Hi, I’m Laura Brownsteele.

Hello everyone! I'm a ceramic artist and teacher with a deep love for clay, craftsmanship and the quiet joy of making things by hand. My approach to teaching is warm, encouraging and grounded in the belief that ceramics should feel accessible, rewarding and personal, whether you are touching clay for the first time or returning to it after years away. My classes are shaped around creativity, fun, patience and skill building, giving students the confidence to explore their own ideas while learning time honoured techniques.

Ceramics is one of the oldest human crafts. Working with clay connects you to a lineage of makers stretching back thousands of years, people who shaped vessels, tools and objects of meaning with nothing more than their hands and the earth beneath their feet. In a world that moves quickly and digitally, pottery offers something rare: a slower, more mindful way of creating, where progress is felt through touch, time and intention.

2026 is the year of learning new skills and reconnecting with what it means to make something real. Pottery is wonderfully fulfilling and deeply therapeutic. The process encourages focus, calm and creativity, providing a space to switch off, work with your hands and immerse yourself in the rhythm of making. Each piece carries the marks of its maker, imperfect, individual and uniquely yours.

If you are looking for a creative practice that grounds you, challenges you and rewards you in equal measure, ceramics offers an experience that is both ancient and completely relevant today.


8 Week Ceramics Workshop

Starts Jan 27th

6pm - 8pm

What to Expect

A fun, friendly and relaxed course where you will learn how to create your own ceramic pieces from clay. Over eight weeks you will develop your skills at your own pace, work on projects that interest you, and gain the confidence to make pieces independently. This course is a hand building and sculpture workshop and does not include wheel throwing.

Book your place today

What should I Bring

Nothing at all. All tools, materials and equipment are provided.

Please wear comfortable clothes that you do not mind getting dirty.

What will I leave with?

You will leave not only with your finished ceramic work, the skills and confidence to take your pottery in whichever direction you wish, but very often, new friends who share the same interests.

Where is the course?

No. 11 Market Street, Hexham, NE46 3NS. The studio is in the pottery grotto beneath my husbands shop LORE. Unfortunately, the space is not wheelchair accessible as there are steps.

How much is the course?

The full 8 week workshop cost £300 with no hidden extras. All clay, tools, glazes and firings in the kiln are included.