Ceramics Lessons with Ellie
Ellie is a handbuilding-focused ceramics instructor who teaches foundational techniques like pinch pots, coils, slabs, underglazing, and working confidently with tools and materials. With a background in both wheel throwing and handbuilding, Ellie now works from her home studio creating exploratory yet practical home goods, influenced by her evolving sculptural interests and cultural background. Her teaching style centers curiosity, encouragement, and creative problem-solving, empowering students to experiment freely, think critically, and build within the boundless possibilities of clay.
How It Works
Schedule a one-time intro lesson to meet an instructor, share your goals, and experience how lessons work.
1. Book an Intro Lesson
If your intro lesson feels like the right match, we’ll help you enroll. If not, we’ll set up another intro lesson to connect you with the right guide.
2. Find your Instructor
Once you’ve found your guide, start your weekly lessons—your dedicated time each week to create, learn, and grow. Enrollment renews monthly.
3. Enroll in Weekly Lessons
Meet the Instructor
What do you teach?
I teach pottery. My lessons include the basic techniques of handbuilding (pinch pots, coils, slabs), getting to know your tools and materials, and underglazing. For single classes, we’ll walk through how to make a bowl or cup. For 4 week courses, you’ll be able to work on a personal project, with guided support.
What makes you want to share your skills and knowledge?
I have always been an advocate for trying anything. Pottery has a high barrier to entry and I believe in making these skills available to as many people as possible, as it has brought me a lot of joy to learn these skills myself.
What is your experience in your craft and how are you evolving?
I started pottery at 18 years old by visiting a ceramics museum for drop-in classes. I learned first on the pottery wheel and then took up handbuilding when I no longer had access to a pottery studio. I’ve worked out of a few different pottery studios as a member and a working member. I’ve also hosted several pottery workshops and supper clubs out of my home since 2023 as a way to make pottery more accessible to others. I love to teach and share my skills. These workshops were a way for me to marry two passions and connect with many curious individuals.
I currently do not work with the pottery wheel and simply handbuild pottery in my home studio. My work is exploratory, but practical. I currently build home goods with the occasional influence by my culture and heritage. I’m continuing to evolve my practice into sculptural arts as I aim to be more experimental.
What is your style of teaching?
My approach to teaching is through a lens of curiosity and encouragement. I believe that in my space, you can always try and that curiosity comes before judgement.
Students should feel motivated to creatively and critically problem solve (with support) their way through ideas and explore forms and shapes of their interest. I like to collaborate with my students to make sure we’re learning the fundamentals, but also what my students are interested in. Handbuilding is very freeing in that the possibilities are endless. I want my students to feel empowered to create within the broad boundaries of clay.
What keeps you creatively inspired?
Connecting with people is typically my greatest source of inspiration. Through questions and conversation, I am often creatively moved to explore an idea or concept. Teaching has been a wonderful source of inspiration for me because I’m able to connect with so many creative and curious people.