When I first joined the Pottery in Mumbai: Hand-Building, Painting & Carving experience, the intro session was surprisingly fascinating. We started by exploring different types of clay and how each behaves during shaping, glazing, and firing. It felt like getting to know a new friend with endless stories. The instructor explained the process from raw clay to finished ceramic, including glazing techniques and firing times. Getting this background made me appreciate every moment I’d spend with the clay that day.

Next up was the hands-on part: working with high-quality stoneware clay to hand-build my plate. We learned slab rolling techniques and got to choose between a straight-edged or a scalloped plate. I picked scalloped because, well, why not? Feeling the clay soften under my fingers, shaping it patiently, was incredibly calming. The best part? No pressure to be perfect, just pure fun experimenting with form. This reminds me of a time when I felt completely lost in creativity,only this time, I had guidance to help shape my ideas into reality.

After shaping, we moved on to painting and carving. The underglaze paints added vibrant colors to our plates, and then came the sgraffito technique, where you carve into the surface to reveal the clay beneath. Watching my simple plate come alive with floral and geometric patterns was so rewarding. I loved how this part let me express my style freely. Oh, and the instructors were fantastic at helping us bring our visions to life. If you love details, this is your moment to shine.

At the end, you can either take your piece home as-is or leave it for glazing and firing, which takes about 4 to 5 weeks. I chose to have mine glazed and fired to give it that professional finish. The waiting felt like anticipation for a special gift to myself. When it arrived weeks later, seeing my plate transformed and fully hardened was a proud moment. One fellow participant, Anjali from Pune, shared how this experience helped her rediscover a lost passion for art and gave her a tangible memory to cherish.

“This pottery workshop in Mumbai was a breath of fresh air away from my hectic schedule. Creating my own plate and seeing it finish was incredibly fulfilling!”