Archive for the ‘course news’ Category

Course programme 2014

Thursday, October 31st, 2013

Students under canopy, Wobage Earthenware SlipOur summer 2014 programme is close to launch, full dates and details for which will be available for viewing online within the next two or three weeks. New to the season will be a repetition production course ‘From Egg Cups To Breadcrocks’, Earthenware Throwing Improvers guesting Jane Bowen and the re-introduction of a firing course where students will be invited to help wood-fire our new mini-Phoenix kiln. Please subscribe to our online mailing list if you haven’t already, and you’ll hear from us just as soon as everything is live and available for ‘Early-Bird’ booking.

Summer courses 2013, update

Friday, April 5th, 2013

Porcelain slab dish Antje ErnestusAny places still available on our Summer course programme are booking out fast, so to guarantee a place on your course of choice, you’ll need to be quick. Please note on individual pages that some courses are already full and others just have one space available. We are looking forward to an exciting season, with several guest demonstrators new to the Wobage programme, including Nic Collins and Antje Ernestus.

Evening classes April 2013

Friday, April 5th, 2013

pottery wheel- throwing, evening classWe have just one space still available for our Tuesday evening class, beginning April 16th for 10 weeks. Places for these popular courses are highly sought after. Existing students are offered priority of place for future terms, so new places seldom arise. Snap it up quick! For further details and term dates, please view our Evening class page.

‘Early-birds’ extended to 31st Jan’

Wednesday, January 16th, 2013

Here’s looking forward to the warmth and sunlight of longer days, and to our exciting course programme for 2013. Our apologies for the rather sluggish launch of the new season’s programme towards the end of last year. I’m sorry that we didn’t post up the regular pre-Christmas newsletter to let everyone know. Finally though, here we are, and we’ve extended our ‘Early-bird’ 5% discount for bookings made before January 31st. Advertising being such a major cost for us each year, this offer is aimed as an incentive to any waverers thinking about booking, and with the longer view of helping us to keep our costs down and the course prices as low as we can. It’s a very exciting line-up of guest demonstration, we hope there’s something to tempt you to Wobage in 2013!

Here’s wishing you all a very Happy New Year! From Jeremy, Patia and Ana.

Evening classes Jan’2013

Wednesday, January 16th, 2013

We’ve had two late cancellations for our sought-after Tuesday and Wednesday evening classes, and therefore, we are able to offer part-term availability for a new student to join each class. There are a limited 8 places available on each course, and with existing students being offered priority of place for subsequent terms, new places arise infrequently. You’ll find further details on the evening classes here. Remaining term dates for Tuesday’s class follow. For Patia’s term dates, please contact her individually via the evening class page. Sorry for the terrible quality of pic’ above. It’s a phone snapshot taken by a mud’n'water luddite, but at least it’s authentic!…from Tuesday evening tea-break, delicious home-made lemon drizzle cake, and some tasty thrown and altered dishes mid-process in the foreground.

Tuesday evenings:

Week 3 –  22nd Jan.

Week 4 – 29th Jan.

Week 5 – 5th Feb.

no class 12th Feb. (Monmouthshire & Gloucestershire Half Term)

no class 19th Feb. (Herefordshire & Worcestershire Half Term)

Week 6 – 26th Feb.

Week 7 – 5th March

Week 8 – 12th March

Week 9 – 19th March

Week 10 – 26th March

Early-Bird discount for 2013 season!

Thursday, November 8th, 2012

For the 2013 season, now live, we are offering a 5% discount on bookings made before December 31st 2012. In addition, you’ll get a £15 pot voucher to spend on a pot made by one of the tutors teaching on the course that you have booked on.

Tuesday evening class, Autumn term

Monday, August 20th, 2012

We have a new evening class beginning in September, and a new tutor Ana Simmons, recently graduated with a first class BA(Hons) in Ceramics from Cardiff. Ana joins Wobage very shortly, where she plans to continue with her range of reduction fired porcelain and to begin teaching on the course programme. This 10 week course in wheel throwing begins on 18th September and is perfect for those with some previous experience with clay, or for complete beginners. For further details on the course, please add your details to the availability check via Booking, from which point we will forward further details along with a booking form. Your place is secured upon receipt of the form and a deposit cheque. Already there are only a few places left, so book now to avoid disappointment.

Jug-making, late availability

Monday, August 20th, 2012

The summer courses season at Wobage is drawing to a close, with our final 5 day course beginning this coming Wednesday 22nd August. We still have a couple of places available and it’s still not too late to book! The course is suited to those with some previous experience in wheel-throwing and  includes visiting demonstration from Nigel Lambert. Nigel will cover throwing, altering and articulating jug forms; squares and oval. Also applied hand-built lips from templates. Further demonstration from Jeremy will include basic good practice to improve throwing techniques, the use of throwing ribs and bellying out rounder forms. We shall also experiment with lidded jugs: coffee pots & soup or hot-milk jugs. Oh and not forgetting a party evening on Friday with wood-fired pizza’s from the outside oven. For further details, please view the individual course page, or to check on current availability go to booking

Testimonials 2012

Friday, August 3rd, 2012

“A very stimulating course. Excellent facilities and very generous provision of materials. Yummy lunches. There was a really good balance allowing me to explore the materials myself and ask for help whenever. The tutors worked hard all the time.” 5-day ‘Porcelain’, with Patia Davis & Matt Blakely

Just to let you know that I had a great time as a guest tutor on your course and to say again how impressed I am with the way you manage both the students and their varying skills and needs.” Mark Griffiths, guest demonstrator & tutor on 5-Day Big-Improvers 2012

“I achieved much, much more from the course than I expected. A Good balance of demonstration, everything was great, I loved the clay especially. Fantastic value for money!” 3-day ‘Improvers’, with Jeremy Steward

“Home from fantastic Improvers course – thanks Jeremy, had a brill time. Back in 3 weeks for Patia’s porcelain. Great food, great teaching, great company in lovely surroundings. Perfect!

“Just finished an inspiring introduction to wheel throwing with Jeremy Steward, assisted by Jack Welbourne. Thank you both for all your encouragement which helped me enormously through the bumpy early stages of the ‘complete beginner’s process. I am now 2 bowls and 2 mugs better off!

“Studios, facilities and materials are excellent. To be able to see another potter’s own unique approach to handling and throwing clay (in addition to that of the main tutor), is an advantage and an inspiration, and an added attraction of the course. As in this case, Matt was excellent and shed some much needed light (in my case) on the complexities of glaze formulation and testing. His explanations were clear and interesting.” 5-day ‘Porcelain’, with Patia Davis & Matt Blakely

Beginners course news

Monday, June 18th, 2012

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….”