The Ceramic Garden

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The Ceramic Garden A family-run pottery studio, nestled at the top of our garden. We also offer independent studio sessions and run private events.

We offer pottery taster classes and courses specialising in hand building and on the potter's wheel.

21/09/2026

CONING DOWN ⬇️ By having a good cone, coning down becomes much easier.

Ironically, it is not so much down but AWAY AND DOWN that is transformative for coning down.

If you go exert a tonne of pressure straight down, where you likely get the iconic mushroom bulge, there is a mega the risk of s cracks and unhappy clay.

Instead, by BENDING forward mainly with your left hand in LEGO hand position (see the reel) - and not too much hammer time on your right hand - coax the clay forwards and down.

Slow the wheel down as you go down and be patient. Let the wheel do the work.

Install, do not rush the landing. By bringing your left hand to the wheel head (keeping fingers out the way), and right hand exits via 6 o’clock and lingers here, you can really cement your cone and keep the clay conical ready for your next cone.

20/09/2026

TIPS FOR CONING UP ⬆️. Two key areas people go wrong:-

1. Position of their hands
2. They move up their hands up too soon

The logic of coning: on a fast wheel, if you exert a strong force at the base of the clay, it cannot go anywhere but up.

Yes… this video might look a bit funny 🤪. But - coning clay is very challenging and paramount in helping homogenise the clay body.

(1) POSITION. If you think that the heels of your palms are the powerhouses, it’s so important that they push OPPOSITE each other. Our default position is to have our hands next to each other, therefore you aren’t getting the umphf to drive the clay up. Staggering your hands so 2 o’clock is higher than 7 o’clock can be beneficial on an anticlockwise wheel rotation. Opposite for clockwise.

(2) WHEN TO RISE. Our tendency is to lift up immediately - NOOOO. You do not lift your hands up until you feel the clay beginning to rise. ONLY THEN do you follow with your hands. Your thumbs guide the cone by guiding it inwards. You can ease pressure off your pinky fingers so the clay doesn’t behead and rip off.

13/09/2026

Hallejuah for Tyvex!!!! If you didn’t already have it in your studio, order now.

This roofing membrane is utterly magic in its ability to allow you to throw plates and wide bowls without the necessity to wire off. Thus, allowing you to throw thinner on the base (of course compression is essential!).

It isn’t the easiest thing to attach. SLIP not water must be applied on the bat- then tyvex - then more slip on top. With a rubber kidney, squeege the surface so it’s almost dry. Failure to do this will mean when centre it all goes everywhere!

Be sure to peel the tyvex off as soon as you can and put on a porous surface, else the base cannot dry properly and lead to the repercussions of uneven drying. I would put plates the same way up you have them when immediately off the tyvex for a day or so. When they shift if you tap them, let them dry upside for a bit - then you are ready to trim!

03/09/2026

Still got too much clay on the inside of your pot? Try the 4x4 🚙

It’s such a common issue when throwing to have loads of excess clay in the inside, making that iconic U profile. To help mobilise the clay, try the 4x4. With you 4 fingers on the outside hand stretch, use the pads of your hands to push in. On the inside, your 4 fingers (but mainly your fore finger most likely) will really claw in that bottom corner. Hold, hold hold - then gently lift up an inch.

This works both ways- if there is too much clay on the outside. Save you cutting it off, do the 4x4.

When you look straight down the pot, you should hopefully see you have absorbed what excess clay into the wall!

31/08/2026

Have you tried developing a glaze colour using a triaxel blend?

Using the great instructions from Matthew Blakey’s book - we are setting up for some glaze testing. We plan to test copper carbonate, chrome and red iron oxide. This video is a snap shot showing how you break down the grid, explaining how the 3 parts A B C come together in the blend.

30/08/2026

Argh! What to do when the pot is taller than your hand!?!? ➡️THUMB HOP 🐇

More specifically, this is a move when you are throwing taller peices and it is necessary to have your whole hand inside the pot. As you approach the top third of the pot and your thumb can come into play again, you need to THUMB HOP it out as you continue pulling up.

You can land on your outside hand, but ideally if you can land your thumb on the wall just where your knuckle is you will find another surge of power to keep the slug coming up until the very end of the pull.

Top tips:

* Don’t think too much
* Don’t slow your outside hand down/linger. It will rip
* Shout thumb hop as you do it! 🐰

30/08/2026

Have you tried developing a glaze colour using a triaxel blend?

Since buying the most wonderful mug, Nikki has become possessed in trying to make a similar glaze! Using the expert guidance taught by in our spring workshop here and great instructions from book - we are giving it go. After slightly adapting an matte base to give it a bit more of a shine, we detail in this video how to do a triaxel blend - jedward style.

Beyond blessed for our stig who cnc cut some ribs for us! Not just custom made, but in cherry, walnut and oak!! (Made fr...
29/08/2026

Beyond blessed for our stig who cnc cut some ribs for us! Not just custom made, but in cherry, walnut and oak!! (Made from guitar wood offcuts). Thank you so much. These are great as a studio we are all going BIG!

19/08/2026

Not quite a tutorial this evening, more a rambling on where throwing meets turning as you progress as a potter.

It’s not about ‘re-inventing’ the pot by trimming the life out of it. Instead, by focusing on throwing well and I’d even say with integrity*, your turning becomes the most wonderful treat.

Showcase what you have.

And yes, it can be quick… on average (without me waffling) say 2 mins a piece?

*as a dear friend once said: ”integrity is what you have when no one is watching”

Address

95 Woodmansterne Road
Carshalton
SM54JW

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 1pm
Wednesday 10am - 8:30pm
Thursday 2pm - 8pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

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