Raku Taster – 8th November 2025

Relaxing Raku Adventure in West Wales

Written by Elly

This weekend, my parents, my wife and I headed west for a creative getaway – a Raku pottery course with RakuMania in St Clears. We stayed overnight at Picton House, which was a lovely spot just a minute away from the studio. Even though I’m from Wales originally, I spend most of my time working in London these days, so it was amazing to swap the city noise for fresh country air.

Once we arrived, we met our tutors, Adrian and Karen, and the rest of our group. There were six of us, each with different levels of experience (mine being absolutely none). After a warm welcome and introductions, we started with some history of pottery and the origins of Raku – a Japanese technique that eventually made its way to the UK, where it evolved into the wonderfully unpredictable art form we know today.

We each got to choose three premade pots or bowls to decorate, giving us the chance to try the different styles – traditional Raku with glaze, naked Raku, and a Western-style Raku that involved burning feathers and hair onto the hot pots to create dramatic patterns.

The glazing process itself was super relaxing; there’s something about carefully dipping and brushing colours onto clay that feels meditative. Adrian and Karen guided us with just the right balance of instruction and encouragement, letting us experiment but making sure we didn’t go too far astray!

There were plenty of teas, coffees and snacks on hand all morning, and the atmosphere in the studio was homely and welcoming. They really made sure everyone felt comfortable and included.

After lunch, it was time for the main event – the firing! The Raku kiln was pretty unique. You could actually peer inside and watch the pots glow bright orange as the temperature climbed up to 1000°C. Adrian explained how to tell when the glaze was ready – you don’t want it bubbling too much, just cracking in the right way. It was amazing to see the transformation happening right in front of us.

Then came the exciting part – burning feathers, hair, and even sugar onto hot pots to create unique patterns. My mother got a bit too enthusiastic at one point and nearly set hers on fire, but all in good fun! It paid off though because I think hers turned out the best. Adrian kept everything perfectly safe and calm. It showed how experienced and in control both he and Karen were throughout the day.

Once cooled, we buffed our pots with wax to bring out their sheen, a surprisingly satisfying process. By the end, we had a table full of professional-looking pieces, each completely unique.

If you’re looking for something different, creative and totally immersive, I can’t recommend RakuMania enough. Whether you’re an artist or a complete beginner (like me), it’s an incredible experience!

Comments :

GR – Wow, what can I say, it’s been such a wonderful day. Karen and Adrian have been really supportive and have made me feel included as a disabled person. Thank you for helping me take part fully. It means a lot

CH – Super fun day doing the Raku pottery. Learnt loads about the process & history as well. 5/5 day. Thanks very much

CR – A great day. Learnt about the history of pottery. Made decorations on 3 pots. Very professional looking. Thank you, Adrian and Karen,

JH – Learned some very clever techniques, great to watch the process and amazing completed pieces. Would definitely recommend!

BH – Fabulous day. Very educational, very entertaining and great products to take home! Highly recommended

EH – An incredibly unique experience – we had so much fun and learnt a lot, plus we made sone awesome Raku pottery