Pottery - Exploring slips with Laurel Keeley.

Sunday 6 July 2025 17:00
Friday 11 July 2025 14:00

Coombe Farm Studios (map)

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In this immersive weekend pottery course you will work in stoneware and focus on simple forms thrown on the wheel or made from slabs, moulds and coils. You’ll then spend time decorating using coloured slips and drawn lines.

Course description

This is an ideal course if you want to slow down and pay attention to the forms you are making, and to be introduced to, or develop, your skills in applying and experimenting with coloured slips and the use of oxides.

You will be guided by Laurel through active teaching and demonstration throughout the weekend. Laurel will pay particular attention to the relationship between form and decoration.

There will be a maximum of 9 people on the course, with a second dedicated tutor supporting you on the wheel for part of the course, if needed.

The techniques that Laurel uses includes the application of oxides once the work has been bisque fired, after it has fully dried. A weekend isn’t enough time for that process, but learning it is an important part of the course. Therefore large test tiles will be bisque fired for you prior to the course and you will have the opportunity to apply oxides to them and glaze them during the weekend. This will contribute to your overall understanding of Laurel’s particular techniques.

Post course care/firing management & costs.

After the weekend any work you wish to keep will be fired, oxides will be applied by Laurel and our technicians (as shown and explored during the course with the test tiles) glaze applied, and fired again. They can then be collected or couriered back to you. The cost of this process is additional to the course fees and dependant on size and weight of your work. Completed work will therefore be weighed and charged at £5 per kilo to include clay, slips, oxides and both firings. As an example of cost/size a fairly standard size mug would weigh approx 0.353kilo or cost £1.67 in materials and firings.

“What a wonderful course, Laurel is such a kind and generous tutor, so experienced and so generous in sharing her skills. An absolute gem of a weekend. I can’t wait to come back for more.”

— Julie, Course participant

**EXPERIENCE LEVEL**: This course is designed for anyone with some pottery experience who wants to spend some time slowing down, considering form and decorating with slips.

**OUTLINE SCHEDULE:**
Sunday // 5-7pm Residents arrive // 7.00pm non-residents arrive followed by welcome drinks and dinner // Monday-Thursday // 8.30am Breakfast for residents // 9.30am Tuition starts //1.00-2.00pm Lunch // 2.00-5.00pm tuition resumes. Friday // 8.30am Breakfast for residents // 9.30am-1.00pm Final tuition session // 1.00-2.00pm final lunch.
**ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS:** Residential and non-residential spaces available. NB residents are not required to share bedrooms, see accommodation for more info.

**COST**: £821 + VAT for residential which covers all your tuition, accommodation and food from arrival on Sunday through to departure after lunch on Friday. Non-residential fees are £593 + VAT include all tuition, welcome drinks on Sunday and lunch from Mon-Friday.

**MATERIALS LIST:** All pottery tools and equipment will be provided. Please bring an apron, pencil/pen and a sketchbook. If you have your own tools that you like working wtih please feel free to bring them along. There will be a charge of £5 per kilo of clay for any work you wish to keep/fire.
**HOW TO GET HERE:** Our address is TQ6 0JA [What3words: What3words: fulfilled.exploring.branching] and we have plenty of free onsite parking. Trains > nearest station is Totnes then we can arrange lift shares or send taxi details. We are about 20 minutes from the station.
**HOW MANY PEOPLE ON THE COURSE?** Max 9 to enable Laurel to give everyone enough time and attention with their processes.

FOOD & DRINK: Food is a key part of an immersive course at Coombe. Meals are taken at a long shared table with the other participants either inside in the cooler months or outside in our courtyard when the weather is warmer. Our onsite chef caters for you including all/any dietary requirements. We grow our own vegetables and keep chickens for fresh eggs daily. For those that enjoy wine, we have a fantastic wine merchant who supply us with a small range available to buy onsite.

SEASON: Summer at Coombe is a glorious time, the veg patch is producing lots of fresh herbs and vegetables, with the warmer weather we can have lunches outside in the courtyard and let your pots dry in the sun. There are lots of lovely walks in the area either in the nearby woods or down by the River Dart to take if you want to stretch your legs before dinner.

“I now teach solely at Coombe Farm Studios in Devon, because the space and facilities there are exceptional and totally unique. The family run centre is located in a sheltered and quiet valley, which gives the peace and detachment from working lives that people so often need. Students come from across the UK, from around the world, and from the local village. Many return year after year.

I teach primarily the simple skills of hand building and decorative use of clay slips to all levels, from complete beginners to professional ceramicists who want to explore different techniques.

There’s a lot of laughter! It’s ceramics for the soul – come and join us.”

— Quote Source