September 6 - 13

The Lessons

Level

This retreat is suitable if:

• You’ve never done ceramics before and want to enjoy a full week of carefree wheel-throwing.

• You have handbuilding experience and want to add wheel throwing as support or expansion.

• You’ve tried throwing before, but centering still feels like a disaster (or a lucky shot).

• You’ve thrown before but never had the time to truly practice — and now want a full week of uninterrupted wheel time, without distractions, deadlines or dishes.

The Content

During this pottery retreat you’ll learn the fundamentals of wheel throwing: wedging clay, centering, pulling walls, trimming, and drying. You’ll make progress in a few days that normally takes months.

You’ll also have the chance to decorate your favourite pieces (e.g. with sgraffito, mishima or colour work).
Because clay needs time to dry, firing and glazing take place after the retreat has ended. If you like, your finished pieces can be shipped to you.

The Goal / Expected Outcome

We focus on throwing cylinders, forming bowls, and adding simple shapes and details — the foundation for making cups, bowls and maybe even a small vase. The more intermediate students can focus on developing their throwing of dishes, big bowls, vases, long necks and thin necks. But also creating patters in their work, facetting, crackling pots, oval pots, etc. 

This ceramic retreat gives you the breakthrough you might have been waiting for, especially if you’ve been stuck in your practice for a while.

The Teacher

Gudrun is the dedicated instructor for beginner and intermediate throwers.
She knows the challenges of learning to throw inside out and has made it her specialty to break technical steps down in a clear and efficient way. Her teaching is direct, precise and surprisingly effective: many students manage to centre within half an hour — something that normally takes days or even weeks.

With patience, accuracy and genuine enthusiasm, Gudrun creates a space where every student feels supported. Beginners feel seen and guided, and they notice real progress quickly. After one week you can expect a well-formed bowl and cup — and often that very first vase.

Because guest workshops require an advanced skill level, Gudrun teaches all beginner and intermediate classes. She ensures every student builds a solid technical foundation and the confidence to grow into more complex forms and techniques.

We look forward to welcoming you to our B&B for this pottery retreat.You’ll work on throwing higher forms with thinner, more even walls. This is where you make big steps — far more than you would with just a few hours of lessons per week. At the end, you’ll choose which pieces you want to have finished. Everything is dried slowly, glazed, fired, and later shipped to you.

Because some pieces will already be ready to glaze, you can also choose to glaze a selection yourself, with any glazes available. Finished work can be taken home in your luggage if you prefer.

The Goal / Expected Outcome

We’ll focus on throwing cylinders, forming bowls, and adding simple shapes and details — the foundation for making cups, bowls, and maybe even a small vase.

After two weeks of intensive wheel-throwing, a beginner should have:

• A solid understanding of the main techniques: centering, opening, and pulling walls.

• Hands-on experience with basic forms such as cylinders and bowls.

• Familiarity with trimming and attaching handles (for cups/mugs).

• A first taste of simple decorative techniques.

Your pieces won’t be perfect — they don't have to be — but you’ll leave with a real feel for the clay and growing confidence at the wheel. The rest is mileage you’ll build back home.

The Teacher

Gudrun is the dedicated instructor for beginners and intermediate throwers.
She knows exactly where the challenges are when learning to throw and has made it her specialty to break down technical steps in a clear and efficient way. Her approach is direct, precise, and surprisingly effective: many students manage to center within half an hour — something that normally takes days or even weeks.

With her patience, accuracy, and genuine enthusiasm, Gudrun creates a space where every student feels supported. Beginners notice real progress quickly. After one week you can expect a well-shaped bowl and cup, and often even that first handmade vase.

Because the workshops taught by guest instructors require an advanced level, Gudrun teaches all beginner and intermediate classes. She ensures every student builds a strong technical foundation and the confidence to move on to more complex forms and techniques.

Bio

To book

Below you can book this retreat and secure your spot. Please indicate which room you'd like to book. You can view the various rooms, their prices, and the cancellation policies under " Prices & Terms ." I hope to see you soon at Ceramicaza in the Dream House.