Hands on the Wheel: Foundations of Throwing

Are you curious about working with clay and eager to try the pottery wheel? This course offers an immersive, hands-on introduction to wheel-throwing, designed especially for beginners. You’ll build a strong foundation in traditional techniques while exploring the creative space between functional vessels and sculptural forms, discovering how the two can work in harmony.

Guided by Issy Parker, the course combines group demonstrations, one-on-one instruction, and supportive critiques to help you grow in skill and confidence. Alongside wheel-throwing, you’ll also learn simple hand-building methods that open up new possibilities for expression within functional forms. Whether you’re looking to master the basics or to experiment with pushing the boundaries of vessel-making, this course provides both structure and freedom in a stimulating studio environment.

All clay is provided and selected pieces will be bisque fired in the NAS kilns after the workshop. Glazing short courses are offered in the Term One and Term Two programs.

Please note, it may take up to four weeks after your course ends for works to be available for collection. We will notify you when they are ready for pick up.

* The course fee incorporates the cost for materials such as clay.

* NAS Short Courses are open to students of ages 16 years and over. The NAS Art Club is open to students from ages 15 years and over.

* What to bring? Please refer to the list of required materials in the Art Materials field below.

Students must supply their own art materials, please refer to the list below.

• Notebook to jot down notes and ideas
• Old towel
• Protective clothing (such as old shirt or apron) and covered footwear
• Any ceramic tools that you may already have
• We recommend students bring a P2 KN95 disposable mask
• All clay and other materials are provided
• Enclosed footwear is essential in all studios on campus.

Issy Parker is a Sydney-based ceramic artist and educator. Her practice embodies the play between intent and surrender and explores the balance between nature’s process and the artist’s hand, organically creating lively and distinct vessels. A graduate of the National Art School (BFA Ceramics, 2019), Parker has been recognised through awards including finalist in the Shelley Simpson Ceramic Prize, the Mansfield Gulgong International Festival Ceramic Award and finalist in the Michael Reid National Emerging Artist Prize. Her work is held by Craft Victoria and Hake House of Art, and has been featured in Artist Profile, The Design Files, Vogue Living, and by YSG Studio. Alongside her studio practice, she teaches ceramics to both adults and children.