A private four-day ceramic experience designed for two people — friends, partners, family members, or anyone who would like to share the experience of learning ceramics together. The listed price is for two participants.
Rather than joining a larger course, you have the studio largely to yourselves. The four days are structured around learning the foundations of ceramics, spending focused time at the wheel, exploring hand-building, and creating your own small dinnerware collection.
The programme is suitable for complete beginners as well as people with previous pottery experience. Your days can also be adapted around a particular project you would like to make.
You don't need to arrive knowing exactly what you want to create. We can discover that together.
Morning — Studio & Farm Tour
We begin by getting to know the place, the people and the animals behind Laima Ceramics.
You’ll have a tour of the ceramic studio and the surrounding farm, meet the people who work here, and get introduced to the animals who are part of our everyday life — including our horses, ducks, cats and dog.
In the studio, we explore the entire ceramic process and the equipment we use, from preparing clay and making forms to glazing, kiln loading and firing.
You’ll get an introduction to:
The different clays we work with, including stoneware and porcelain
Studio equipment and how we use it
Wheel throwing and hand-building
Plaster and bisque moulds
Glazing and surface development
Kilns and the firing process
What happens to clay from raw material to finished piece
How our studio works day to day
This is also a chance to slow down, settle into the surroundings and ask all the questions you might have before getting your hands into the clay.
Afternoon — Hand-building
In the afternoon, we begin making.
You’ll explore hand-building technique creating your first pieces of the immersion.
A full day dedicated to the wheel.
We begin with the fundamentals:
Preparing and wedging clay
Centring
Opening and pulling
Creating cylinders
Shaping bowls and cups
Controlling thickness and proportions
Understanding the movement of clay
There is plenty of time for repetition. The aim isn't simply to make one successful pot, but to start developing an intuitive understanding of the wheel.
Depending on your experience and progress, we may explore more complex forms and techniques.
We continue working at the wheel, building on everything from Day 2.
The day may include:
Further wheel throwing
Trimming and refining your forms
Adding handles
Creating lids
Combining thrown elements
Experimenting with different shapes and proportions
Beginning to develop a small collection rather than individual pieces
This is where the repetition of the previous day often starts to click.
Rather than rushing through many techniques, we focus on helping you become more comfortable, precise and independent.
The final day is dedicated to creating your own small dinnerware collection using slab-rolling technique.
We begin with an introduction to the principles behind designing functional dinnerware — considering not only how a piece looks, but how it feels in the hand, how it is used, washed, stacked and stored.
Together we explore:
Proportion, scale and ergonomics
Designing for everyday use
Making efficient use of slabs and working with templates
Creating clean, refined forms while retaining the handmade quality
You will then design and make your own plates and bowls, using slab-rolling and simple construction techniques.
The aim is to create a small collection that feels intentional and cohesive — pieces that belong together and that you will actually want to use at home.
We will finish by exploring our studio glazes and discussing how different surfaces can complement the forms you have created.
Although the four-day programme has a suggested structure, this is a private experience and can be adapted to you.
If there is something specific you would particularly like to learn or make, we can build the programme around it.
For example:
A complete dinner set
Teapots and lidded vessels
Sculptural forms
Porcelain work
A combination of wheel throwing and hand-building
A particular functional object
Exploring a specific glaze or surface
If you already have a project in mind, tell me when you enquire and we can design the four days around it.
If you would like the experience to extend beyond ceramics, part of the programme can be adapted to include an introduction to our approach to horses and inter-species communication at Laimes Zirgi.
This may include observing the herd, learning to read horse body language, basic ground communication and simply experiencing time with the horses.
The horse element is entirely optional and can be included according to your interests.
This format is particularly suited to:
Two friends travelling together
Couples
Parent and adult child
Siblings
Two creative partners
Anyone looking for an unusual shared experience
Because there are only two participants, I can adapt the teaching much more closely to your individual pace and interests.
You don't have to be at the same level either. One person can be a complete beginner while the other has previous pottery experience.
4 days / 4 nights
The guided studio day generally runs from 10:00–16:00, with time for lunch break between.
There is also plenty of opportunity to continue working independently outside the guided sessions.
Arrival is on the evening before the course, allowing you to settle in and become familiar with the studio and surroundings.
Departure is at 16:00 after the final studio session on Day 4.
4 days of private ceramic instruction
16 hours of guided studio time
Clay and basic studio materials
Firing of your work
Glazing in one colour for up to 20 finished pieces
Accommodation at our family home
Use of the studio during your stay
Shuttle service to/from Bauska if needed
Materials allowance: up to 10 kg of stoneware clay per person.
Finished pieces are fired after the course and shipped to you once completed. Shipping costs are additional.
The immersion takes place in my light-filled ceramic studio in rural Zemgale, Latvia, surrounded by fields, an apple orchard and our horse sanctuary, Laimes Zirgi.
25 km from Bauska
70 km from Riga
Approximately 1.1 hours from Riga International Airport
5 minutes from the magnificent Rundāle Palace
The studio, horses and accommodation are all part of the same small rural setting.
You will stay at our family home, a historic brick house originally built in 1878 and carefully renovated in 2021.
The house is shared with our family, including our five cats and one dog. The horses' paddock and stable are between the house and studio, just a short walk away.
For the private two-person immersion, you will have:
A private twin room with two separate beds or private room with double bed (140cm)
Shared kitchen and bathroom
Bed linen and towels
Wi-Fi
Fully equipped kitchen
The studio is approximately a two-minute walk from the house.
Meals are self-catered.
The accommodation has a fully equipped shared kitchen where you can prepare your own breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If you have rented a car, you can also use the evenings to explore the surrounding area and go out for dinner at one of the local restaurants.
If arriving by public transport, we recommend travelling to Bauska and continuing by taxi.
We can provide a shuttle to and from Bauska if needed.
A rental car gives you more freedom to explore the area, visit Rundāle Palace and go out for dinner.
This experience is for anyone who would like to spend several days immersed in clay, learning through making and sharing the experience with someone close to them.
You can be:
A complete beginner.
No previous pottery experience is required.
An experienced potter.
The programme can be adapted to help you explore specific techniques or projects.
At different levels.
You don't need to have the same experience as your companion.
Most importantly, you should come with curiosity and a willingness to slow down and make things with your hands.
Q&A — travel tips, arrival information and practical considerations
This is a private experience for two, so dates are arranged individually.
Write to me at laimaceramics@gmail.com and tell me:
Who you would like to come with
Your previous pottery experience, if any
Whether you are interested in including the horse experience
Your preferred dates
We can then create the four days around you.
I look forward to welcoming you both to the studio in Latvia.
A private four-day ceramic experience designed for two people — friends, partners, family members, or anyone who would like to share the experience of learning ceramics together. The listed price is for two participants.
Rather than joining a larger course, you have the studio largely to yourselves. The four days are structured around learning the foundations of ceramics, spending focused time at the wheel, exploring hand-building, and creating your own small dinnerware collection.
The programme is suitable for complete beginners as well as people with previous pottery experience. Your days can also be adapted around a particular project you would like to make.
You don't need to arrive knowing exactly what you want to create. We can discover that together.
Morning — Studio & Farm Tour
We begin by getting to know the place, the people and the animals behind Laima Ceramics.
You’ll have a tour of the ceramic studio and the surrounding farm, meet the people who work here, and get introduced to the animals who are part of our everyday life — including our horses, ducks, cats and dog.
In the studio, we explore the entire ceramic process and the equipment we use, from preparing clay and making forms to glazing, kiln loading and firing.
You’ll get an introduction to:
The different clays we work with, including stoneware and porcelain
Studio equipment and how we use it
Wheel throwing and hand-building
Plaster and bisque moulds
Glazing and surface development
Kilns and the firing process
What happens to clay from raw material to finished piece
How our studio works day to day
This is also a chance to slow down, settle into the surroundings and ask all the questions you might have before getting your hands into the clay.
Afternoon — Hand-building
In the afternoon, we begin making.
You’ll explore hand-building technique creating your first pieces of the immersion.
A full day dedicated to the wheel.
We begin with the fundamentals:
Preparing and wedging clay
Centring
Opening and pulling
Creating cylinders
Shaping bowls and cups
Controlling thickness and proportions
Understanding the movement of clay
There is plenty of time for repetition. The aim isn't simply to make one successful pot, but to start developing an intuitive understanding of the wheel.
Depending on your experience and progress, we may explore more complex forms and techniques.
We continue working at the wheel, building on everything from Day 2.
The day may include:
Further wheel throwing
Trimming and refining your forms
Adding handles
Creating lids
Combining thrown elements
Experimenting with different shapes and proportions
Beginning to develop a small collection rather than individual pieces
This is where the repetition of the previous day often starts to click.
Rather than rushing through many techniques, we focus on helping you become more comfortable, precise and independent.
The final day is dedicated to creating your own small dinnerware collection using slab-rolling technique.
We begin with an introduction to the principles behind designing functional dinnerware — considering not only how a piece looks, but how it feels in the hand, how it is used, washed, stacked and stored.
Together we explore:
Proportion, scale and ergonomics
Designing for everyday use
Making efficient use of slabs and working with templates
Creating clean, refined forms while retaining the handmade quality
You will then design and make your own plates and bowls, using slab-rolling and simple construction techniques.
The aim is to create a small collection that feels intentional and cohesive — pieces that belong together and that you will actually want to use at home.
We will finish by exploring our studio glazes and discussing how different surfaces can complement the forms you have created.
Although the four-day programme has a suggested structure, this is a private experience and can be adapted to you.
If there is something specific you would particularly like to learn or make, we can build the programme around it.
For example:
A complete dinner set
Teapots and lidded vessels
Sculptural forms
Porcelain work
A combination of wheel throwing and hand-building
A particular functional object
Exploring a specific glaze or surface
If you already have a project in mind, tell me when you enquire and we can design the four days around it.
If you would like the experience to extend beyond ceramics, part of the programme can be adapted to include an introduction to our approach to horses and inter-species communication at Laimes Zirgi.
This may include observing the herd, learning to read horse body language, basic ground communication and simply experiencing time with the horses.
The horse element is entirely optional and can be included according to your interests.
This format is particularly suited to:
Two friends travelling together
Couples
Parent and adult child
Siblings
Two creative partners
Anyone looking for an unusual shared experience
Because there are only two participants, I can adapt the teaching much more closely to your individual pace and interests.
You don't have to be at the same level either. One person can be a complete beginner while the other has previous pottery experience.
4 days / 4 nights
The guided studio day generally runs from 10:00–16:00, with time for lunch break between.
There is also plenty of opportunity to continue working independently outside the guided sessions.
Arrival is on the evening before the course, allowing you to settle in and become familiar with the studio and surroundings.
Departure is at 16:00 after the final studio session on Day 4.
4 days of private ceramic instruction
16 hours of guided studio time
Clay and basic studio materials
Firing of your work
Glazing in one colour for up to 20 finished pieces
Accommodation at our family home
Use of the studio during your stay
Shuttle service to/from Bauska if needed
Materials allowance: up to 10 kg of stoneware clay per person.
Finished pieces are fired after the course and shipped to you once completed. Shipping costs are additional.
The immersion takes place in my light-filled ceramic studio in rural Zemgale, Latvia, surrounded by fields, an apple orchard and our horse sanctuary, Laimes Zirgi.
25 km from Bauska
70 km from Riga
Approximately 1.1 hours from Riga International Airport
5 minutes from the magnificent Rundāle Palace
The studio, horses and accommodation are all part of the same small rural setting.
You will stay at our family home, a historic brick house originally built in 1878 and carefully renovated in 2021.
The house is shared with our family, including our five cats and one dog. The horses' paddock and stable are between the house and studio, just a short walk away.
For the private two-person immersion, you will have:
A private twin room with two separate beds or private room with double bed (140cm)
Shared kitchen and bathroom
Bed linen and towels
Wi-Fi
Fully equipped kitchen
The studio is approximately a two-minute walk from the house.
Meals are self-catered.
The accommodation has a fully equipped shared kitchen where you can prepare your own breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If you have rented a car, you can also use the evenings to explore the surrounding area and go out for dinner at one of the local restaurants.
If arriving by public transport, we recommend travelling to Bauska and continuing by taxi.
We can provide a shuttle to and from Bauska if needed.
A rental car gives you more freedom to explore the area, visit Rundāle Palace and go out for dinner.
This experience is for anyone who would like to spend several days immersed in clay, learning through making and sharing the experience with someone close to them.
You can be:
A complete beginner.
No previous pottery experience is required.
An experienced potter.
The programme can be adapted to help you explore specific techniques or projects.
At different levels.
You don't need to have the same experience as your companion.
Most importantly, you should come with curiosity and a willingness to slow down and make things with your hands.
Q&A — travel tips, arrival information and practical considerations
This is a private experience for two, so dates are arranged individually.
Write to me at laimaceramics@gmail.com and tell me:
Who you would like to come with
Your previous pottery experience, if any
Whether you are interested in including the horse experience
Your preferred dates
We can then create the four days around you.
I look forward to welcoming you both to the studio in Latvia.
