Raku Taster – 25th October 2025

Our Wonderful Raku Day

We (Catherine and Philippe, mum and son) started the day with a drive from Swansea to Llanddowror, which was already a little bit magical, with so many rainbows showing up along the way, a good omen, we thought! We arrived right on time at 9:30 AM, and it was easy to park right next to the house. We received a warm welcome from Adrian and Karen, complete with a hot drink and some biscuits.

We were two of eight students taking part, and our tutors Adrian and Karen started us off with some information on pottery in general, giving us a good grounding before moving on to a more focused look at Raku and its unique history. We also had a thorough run-through of the key safety considerations, which made us feel completely secure and well-looked after for the rest of the day. We genuinely felt like we were in expert hands throughout the entire workshop.

A Morning of Glazing and Inspiration

The whole morning was dedicated to glazing, and we were spoiled for choice! There was a vast array of different glazes and various techniques to try out on our pieces. We got to see some lovely examples of finished Raku pottery that Adrian and Karen had made, which gave us a lot of inspiration. Also, right near where we were glazing, there was a shop area with Karen’s beautiful work on display, all at very reasonable prices too.

The tutors were excellent throughout, offering expert guidance and suggestions, and their friendly, good-humoured approach made the whole process very enjoyable. There were also drinks and snacks available for us to enjoy throughout the entire day, which was a lovely touch!

The Dramatic Firing Process

After applying our glazes and trying out the various techniques, we took a break for lunch. Once done, the real excitement began: it was time for the firing process! While the glazing had happened upstairs, the firing took place downstairs in a sheltered, undercover area.

We had three batches of pots to fire, which was great as it kept the day dynamic.

1. The first firing was a standard Raku firing. We learned about how the kiln works, and it was exciting to see our work inside the kiln as the temperature rose to over 1000 degrees. We saw lots of flames and it was very dramatic!

2. The second firing was for our pieces, where we used horse hair, feathers, and sugar to imprint black marks on our work. One person even had the brilliant idea of using their pet dog’s hair! Because of the wind, we had to be quick to apply these materials to our works as they came out of the kiln, and Adrian handled our pieces with great care too.

3. The third firing included some naked raku pieces, a technique where the glaze is ultimately removed to leave beautiful markings on the works.

Because we got to explore so many different methods, the day never felt repetitive; the pace was excellent, and we never felt rushed. To finish off, we were shown how to use sealant and how to polish our work if we wanted to get a smoother finish on our pieces.

We wrapped up around 4:30 PM. The timing of the whole day was excellent, and the friendly, welcoming atmosphere made it a wonderful experience from start to finish. We left with beautiful pieces to take home that we are truly proud of!

Comments :

JMP – Brilliant day with great people & lovely end products 🙂

PMJ – I really enjoyed the day. Thank you so much for your fantastic guidance and for creating such a friendly atmosphere

MT – Such a good day. I really enjoyed learning and creating my Raku pots

KZ – Had a fab day & lots of fun! Thank you

HM – Fab day, learnt loads! Thank you 🙂

FR – Had a great day, very interesting, learnt a lot. Thank you !

NW – Very informative & enjoyable day. Thank you

CR – A wonderful & very special day. Thank you