunch) you'll have plenty of time to hone your skills and make some funky shapes. We start right from the beginning so don't worry if you've never tried it.
Your favourite 3 pieces will be glazed and fired and returned to you 4-6 weeks later.
Over six classes, you will delve into the world of hand-building pottery techniques. We'll cover pinching, coiling, slabbing and more in a friendly low stress environment.
If you're more of a free-wheeling creative type you'll enjoy hand building as it's complete freedom with clay. If you can imagine it, there's usually a way to achieve it!
For a full course breakdown, check out the booking page for more information.
Once the course is completed you'll be eligible to attend our OPEN STUDIO days every week to continue your pottery journey.
Over six weeks, you will dive into the world of wheel throwing, mastering the techniques needed to create stunning pottery on the wheel.
This course is about learning the process rather than production, expect to cut open the majority of your work to dissect and learn from your pieces, this will lead to better quality in your work in a shorter time frame.
For a full course breakdown, check out the booking page for more information.
Once the course is completed you'll be eligible to attend our OPEN STUDIO days every week to continue your pottery journey.
Note: This class is not for beginners. Prior knowledge of wedging and throwing a 1 kilo cylinder is expected. If you're not there yet, consider a 1-on-1 session with us beforehand.
Over six weeks, Tom will wrap you in a clay chrysalis, breaking down your existing skill into a gooey paste to enhance your practice after which you'll emerge a new butterfly creating larger, impressive pottery pieces with your newfound wings.
Tom will teach techniques like spiral wedging, bellying forms, and throwing off the hump.
If you're seeking to overcome pottery obstacles or rapidly improve, this class is for you.
A private class is a great way to hit the ground running if you're thinking about signing up for our 6 week beginner courses. Or perhaps you're looking to upskill!
We'll have a quick conversation around what you'd like to achieve from the class and get right into it.
With the 1-on-1 we can hone in on anything that might be holding you back.
Looking for a fun date night with the spouse? Maybe you've got a whole group of mates who want to have a crack at pottery?
Well your prayers have been answered! While you'll learn plenty in these classes they're aimed more at having a good time with mates. We'll massage and rescue any disasters so you'll usually come away with a few great pots each*.
*We're pretty good, but we're not miracle workers. We can't make any guarantees.
We're super flexible when it comes to some team building, our space begins to max out around 20 but we're pretty creative so don't hesitate to get in touch!
*No... not like that!
If you've already been attending classes and have a good grounding in your practice, you're welcome to become a member of our studio. You'll just need to have a quick induction so that we know, you know how our studio functions.
Tom has since ventured to Japan to study ceramics under master potter Sensei Seppo, while Jamie continued his practice in New Zealand. When it came to setting up a ceramics studio in Jamie’s hometown, it seemed inevitable that the pair would take on the project together.
Since opening Kiln Studio these two have gone onto open Hot Clay Gallery, becoming Nelson's newest pot dealers and organised the inaugural Nelson Clay Week successfully pulling together New Zealand's first 9 day pottery festival.
Keep your eyes peeled for Clay Week 2024 coming next September.
We're pretty friendly and have moments of being organised, so feel free to reach out to us if you have any pressing questions.
The best way to have a chat with us is to actually pop into our gallery Hot Clay we're always up for a chat face-to-face. Check online for our opening hours.
Kiln Studio
123c Bridge Street,
Whakatū, Nelson
7010
Aotearoa
From the street look for the door that says "No Access" then head in there, up the stairs and in the red door on the right.
Hot Clay Gallery
123 Hardy Street,
Whakatū, Nelson
7010
Aotearoa
"Your friendly local Pot Dealers"
