About the Studio
Located right on the main street in small-town Ontario, Mitchell Pottery Studio has a bright and cheery atmosphere that invites creativity. Mitchell Pottery opened in 2019, just before Covid hit, and so it wasn’t until 2021 that I welcomed students into the studio to try out the one wheel I had at the time. One became two, two doubled to 4, and Mitchell Pottery now has 6 wheels, large worktables for handbuilding and clay prep, a slab roller, a 7 cubic-foot kiln, in-house glazes, and a dedicated retail space. The goal is to be the community’s potter, one who provides a selection of pots for gift-giving and offers courses and programs for folks to entertain themselves and learn a new skill in a welcoming and warm atmosphere.
My approach to teaching is all about giving you the fundamental knowledge that you need to become a great potter. I like to be systematic in my course outlines so that your skills develop in an incremental and useful way. For those of you who come to Mitchell Pottery for a one-time session, I teach and help in a way that allows you to have fun and to take home a creation that you are proud of. If you want to delve more deeply into pottery, my goal is to help you develop skills in a structured, logical way so that you can make pots intentionally and confidently. My hope is that my students will fall in love with pottery and feel passionate about their craft.
Our Mission
1. To share the joy of pottery
It is our goal to introduce newcomers to this amazing craft in a friendly, approachable way, combined with a sense of good fun and humour. Whether you choose a single class, a 4 or 8-wk course, a Clay Buddies for Two or Clay Date for Two session, a group workshop or team-building session, you will be welcomed into a friendly atmosphere to try your hand at making pots by either handbuilding, using the wheel, or a combination of the two.
2. To facilitate skill development in serious potters
Our pottery courses are designed to help you develop your skills so that you can begin to make pots in an intentional and organized manner, consistently and systematically building your confidence and capabilities. Courses are designed so that you can begin with 4 or 8 weeks, and if you decide to continue, each course will further explore different forms and techniques to develop your skills so that you can make multiple copies of one design, build taller and larger, make more complex forms, or explore embellishment options.
3. To provide a practice space
We offer a Friday morning Friday Open Practice Session for any student currently enrolled in a course who has completed the first 4 weeks. Meet other students, socialize, and develop your skills. Clay is included in the practice fee, firing and glazes are extra.
Please note that we do not rent studio space.
About Visnja
My name may not be easy to pronounce or spell, but it’s mine, and it’s on the bottom of every pot I make. Pronounced “Vish-na” in English or “Veeshnya” in the original Croation, it means inspiration, love of craft, constant refinement, a lifetime of experience, and an appreciation of good lines and proper functioning.
I began doing pottery in high school, and then my life took many turns: university, travel, careers in business administration, film distribution, owning a cinema, more university, teaching academic English-as-a-Second-Language courses, and still more university. Through it all, there were forays and dabbling with pottery. Now I can fully devote myself to my pottery, and it gives me great joy to share it with you.
