2 week pottery course (June 2025) with woodfiring
This June we welcomed a group of beginner potters — Amanda from Switzerland, Monica from the USA, Stephanie from Germany, and Yakeen from the UK — for an immersive two-week pottery journey.
They experienced the full spectrum of ceramic art: from shaping dinnerware using slab rolling, to starting to master the art of wheel-throwing, and exploring hand-building techniques. Along the way, they met our herd of horses. Yakeen later recalled that the horsemanship session was the one that created a breakthrough for her wheel throwing as she saw how cantering ourselves before meeting the horses helped make that interaction harmonious and she could bring the same sense of cantering yourself to the pottery wheel. It is all indeed interconnected.
While their dinnerware was glazed and fired in an electric kiln, their hand-built pieces — created from Latvian earthenware clay and polished — were fired in the traditional Latvian reduction wood-firing during the summer solstice. The firing was led by our dear friend Matilde Laura Ikerte, at her kiln near Baltā Māja, just a short 5-minute drive from our studio. The process infused each piece with warmth and character, capturing the magic of Latvian craft tradition. Black is not just black, the flames danced on the walls of the pots making patterns of their own.
By the end of the course, each participant had created more than 50 beautiful and functional pieces — a testament to their dedication and newfound skills. This experience was not just about making pottery; it was about connecting with the earth, traditions and each other.
Photographs capturing these memorable moments were kindly taken by my husband Krišjānis Piliņš.
