Pottery Foundations | 4 Week Course July/August
Elderflower
About this Course
Master the fundamentals of hand-building pottery with Johan De Meyer, a highly experienced ceramics and studio owner with over a decade of experience. This course is aimed at giving you all the fundamentals to develop your skill as a potter and give you a strong foundation on which to build
Class Schedule:
Thursday Mornings, 10:00am - 13:00pm
Thursday Evenings, 18:00pm - 21:00pm
Syllabus
Week 1: Pinching – Shape clay directly with your hands to create organic, one-of-a-kind bowls and vessels. A simple, intuitive starting point.
Week 2: Slab Building – Work with rolled-out clay to design more structured pieces like plates, trays, and boxes.
Week 3: Coiling – Build up forms using layered coils of clay, giving you control to create taller and more sculptural pieces.
Week 4: Surface decoration: Learn slip decoration, Sgraffito, glazing and carving to add colour, texture and character to your pieces.
*Please note, no wheel work.
What's included?
- All materials (Clay, glazing, slip, use of tools etc)
- Firing of all work (Bisque work will be done after drying of each item, and final firing will be done after week 4, collection in 2-3 weeks of final pieces)
- You take home EVERYTHING you have made!
- Tea/Coffee and light snacks.
To Note
Firing of works takes place every 2–3 weeks. No under 12’s.
LOCATION
Elderflower Creative, 34 Constantia Main rd, Wynberg, Cape Town
Cancellations
Seats are limited, so cancellations within 72 hours of the event cannot be refunded. You may however send someone in your place, or, if cancelled before 72 hours, exchange your ticket for a voucher for a later date.
Ceramic Workshops Coming Up
Our workshops focus on a specific outcome items - perfect for those that want to explore the joy of ceramics in once off session!
Elderflower Nursery
Butter Dish Clay Workshop | Sat, 1 Aug/Sat, 29 Aug | Wynberg - Elderflower Creative
Meet your Instructors
Johan De Meyer
Johan isn’t your typical potter — he originally trained as a journalist but found his way into clay while helping to grow Macassar Pottery, where he had helped build Macassar Pottery into a place where young people without formal schooling can learn real skills and earn a living. Since the Covid pandemic, Johan decided to shift gears and now practices as a trained life-coach as well as pottery teacher for Elderflower. He brings a grounded, human-centred approach to teaching, rooted in years of working alongside makers and learners in his community.
Wytske van der Meulen
Wytske is a recognized teacher of the Society of the Alexander Technique (STAT) and holds qualifications from the Netherlands (Nevlat) and South African (Sastat) societies.
She completed her BA in Fine Arts at the University of Cape Town in 1986 and taught art for over 25 years, specializing in ceramics and adult education at the Frank Joubert Art Centre in Cape Town. She was awarded the Regional Teachers Award for Excellence in Primary School Leadership by the Western Cape Department of Education in 2007.
Our Location – Wynberg, Cape Town
We’re based at 34 Constantia Main rd in Wynberg, just minutes from the M3 highway and Claremont, Constantia, and Kenilworth.