Freestyle in studio pottery session Queenstown NZ

Come and join us at The Clay Station for an up to 2 hour freestyle hand building pottery session. We provide 500 grams of clay, tools and glazes. You come with your ideas and we can help you make your creation. 

How it works:

1. Arrival: When you arrive at the Clay Station come in through the side door and we will be there to greet you. Take a look around the studio when you get here and get some inspiration from what other people have created. After you have taken a seat you will then choose from 4 different types of clay and are given 500 grams. We then explain the process.

2. Imagination and Handbuilding: Visitors are encouraged to let their imagination run wild and create something unique with the clay. They can hand-build their creation using various techniques like pinching, coiling, or slab-building. We have lace, stamps and cutters that will help give creative designs to your piece.

3. Painting (If time allows): If visitors have enough time during their session, they can paint their clay creation with underglaze. This allows them to add colour, patterns, and details to enhance their piece. This will be a one-off session.

4. Additional Painting Session (If necessary): If visitors don't have enough time to paint during their initial session, they can book another session specifically for painting after the clay has been bisque fired. This step is important because the paint job tends to yield better and easier results when done after the bisque firing.

5. Drying: Once visitors have completed their creation, we carefully place it aside to dry. It's crucial to ensure that the clay is completely dry before firing because any moisture trapped inside can cause the piece to explode during the firing process. The drying time varies depending on the season, with clay taking longer to dry in the winter compared to the summer.

6. Bisque Firing: Once the clay creation is thoroughly dry, we load it into the kiln for a bisque firing. In this firing, the kiln temperature reaches cone 4 or approximately 1064 degrees Celsius. The bisque firing process typically takes around 24 hours before we can empty the kiln.

7. Clear Glaze Application: After the bisque firing, we carefully paint the clay creation with a clear glaze. The glaze adds a glossy finish and enhances the colors of the piece. It also provides a protective and food safe coating.

8. Glaze Firing: The glazed pieces are then placed back into the kiln for a glaze firing. During this firing, the kiln temperature reaches cone 6 or approximately 1220 degrees Celsius. The glaze firing typically takes another 30 hours.

9. Notification and Collection: Once the glaze firing is complete, we notify the visitors that their clay creation is ready for collection. They can come to the Clay Station to pick up their finished piece, which is now transformed into a durable and beautiful ceramic artwork.

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For private group bookings please contact Debbie on 0274332720

Due to on the day bookings please note, all confirmed bookings are non refundable and we also cannot move to new time slots.

We are able to post to you if you are here on holiday when you come to visit us at an extra cost.