Beginners they were, but are no longer! Flamin’ June, flamin’ eck! Despite the drizzle, and with the throwing studio wood-stove fuelled, our intimate group last weekend came on a real treat over the 2½ days. A big thank you to Tracey our caterer for such wonderful grub. To name just a few, hot soup, red pepper & caramelised red onion galettes, and those double choc brownies, wicked!

From Susie, 18th May 2012: “I would like to thank everyone for such an inspiring and enjoyable experience. Although I was pretty intent on the task in hand and might at times have felt a little daunted, I felt the spirit of encouragement from each and every one of you. I got more than a mug, an jug and two bowls out of the weekend.

My special thanks to Jeremy, our patient teacher. I didn’t once catch you rolling your eyeballs and was much heartened by your positive, yet relaxed approach. Also to Jack, who gently assisted me more than once at a crucial moment.

I am sure there will be more vessels to throw for me. Pot on….”

Over a long weekend, beginning 1st June, Wobage welcomed a full quota of ‘Improvers’ to participate in the first course of the season. With the dining canopy erected, the lawns mowed and the studios spring cleaned, it was great to bring the throwing studio alive with prolific activity. The 3 day course covered a wider spectrum of practice than scheduled, with demonstrations from Jeremy  that included flat-ware, jug-making,  thrown & altered forms, and slip decoration and raw-glazing for salt-firing. Also of course, plenty of basic best practice in throwing, turning and handling. It was a great group of students, further enhanced by our summer apprentice for 2012 Jack Welbourne, an undergraduate from the degree in Cardiff (UWIC). The pots moved on a pace, and did they ‘improve’, well yes did they ever!

Adam Keeling heads the production team of plant-pot makers at the world renowned Whichford Pottery in Warwickshire. An audience of 24 packed into the Wobage throwing studio earlier this month; it included evening class students and UWIC Ceramics undergraduates as well as the Wobage crew. All of us greatly enjoyed Adam’s large-ware demonstration, where he threw a number of huge pots, several of them in multi-parts. The ease with which he handled substantial amounts of clay was awesome and captivating. He spoke confidently about technique, answering questions mid-process and discussing his life and work at Whichford. Thank you Adam and to all that helped make for such a successful and educational event. Many thanks to J.P.Kavanagh who has very generously donated the images on this post.

Led by Jeremy Steward and Patia Davis, the pottery at Wobage Workshops is delighted to introduce it’s teaching programme for 2012, which this year expands with the introduction of some brand new courses. Large-ware thrower from Norfolk, Stephen Parry, guests alongside Jeremy Steward on a five day ‘Big Improvers’ course, focusing upon extending student skills in advanced wheel-throwing. This will begin with techniques in single piece throwing and moving on to various methods of multi-part throwing and assembling.

Matthew Blakely guests alongside Patia Davis for demonstration and lecture in wheel-thrown porcelain. Alongside one to one tuition, Patia and Matt will each demonstrate their softly thrown and altered porcelain, carefully scheduled into the 5 day curriculum to assist with student’s own creative progress and evolving skill base. Matt, a fervent glaze wizard, with also be presenting students with a practical approach to making and developing their own glazes for high-firing.

Bridget Drakeford joins Patia for a new course in Teapot making. On this 5 day course, students will tackle the making of separate components before considering the subtle relationships of these and how they come together to make a harmonious and unified whole. Encouragement will be given to students to express their own personal creative response to the teapot, whilst at the same time considering proportion and rightness of purpose; it’s ability for pouring and potentially solving some of  it’s trickiest problems, ‘the dribblesome teapot spout!’

Guesting on Jeremy’s 5-day Jug making this year is Nigel Lambert. Nigel’s slip-decorated wood-fired earthenware is fast earning him international recognition. HIs thrown and altered beaked jugs possess a majestic poise. Set with his inimitable style of decoration and strong sense of function, they are a joy to behold. Wobage is most looking forward to his contribution in tutorial and demo.

Each course invites a maximum of 8 students, each with their own power wheel for the duration of each course. These are predominantly Rayefco, but also Alsagers and Shimpos. Each Rayefco is now fitted with a hand control lever for foot free throwing and decorating. This will come into it’s own during the ‘Big Improvers’ course this Summer. Courses are carefully designed individually, revolving around specific areas of production and student creative development. There is opportunity to work with different clays, stoneware, earthenware and porcelain, depending upon the focus of the course and the tutors assigned to it. Dual emphasis is focused upon developing skills alongside experimentation and strengthening individual expression. Regular demonstration and visual presentation feature in each course, however we aim to offer students as much time as possible for their own making.

Courses begin at 10am on the first morning, completing at 4pm on the last day. Tuition hours are otherwise 9am – 5pm. Delicious home-made vegetarian lunches, along with morning and afternoon refreshments are included in prices.

Christmas gift vouchers for all of our individual courses are available, either for deposit only, or the full course balance. Please use the booking/availability section of this website.

With the broadleaf colour beginning to appear and a wee chill of an evening a sign of the end of the Mediterranean Summer we’ve enjoyed in rural Herefordshire,  a little time to reflect upon an inspiring season of workshops at Wobage. Fully booked courses, some terrific new visiting demonstrators, notably Tavs Jorgensen and Clive Bowen along with an abundance of enthusiastic students. Sincere thank you to all for making such a rewarding time, also thanks to our Summer apprentice Ana Simmons for her participation and hard work.

Here are a small selection of pic’s from the last couple of months, more to follow. If any participants from over the Summer have any good photos that they’d like to share, then please forward them via e-mail or CD, from which we can post them up or forward to other students.

Pots selected for firing are steadily being processed and will be ready for collection later in the Autumn. We will contact you as soon as they are ready. The 2012 course programme will be finalised in the next few weeks and made live on the website in November.

We have an exciting line up for this Summer’s Wobage course programme and there are still one or two places available on most of the workshops. Clive Bowen visits the 5 day jar-making course for two days of demonstration and tuition. Designer maker Tavs Jorgensen leads a plaster workshop with hot trade tips on profiling & sledging hump moulds. Josh Redman demonstrates his inimitable techniques in softly thrown sculptural pot-making on a new long weekend workshop suitable for all levels of ability. For full details, prices and availability, please browse our course pages.

A student from last Summer’s course programme, potter Sylvia Holmes, has written review of Jeremy’s 5 day throwing/salt glaze course, published in regional potter’s association newsletters. Here follows the article:

“I was recently luck enough to attend a five-day throwing workshop taught by Jeremy Steward at Wobage Workshops, near Ross-on-Wye in rural Herefordshire. We had a wonderful time: good company, good teaching, good lunches, in a lovely and peaceful setting. The students on the course ranged in throwing skill level from intermediate to very advanced. Jeremy, a patient and good-humoured teacher and demonstrator, generously shared with us the techniques he uses to achieve his signature fluid and lively salt-glazed forms. Also at the workshop was Sheila Herring, apprenticed to Jeremy under the Adopt a Potter scheme, who was immensely helpful throughout. After an inspiring slide-show of selected salt-glazed ware from around the world, we started work by collecting ideas for surface treatments, using the immediate studio surroundings: a yard full of gorgeous piles of seasoning timber, beautiful old tiles, slates, stones, old pots, lichens, plants and machinery. We then simplified and refined our designs (drawing against the clock was one memorable technique used!)

Back in the well-equipped studio, we experimented with applying our designs onto clay extrusions, using mono-printing, brushwork, finger-wiping, rouletting and various other application techniques appropriate for salt-glaze firing. We then focused on making shallow thrown and altered forms: making ovaled, squared and free-form dishes and platters. Later, we began applying our chosen surface designs and treatments to these forms and moved on to making thrown and altered taller forms. We also explored ways to improve our basic throwing techniques, plus the use of throwing ribs of various kinds, profilers, handle and foot-making and rolled rim-making. Particularly helpful was two-person throwing with Jeremy which allowed us all to experience what expert throwing feels like. Turning a 5lb lump of clay into a perfectly even tall vessel in just three lifts was certainly a first for me!

The clay we used (an iron-bearing stoneware made at Wobage) is absolutely wonderful for throwing – very plastic and yet very strong – certainly the most forgiving throwing clay I’ve ever encountered. Hopefully this clay and an iron-free whiter version will become available commercially in the future.

Of the very many vessels that were produced over the five days, we were asked to select six each for salt-firing at  a later date, others could be taken home green or left for bisque firing.

During the course, we had an interesting demonstration of jug-making, faceting and free form building from Josh Redman, a new member of the Wobage team. We also enjoyed a trip to Wally Keeler’s home and studio/gallery. This was a real treat: Wally was very generous with his time, patiently explained his making and firing processes, and kindly showed us round his studio, lovely garden and home full of gorgeous pots. On the last evening, we had pizza and film night – home-made pizzas cooked in a proper wood-fired hand-built oven in the courtyard – Yum! Each day, tea, coffee, delicious cakes and biscuits were available, and everyone brought contributions to a shared lunch, eaten under a sailcloth awning in the garden. The setting is marvellous, with beautiful views across the countryside, lovely old buildings in a courtyard arrangement, including a gallery, and an ancient barn recently refurbished to display a Mick Casson retrospective. There is a small flat available to rent, book early to avoid missing this. Camping is free on site. There is plenty of reasonably priced B&B accommodation available locally.

In summary, time spent at Wobage will be time well spent: relaxing, stimulating and enjoyable. What more could you want? I was certainly sad to leave and hope to return one day soon.”

Congratulations from the Wobage Makers to Thursday evening class student, Clare Mace, who has acquired a place from Autumn 2011 on the BA Ceramics degree at Howard Gardens, Cardiff. Clare joins another ex. Wednesday class student Wendy Houghton, who began the same UWIC degree last year. Good luck Clare!

The 10 week block of Summer evening classes are now upon us. A most enjoyable term for the light evenings  and the warm gently breeze that predominates over Wobage’s microclimate! Perfect conditions, we anticipate but don’t guarantee, for much quicker drying and pot turnaround of an evening. Wednesday and Thursday class numbers are already up to maximum, however there are still places available for Josh’s Friday class. Any budding amateurs or complete beginners, keen to improve skills, or try their hand for the very first time with soft clay on the wheel, please get in touch asap to reserve your place.

Looking forward to the Autumn term, beginning September 2011, at least one place will become available on Jeremy’s Thursday’s class. It also seems likely that due to popular demand, Josh’s class will change from a Friday to a Tuesday. We look forward to welcoming some new students to Wobage over the coming months.

You’ll find more detailed information about our evening classes on our course pages. For availability you can contact us from our booking page, following which someone will contact you. The image above features salt-fired pots made and decorated by evening class participants on Jeremy’s Thursday course.