Special14-dayMixed Techniques

Wheel Throwing and Decoration with Michelle from MINX Factory

Strengthen your throwing and find your visual voice with Michelle from MINX Factory — two weeks of wheel work, slips, underglazes and surface decoration.

from €2,550See 1 available date

Wheel Throwing and Decoration with Michelle from MINX Factory

Is this course right for you?

This course is for you if:

You’re already tried throwing or handbuilding, and you want more!
You’re eager to develop a personal style through decoration.
You’re curious about working with slips and underglazes but haven’t tried it yet.
You’re looking for a supportive, creative setting to explore techniques like sgraffito, Mishima, or wax resist.
You love color, drawing, design and ceramics, and want to combine them all!

Dates & availability

28 Mar – 10 Apr 2027

with Michelle Calvo · Studio 2 · €2,550

Available

View availability

About this course

Have you already tried handbuilding or throwing but feel like something is missing? Are you looking for your voice, your style, your visual identity in ceramics?

This two weeks course for beginners wheelthrowers will help you strengthen your wheelthrowing foundations but also to explore surface decoration and develop a personal style. It's perfect for those who already have some basic experience working with clay (wheel or handbuilding) and want to explore creative techniques to decorate their pieces using colored slips and underglazes.

You'll work with Michelle, a passionate ceramic artist, who will guide you in developing your own visual language.

In the first week, she’ll help you build confidence in the basics of wheel throwing and guide you to explore your personal drawing and decoration style, preparing designs on paper. By the end of the week, you’ll select your most successful pieces to decorate in week two.

In week 2, you will move to full time clay decoration: experimenting with multiple decoration techniques such as sketching, drawing on clay, transferring designs from paper, sgraffito, Mishima, wax resist, and paper stencils. You’ll spend a full week exploring drawings and designs, and creating unique surfaces by combining color, line, shape and texture in a vibrant and personal way. You will work on test tiles as well as your own handbuilt or thrown pieces.

At the end of the course, you will choose which decorated pieces you'd like fired, glazed, and shipped to you. Since the pieces need to dry before firing, this will happen after the course concludes.

Schedule of the week＋

This is an intensive learning week! Teaching is primarily group-based with moments of individual feedback built in. Please note this is not one-on-one tuition.

You will be in the studio from Monday at 09:00 through to approximately 17:00 on Friday afternoon. Studio time is a combination of teaching and non-teaching time. You can expect a typical day to look like this:

08:00 - Yoga in the courtyard (optional)

09:00 - 13:00 - Studio (teaching with a coffee/tea break at 10:30 in the courtyard)

13:00 - Shared lunch in the courtyard

14:00 - 16:30 - Free Studio Time - Afternoon studio hours are primarily self-directed practice, with your teacher available in the studio for guidance

19:00 - Dinners are a combination of eating at local restaurants, home restaurants, and in-house at the studio

Please note

Our program is carefully designed to balance teaching, practice, meals, and cultural experiences, and we do our best to follow the planned schedule. However, all times and activities are indicative and may shift with the season, the weather, or the needs of the group. Studio sessions, meals, and excursions may be adjusted, rescheduled, or substituted at our discretion. Flexibility is part of the Salemi Ceramics experience, and we believe these small changes often add to the richness of your time with us.

During the weekend, the studio will be closed. You will be free to organise your own weekend plans or participate in one of our optional weekend activities.

What you'll take home＋

By the end of the course you will:

Have solid foundations in throwing simple shapes on the wheel
Master the use of slip and underglazes to achieve whatever designs you want. These tools will be useful to find your personal style during your practice.

While the course is focused on technique and exploration, you’ll be able to keep some of your most successful decorated pieces:

Firing and glazing of up to 6 kg of dry clay is included (that’s a lot of pieces for a beginner!)
Additional firing/glazing is possible for 25€/kg beyond the included 6 kg.
All pieces will be glazed with a transparent high-temperature glaze
We do not ship unglazed bisque pieces due to fragility.
Shipping costs are charged separately (we’ll provide you with a shipping fee document closer to the date)

What happens after you book

1
Book your date
Secure your spot on WeTravel with the deposit or the full amount.
2
Confirmation
Two confirmation emails arrive - one from WeTravel, one from us - plus a short form for your personal and travel details.
3
60 days before
If you paid a deposit, the balance is due now. Reminders come 7 days before, 3 days before and on the day.
4
30 days before
Your course info pack: arrival and departure details, course structure, useful tips, transfer and shipping costs.
5
10 days before
You'll be invited to the course WhatsApp group and receive the shipping address form. Then - see you in Salemi!

Common questions

Can I pay a deposit instead of the full amount?＋

Yes - paying the deposit confirms your place. The balance is due 60 days before the course starts, and you'll get automated reminders so nothing sneaks up on you.

What happens right after I book?＋

Two confirmation emails (WeTravel + Salemi Ceramics) and a short form for your personal and travel details. Everything else - info pack, WhatsApp group - follows automatically in the weeks before your course.

What if I need to cancel or change dates?＋

Contact us as early as possible and we'll look at options together. The full cancellation and transfer terms are in the Terms and Conditions.

Do I need to prove my skill level?＋

Beginner courses need no experience at all. Intermediate and advanced courses ask for a short self-assessment before booking, so we can make sure the course fits where you are.