Courses

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The approach to ceramics was novel for most of us, and very useful. You applied he engineer’s approach to problem solving using science, common sense, trial and error. It was also quite fun to see how many ways you have found of destroying Emma Bridgewater plates. The references to research were interesting, including your own. Overall it was interesting and useful. You taught us a lot about problem solving – how to take apart each issue and work through problems step by step. From this I am sure we have all gained a good deal of confidence to carry on with our tests, refer to sources, and improve the quality of our products. The style of presentation was part uni seminar with q’s and a’s which you handled well. The graphics good. (I prefer zoom where you can see the group.) Overall good, but you need to streamline. You could deliver much shorter webinars and… Read more “Product Safety for Potters Online Course – Review”

I attended Tim’s Ceramics Product Safety course and found it both informative and enjoyable. Tim has a wealth of knowledge and experience and natural ability to take a technical subject and present it in a way that makes it accessible to a non-specialist. Recommended!

Well prepared, interesting & informative course. Wendy, London

The course gives a good level of studio best practice, and health and safety, to those that have found ceramics later in life and haven’t trained from a young age or worked as Technicians. The course covers everything that may not be found on standard pottery courses for those that want to think about setting up their own studio. Tim is clearly very knowledgeable, and happy to share that knowledge to keep potters safe! Jo from Newcastle, England

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I am an amateur ceramicist with my own studio space in our garden shed. Without formal qualifications in ceramics I was a bit lost on how to deal with health and safety regulations and where to find them. This course was really useful and reassuring to me. The concise format and links to Tim’s website provide an excellent source to turn to, and are based on proper official guidelines. Thank you Tim! Susie, Kent

Tim’s webinar sessions are packed full of precise information with useful PDFs to download. There is the opportunity to ask questions as the material is covered and the possibility of sending emails if thoughts arise after the session has ended. I have found this particularly useful and Tim’s replies have always addressed my questions with detailed and fulsome answers. Rachel, Cornwall

The course was very well paced with an extensive breadth of information. As a tutor Tim was very accessible and helpful with any queries. His course provides amazing resources for followup though a donation is suggested in order to access some of this information. Lindsay, Herts

Tim shares incredibly well researched and clearly presented detailed key points for good health and safety practice in the studio. I have a much better understanding of food safety of glazes, which must be an essential for any maker of domestic pieces. A very interesting course with plenty of helpful interaction. Gwen, Canterbury

Great course, I’ve learned a lot thanks to Tim. His course is technical, complete and simple. I do recommend it.Brune from Paris, France

Tim is a patient and thourough teacher who really knows what he is talking about. The course material is very well prepared and easily available. I followed two courses already and will probably take other classes in future! Sofie from SOGO keramiek, Belgium

If you are planning to set up a pottery studio, then taking Tim Thornton’s course on Studio Safety for Potters is a must! Lots of valuable information and things to think about for your studio. Tim is willing to answer all questions and is very helpful. His research is very thorough and he shares links to additional information on his website. – Cathy Cosby, Norwich, CT, USA

Tim’s depth of knowledge and easy thoughtful delivery of the course makes it very understandable and helps to cement the knowledge. Useful for beginners and for more experienced potters alike with good immediate responses to queries and clarification. Course notes too are thorough and continued access a boon. The course is too great value for money.

Thank you Tim for your course. Good structure of each lesson, well prepared, I like the way you explain. You did a huge work. You give all your knowledge on the subject but without unusefull controversy. I recommend if someones want to have a large point of view on product safety. Sorry for my approximative english. Jeanne from Vannes – France”

The Kiln Course was very useful to me as someone who has always been a Night-School potter and now embarking on my own set-up with a kiln. Jeremy Allen, Christchurch

This is an intensive, indepth course on all aspects of buying and owning a kiln. Tim is very generous with his time and sharing of his considerable knowledge. including additional material and recommendations. Noreen, London

Again, Tim, the course was fantastic! I have learned so much from the three courses that I have taken with you! I feel better prepared to set up my own studio and work safely with the equipment and materials. I highly recommend all of your courses! Cathy Cosby, Norwich, CT, USA

As a first-time kiln owner, I signed up for Tim’s Electric Kiln course hoping I would gain some insight into running a kiln. His knowledge and the course materials provided gave me the tools I needed to complete my first few firings. I look forward to fine-tuning my future firings utilizing the information received from the course. Highly recommend! Pam, Connecticut, USA

Tim’s course provides the theoretical background and practical guidance – backed up by substantial experience – for both kiln beginners and improvers to understand how to develop their firing practice. His encyclopaedic understanding of the subject ensured that all kinds of questions were always well answered and positioned in a practical context. Ian from Bedford, UK

If you are new to firing or want to build on your knowledge, this is the course for you. It covers all aspects of firing from how a kiln is constructed to heat work, loading, unloading as well as potential glaze faults and how to fix them. Each session is well structured and the support materials are really useful once you are back in your studio. Tim has a huge wealth of knowledge that he is willing to share even if you have an off-piste question. Amanda from Bramshall, Staffordshire

I would highly recommend Tim’s course on Electric Kilns. There was a lot of very useful information that went beyond just the basic. Tim is very well organized, easy to understand, extremely knowledgeable, patient and answers all the questions participants have. He is available outside the scheduled classes and very reliable with answering emails. I would take another class with him for sure. Josée Comox, BC, Canada

Very helpful course, wide ranging and detailed, which has massively expanded my understanding and confidence using a kiln. Not too fast-paced so the technical detail was absorbable as we went along, and Tim has a wealth of experience which showed with the questions he responded to. Highly recommended! Jane, Surrey, England

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I learned so much and have a better understanding of what needs to be done. Kristina Smith from Valparaiso, Florida, USA

I found this course to be exactly what I needed to develop basic knowledge and confidence in firing a kiln for the first time and thereafter without fear of burning my house down! Gai from Kiels Mountain, Australia

As someone looking for a kiln for the community, I found this course to be extremely helpful. From the way temperature affects clay and glaze, to how to use the kiln to its full capability, I learnt so much and have the facts and figures to help for future fundraising of the new Kiln – Rachel Birmingham

An excellent and incredibly useful workshop from Tim. His knowledge is extensive and shared in an informative and accessible style. The ability to access the slides post workshop is terrific. Came away feeling enthused and more confident about using my first kiln. Jill, Staffordshire

The course was comprehensive on the structure, furniture and use of a kiln. pleasantly delivered and targeted a wide range of knowledge. I now have more confidence using my kiln. Well worth the cost. Sheridan, Chepstow

Tim is a very thorough and professional support in his field. I can only offer him, do not miss his courses! Nandor from Hungary

A very thorough and well presented course. An absolute must for anyone even thinking of making table lamps. a lot of the content will also be pertinent to other products. David from Essex

Tim’s Lamp making course was excellent, very well researched with a real depth of knowledge apparent. The ability to access recordings after each session and view additional resources through the website ‘portal’ was really useful. Amanda, Herts.

Good basic overview. Liked the available resource information from website. Lee, Virginia, USA

A great introduction to how to use a kiln. Gave me a much better understanding of firing. Highly recommend. Steve from Durham, North Carolina

Tim generously shared his in-depth knowledge of the topic. After the course, I feel more confident understanding how kilns operate and how to troubleshoot faults. Elena, London, UK

I’m relatively new to pottery and Tim’s detailed and informative course has given me the confidence to fire, glaze-fire and hopefully maintain my second hand front loading kiln. Thanks Tim!

Tim’s course on Electric Kilns allowed me to feel much more comfortable operating and troubleshooting the first kiln for which I’m solely responsible. The course is a mix of technical and practical concepts that covers everything from how to assess your own personal requirements in selecting a kiln, to why it works the way it does and how to efficiently and reliably operate it to better achieve predictable results (no kiln god lore around here!). As a North American potter currently working in Europe, I appreciated that the material addressed the differences encountered with tools and working behaviours between the continents. Tim is very knowledgeable – he welcomed all questions, encouraged discussion, and patiently explained concepts until we were satisfied. I highly recommend this course for anyone looking to build confidence in operating an electric kiln efficiently. Heidi (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Very thorough course. I feel like I have a strong grasp on how to test my work to ensure I’m providing the safest products to my customers. Roberta, California

This course is very well put together and gives a good overall picture of firing an electric kiln. It boosted my confidence and provided a ton of information about the firing process from basic to advanced. Tim has been generous with his time and answering individual questions. I recommend this course to people like me who are newbies to firing kilns. Aino from Edinburgh, Scotland

An excellent source of information for anyone considering the manufacture of lamps. A vital piece of research. John, Derbyshire.

I found the course to be thorough and wide ranging and has given me an excellent grounding in electric kiln operations and maintenance, the behaviour of clays and glazes during the firing process. It also provided useful health & safety awareness. Due to time constraints I relied largely on the presentation recordings rather than the live sessions, so was unable to ask questions directly. Nevertheless, Tim has a knack of structuring the information to anticipate many of the questions that came up for me as I worked my way through each presentations. Completing this course has given me the confidence to go ahead and purchase my own kiln. Simon, Nottingham

Tim has years of experience in Health and Safety, and has collected and collated vast amounts of data on the subject, particularly as it relates to pottery studios. He presented this carefully with real documented examples, and brought common sense answers to our questions. Discussion between participants in the live sessions was an added bonus. At the conclusion of the course, I have a few actions to take, and I feel confident that we are making sensible decisions about the safe running of our new teaching studio.

Very good overall! I liked the technical content that helps to understand the issues. And then practical solutions are given in an understandable way.

Tim’s course on Studio Health and Safety is filled with very practical considerations relevant to general studio practice and firing, both electrically or with a fuel source. I did this course in tandem with his course on Electric Kilns and found that the concepts complimented each other well. Tim is very open to answering questions and addressing adjacent topics if there is group interest, in this case a small introduction to material safety assessment in relation to food. This is a course that is very useful for potters setting up their own studio, and perhaps even more so for those working in shared studios or teaching environments. Heidi (Copenhagen, Denmark)

I found Tim’s course on Electric Kilns and Firing, super informative and stimulating – I would highly recommend it to anyone considering buying their own kiln or wanting to learn about the firing process in general. The presentation and booklet we received is thoroughly comprehensive and I will be referring to often, I’m sure! Thank you Tim for the huge amount of time and effort you have put into building this course and in your lovely way of explaining things, I really enjoyed it. Lesley from Cape Town, South Africa.

A thorough and concise course on the technical elements of making and wiring your own lamp! Réya Sunshine, Colorado, USA

This course was very in depth and provided all aspects of kiln firing, sharing technical and practical information, as well as offering advice and solutions to issues people were having. Tim’s depth of knowledge is vast, and his passion and attention to detail for pottery was reassuring and incredibly helpful. Many thanks! Sue, Mayfield Pottery Workshop, Edinburgh

After years of dabbling via courses I retired from work and during Covid time set up my own little studio at home. When I was offered an old kiln I said yes with alacrity ….but having never had anything to do with the firing of my pieces then felt rather overwhelmed by the process of getting to know how to use it with the glazes I had. It is a whole new area of potting to learn to navigate. I was relieved to find Tim’s course online. It was the first affordable and easilyaccessible one I had come across. I am unable to make regular committment to a particular time and day but any sessions I missed live I was able to watch the recording of and email Tim with any questions that had not already cropped up during that week’s session. When I contacted him Tim about his course he was welcoming and addressed… Read more “Electric Kilns and Firing Online Course – Review”

The course was really interesting and informative and I learnt a lot about kilns and the firing process. Tim’s course is great for people, like myself, who don’t currently own a kiln and just want to understand the basics, as well as more expert potters who have their own studio and kiln setup and have more in-depth questions. Angela, Gloucestershire

The course was absolutely worth its money. Tim’s expertise and experience is huge and covers all pottery related issues. The presentation is clear and structured. Tim is very attentive to the different participants and answers every (!) question, no matter how off topic or detailed it might be. You can tell that he really cares about people understanding and learning and getting as much as possible out of this course. Ruth from Chiusa, Italy

I completely enjoyed this course, learned so much about all aspects of firing the kiln and claywork in general. I would recommend this course to anyone wanting to learn about their kiln and what happens to your clay during the firing process. Tim has a wealth of valuable knowledge regarding all aspects of heatwork, claywork, and so much more, and is very generous about sharing that knowledge. It was also quite special to be experiencing the course with people from all over the world! Paulyn from Florida, United States.

I feel all the topics I was interested in were covered in depth. Thank you. Serena, London

Great course, tons of information. Be prepared to immerse yourself. I am new at firing and used all of the material to make sure I understood what was being presented. Angelina, Portugal

I found this course very informative. I am so glad I took this course before I ordered my own kiln. Tim is very kind and generous with his time. I highly recommend any potter to take this course. Lindsey, Nova Scotia

I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to deepen their understanding and skills in kiln operation. This comprehensive course covers everything from the basics of kiln safety and operation to advanced firing techniques, including both theory and extensive hands-on practice. Amelia, Spain The curriculum is thoughtfully designed to cater to both beginners and experienced potters, detailed discussions on firing schedules, temperature control, and glaze reactions. Tim is a potter with a wealth of knowledge and experience. He not only teach but also share insights from his own practices, offering solutions to common problems and tips for optimizing your firing results. Another significant benefit of this course is the wealth of resources made available to participants, including comprehensive manuals, instructional videos, and access to an exclusive web. In conclusion, this kiln training course is a must for potters aiming to refine their craft and gain confidence in kiln operation.

I have now attended two of Tim Thornton’s online courses – Electric Kiln Course, and Pottery Studio Health & Safety. I have no hesitation in recommending Tim’s courses for anyone looking to enrich their knowledge and understanding. They are just perfect for helping you to learn what you need to understand in order for you to be a safe and competent potter. One of the most important things about Tim’s courses, is that he is very generous with his time…and knowledge. It seems as though nothing is too much trouble for him. I am a visual learner. I also like to gain the knowledge before I try out a new skill. These courses fulfilled both of my needs. Thank you very much Tim. Helen A, based in Bognor Regis

A well structured and informative course

I recently attended Tim Thorton`s food -safe training and I am so pleased about it. Tim has a deep knowledge about chemistry, phisics and all the magic behind pottery so he gives an insightful understanding about all the process. I left the course feeling confident about the safety and stability of my glazes. He provided with tools I can use to rest assured about the quality of my glazes. I think every potter that produces tableware should attend to this training. Thanks a lot Tim. Amelia (Madrid, Spain)

The course was great value for money, incredibly detailed and well organised. Reference material, videos and demos made the course both informative and relevant to my needs. I never knew there was so much I needed to know!

A fantastic course. A mass of information for both those starting out and those who, like me, have been making lamps for some time. Everything you need to know about all aspects of lamp making, and more. Great resources that you can keep referring back to. Thoroughly recommend the Making Electric Lamps course with Tim Thornton. The Light Man, South Oxfordshire, England.

I highly recommend Tim Thornton’s Electric Kiln course for anyone who wants to gain a thorough understanding of electric kilns. The course is organized and very well-presented. It covers everything you need to know from installing, firing and maintaining a kiln to safety and technical aspects. Tim is a wealth of information and he is very generous with his knowledge. Thank you Tim!! Patt from Boston, MA

For anyone seriously going into ceramics and buying a kiln or taking on a studio with a kiln Tim’s course is packed with just about everything you need to know from buying a kiln and installation to maintenance, problems and faults and much much more. He’s very knowledgeable and amenable to answering your questions too. However this course is quite technical for the hobbyist potter and may be too detailed at this stage in your journey.

As soon as I found this course two other potters from the studio I go to signed up and it created a lot of discussion and interest with the other members. I would highly recommend anyone with a kiln or thinking of getting a kiln to do it. Tim is incredibly knowledgeable and very helpful from the most basic to the highest technical questions.

Tim surpassed my expectations with the amount of knowledge given on this course. Would definitely recommend this course to anyone who wants to ensure the pottery they make is safe. Jessica, Brecon, Wales

Highly recommend Tim’s course – will refer other staff from my school if they need kiln training like I did. Paula from KWS, Harpenden

Tim was very thorough both with the course delivery and resources but also in regards to communication and troubleshooting. The course and website offered a wealth of information giving you the opportunity to learn a great deal about kilns and the firing process. Tim was always on hand to answer questions or give extra support in regards to specific kiln needs.

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A very interesting course with practical ideas and theoretical information as well. Sue, Monmouthshire

I highly recommend Tim as a ceramics educator. The kiln course was easy to follow and comprehensive. I appreciated the time he took to answer any queries I had via email. Tim has accrued a real depth of technical knowledge around the subject of Ceramics and is generous and enthusiastic in his sharing information on the subject. Andrea Clarke (Artist Tutor at MAC Birmingham)

Very informative and comprehensive course for beginners or intermediates. Well delivered and available to access at your own pace if you require. Many thanks Tim Will from Castle Mead Academy Leicester.

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Great informative course. I came into the course with next to no knowledge about kilns and I am feeling a lot more confident to approach ours and, am most excited to make some awesome ceramics with our students! Mary Doyle, Peacehaven Community School

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Tim’s course on lamp making was informative and useful. I now feel much more confident making and selling my lamps.