18/06/2026
Pottery Workshop, 11 June 2026, hosted by Easingwold WI:
Two of our members, Carol and Fi, recently attended a pottery workshop hosted by our neighbours, Easingwold WI.
Fi, who is a talented writer, has kindly written the following article about the day, accompanied by photographs that capture the experience and showcase some of the wonderful creations made during the workshop:
I’ve always had a thing about ceramics, so the opportunity to have a go at pottery painting immediately appealed to me.
It was pouring with rain on the day of the event, hosted by the Easingwold WI at Easingwold Cricket Club. Approx 12 of us arrived, shaking out waterproofs and umbrellas, to a set of tables laid out with brushes, paint trays and other paraphernalia. It all looked very tempting, as did the cakes already waiting to be consumed mid-afternoon!
Helen Beeforth provides a mobile pottery service, which can accommodate any number of group events, including team building, wellness groups and, of course, the WI. Helen had brought along lots of different materials, which we were invited to use to decorate our chosen pottery. I spotted sponge shapes, which immediately took me back to painting with potato shapes as a child. I got more paint on me than on the paper back then and it was such fun!, I hoped to keep the paint off my clothes today, although Helen did say any paint would easily wash off.
You could opt to decorate a mug, coasters, vases of various sizes, plant pots, bowls or (my choice) a trinket pot. One lady decorated a spoon rest. Helen had a lovely calm manner, which immediately put me at ease. She gave us an introductory brief, outlining the basics of how we could convert our ideas onto our chosen ceramic. Instructions were also printed out and placed on the tables, so you could check back on the advice as you went along.
The buzz in the room as we all got cracking was palpable. Helen moved around the different tables of 4 or 5, to check if we needed help. She also explained how we could use a sand block to erase any mistakes, which encouraged me to experiment with that bit more confidence, knowing I could always remedy any errors. I can vouch for the fact that the sand block did work because I had to use it twice.
It was amazing to see how varied our painted pots were; our different approaches was indicative of the diversity amongst the group. Not everyone present was a WI member but overwhelmingly, the ladies present were from the Easingwold branch. They made Carol and I very welcome, and we both thoroughly enjoyed the experience. As a new recruit, I felt proud to be flying the flag for Brandsby WI.
We enjoyed tea/coffee and fantastic homemade cake during the course of the workshop, although a few were so engrossed in their project that they continued decorating their pot. Now, that’s dedication!
The pieces need to go back into the kiln for a final firing before they are delivered back to us. I can’t wait to see what mine will look like. Carol decorated a bowl but I won’t steal her thunder … perhaps we can both bring them along to show you when they are done.
I’d highly recommend the pottery painting workshop. I do find that doing something creative with your hands is a brilliant way to switch off and just be present in the moment. It is incredibly calming and I left feeling so much more relaxed. It was a delightful way to spend an afternoon.
Fi Illingworth
