5-week Advanced Wheel Throwing Course with Natalie Hietzing

Booking Details

In this advanced wheel throwing course, the focus is on further developing and refining your existing skills. The course is designed for those who already feel comfortable on the wheel and have a solid understanding of the basics—especially centering clay and throwing a cylinder.

Over the course of five weeks, you will work on improving your technique, developing a deeper sensitivity for the material and movement, and gaining more control over form and proportions. We will also explore more complex forms such as larger vessels, vases, and multi-part pieces, while practicing how to handle larger amounts of clay.

This course is ideal for anyone who wants to advance their wheel throwing skills, work more precisely, and expand their range of forms.

Important
This course is intended for advanced participants only. You should be able to center clay confidently and throw a cylinder independently.

If you are not yet comfortable with these basics, we recommend our 9-week beginner course.

Course Structure

Session 1 — Technique Check
We begin with an assessment of your current level on the wheel. Based on this, we refine your technique and establish a foundation for the weeks ahead.

Session 2 — Throwing Forms
The focus is on throwing new pieces and developing precise forms. Depending on the group, we will work on vessels, bowls, or begin exploring more complex shapes.

Session 3 — Trimming and Refining
The leather-hard pieces are trimmed and refined. We focus on clean bases, balanced proportions, and precise details.

Session 4 — Advanced Forms
We return to the wheel and continue developing forms, with a focus on larger pieces, vases, or multi-part work.

Session 5 — Final Trimming
In the final session, all pieces are trimmed and completed.

Schedule

When
Five consecutive Tuesdays
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Duration
5 sessions × 3 hours
Total course time: 15 hours

You can find the exact course dates in the calendar for each start date.

Instructor
The course is led by Natalie.

Requirements
This course is suitable for advanced participants who can confidently center clay and independently throw a cylinder.

Typical participants include
– Graduates of our 9-week beginner course
– Participants of previous courses with relevant experience
– Individuals with prior experience on the wheel

Location
Studio Hietzing
Altgasse 20 1130 Wien

Price
to be announced

The price includes all materials and tools needed during the course.

Five bisque-fired pieces are included in the price.

If you would like to glaze your pieces and prepare them for the glaze firing, you can book an Open Studio session after the course.

Language
The course is held in German.
All of our instructors also speak English.

Missed Sessions
The course takes place over five consecutive weeks on the same weekday and at the same time.

If you are unable to attend a session, we unfortunately cannot offer a replacement class. However, you may use our Open Studio once free of charge during this time to continue working independently. Our team will be on site and happy to assist with any questions.

FAQ:

Can I make a plate in this course?

If you would like to learn how to throw plates on the wheel, we recommend participating in a 9-week course, as in the 5-week course we mainly focus on forms that grow vertically (cylinders, bowls, cups, small vases).

What happens if I cannot attend one course day?

You can catch up on the missed session independently during Open Studio. For scheduling appointments, please send us an email to hello@freshceramics.at.

How can I reschedule my course?

You may reschedule your course once up to 24 hours* before the course begins via the button “Reschedule, cancel or request a refund” in your course confirmation email. Cancellations are possible up to 24 hours* after receiving the booking confirmation via the same button.

What if I cannot attend my course date?

Since tickets are not tied to a specific person, you are welcome to privately pass them on to friends or acquaintances. This way you can give them a wonderful experience and ensure that reserved spots do not remain unused.
In the case of a rescheduling or cancellation, you will find the corresponding instructions under the first question “How can I reschedule my course?”
Important: Rescheduling requests via email, phone or in person cannot be accepted and are therefore invalid.

Do I need prior experience to participate in the courses?

No, this is not necessary. All our courses are suitable for beginners. Advanced courses are labeled accordingly.

How can I book a course?

All courses & offers can only be booked online directly via our website. The calendar under each course description shows you on which days and how many spots are available for booking. Choose your preferred date and number of participants and click “Book Now.” This adds the booking to your cart, and in the next step you can complete the payment process.

How do I book a course if I have a gift card?

The code can be entered during checkout after adding a booking and is valid for both locations. If you have multiple voucher codes, you can enter and redeem them one after another.

What is the difference between pottery and hand-building/modeling courses?

When working with clay, there are generally two different approaches:

On the one hand, there is wheel throwing, where pieces are created on the electric pottery wheel. The resulting objects are characteristically round, symmetrical and thin. On the other hand, there is modeling and shaping clay by hand at the worktable. This includes coiling, pinch technique and slab technique. Here you are not bound to the round base shape created by the wheel and can freely express your creativity.

What should I bring to the course?

A portion of good mood :) We have everything else at the studio!

However, shorter nails – and for pottery wheel courses also a hair tie for longer hair as well as clothes that may get a little dirty – are an advantage. If despite the aprons some clay or glaze gets onto your clothing, don’t worry, both can be easily washed out.

When can I pick up my finished pieces & what happens if I forget them?

Your ceramics from pottery and modeling courses are ready for pickup from 3 weeks after the last course day. If you cannot come in person, the person picking them up must be able to show a photo of your pieces.

We keep already glazed course pieces in our pickup shelves for 3 months. After that, due to space limitations, they are sorted into monthly boxes where we can no longer guarantee completeness or condition. Every year before Christmas, we donate all remaining pieces that have been with us for more than one year to “Aktion Leben” to bring joy to someone else. :)

Can I have my pieces shipped home?

We are happy to ship your masterpieces by post, no matter where you are located within the EU. Shipping outside the EU is not possible. Fees of Austrian Post:
Shipping within Austria (1–3 pieces*): €7.17
Shipping to Germany (1–3 pieces*): €17.35
Shipping within the EU (1–3 pieces*): €21.00

An additional packaging & service fee of €9.50 applies per package, as we wrap each piece by hand and personally drop it off at the post office to ensure it arrives safely :)
Medium-sized pieces such as cups, bowls, plates, small vases. Large pieces such as vases, jugs, etc. are calculated as 2 medium-sized pieces.

Are my pieces dishwasher safe?

Your pieces are made of stoneware clay. They are fired at 1200°C, making them vitrified and both dishwasher safe and microwave safe.

I am not satisfied with the glaze result on my piece. Is it possible to re-glaze it or receive a refund or compensation?

We understand that glaze results can sometimes be surprising. However, re-glazing high-fired ceramic pieces is not possible in our studio and therefore we do not offer this service.
Glazing in ceramics is an inherently variable process and cannot be fully controlled or exactly reproduced. Even when using the same glaze, clay body, and firing schedule, the final result can vary from piece to piece. Many factors influence the outcome, including placement in the kiln, temperature fluctuations during firing, glaze thickness, the interaction between glaze and clay, as well as the general kiln atmosphere. These variables are a natural part of working with handmade ceramics.
Due to this unpredictability, the appearance of the glaze is not considered a defect. For this reason, we do not offer refunds, reimbursements, or remakes based on glaze results or personal preference.

I'm not happy with how the glaze turned out on my piece. Is it possible to reglaze it, or receive a refund or reimbursement?

We understand that glaze results can sometimes be surprising, but reglazing high-temperature fired pieces is not possible, and we do not offer reglazing or deglazing services.

Glazing in pottery is an inherently variable process and cannot be fully controlled or replicated exactly. Even when the same glaze, clay body, and firing schedule are used, the final outcome can differ from piece to piece. Many factors influence the result, including kiln placement, temperature fluctuations during firing, glaze thickness, how the glaze interacts with the clay, and the overall kiln atmosphere. These variables are a natural part of working with handmade ceramics.

Because of this unpredictability, glaze appearance is not considered a defect. For this reason, we do not offer refunds, reimbursements or remakes based on glaze results or personal preference.