It was a Saturday evening, my friend and I were feeling spontaneous and decided to do a pottery class because she had not done one before. We found Hand Eye Ceramics had an availability for a beginners 2.5hr pottery wheel class and signed up. I have done many wheel pottery classes before and they were max 1-1.5hrs so I was interested to see what would be different about this one. The space was pretty big and everyone could sit comfortably during the class. We could only make a bowl, mug (without handles), or a vase. I have made all of these things in previous pottery classes and never took more than an 1 or 1.5hrs. The reason this class was so long was because 3/4th of the time the instructor was just explaining things to us about pottery rather than letting us actually do it. Out of the 2.5hrs, we maybe spent 30mins actually doing pottery, the rest of the time was just the instructor talking about pottery. If we had a question while we were working on our clay, the assistant would come and do it for us instead of explaining how to do it. At the end, it didn't feel like the work was mine and most of the time just went listening to the instructor talk. The last 30-40mins of the class was dedicated to us cleaning the space, our apron, and all the tools we used. We had to actually scrub everything down and keep it clean but they only had one sink for 12 people! It took so long to do this! I wish the class was more focused on us working on our piece and less on everything else. We paid over $70 for this and it didn't feel like it was worth it. read more

Hand Eye Design Ceramics - Art Classes Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This was honestly the worst wheel pottery class I've ever taken. We booked a date night class ($100 per person) and it was supposed to be 2.5 hours. The instructor showed up 15 minutes late, but the class still ended at the original time. So right off the bat, we lost a chunk of the time we paid for. Because of that, everything felt rushed. He spent the first 30 minutes going over the basic concept and the very first step (which was pretty easy to understand), and then we barely had enough time to actually work on the clay and shape our pieces. We didn't sign up for the class to sit there and watch what felt like an "instruction video." We signed up to actually experience working with clay and learn through doing, with their guidance. Since we didn't have much time left to actually experience wheel throwing, it got to the point where the assistants were doing a lot of the work for us just to keep things moving. That kind of defeats the purpose of taking a class, especially if you're there to actually learn. We were also told that we could make additional pieces if time allowed. When we finished our first pieces, there were still about 30 minutes left. But we had to wait for him to come remove the pieces from our wheels, and that alone ate up a good chunk of time. After waiting around for about 10 minutes, he then said we couldn't start anything new because we needed time to clean up, which only took about 5 minutes anyway. So in the end, everyone left early. Between him showing up late, ending early, and all the waiting in between, we only had about an hour of actual hands-on time to work on our pieces for $100 each. They also said they would trim, fire, and glaze the pieces for us. I've done pottery for a couple of years, so I know trimming is where you really refine the shape and clean up the bottom. Instead of actually trimming, it looks like they just removed the piece from the wheel and left it at that. The final piece came out chunky and heavy at the bottom. If they are charging that much and handling the trimming and glazing themselves, you'd expect them to at least make it look a bit more finished. Overall, it just felt like the whole process was rushed and they care more about getting you out the door with something (anything!) rather than actually teaching you or helping you make something you're proud of. There are a lot of pottery studios in Vancouver. Do yourself a favour and choose a different one. read more

The staff were extremely helpful and pleasant. A wealth of knowledge when it comes to pottery. Extremely patient and thoughtful, this was a day date with my better half. We opted to make matching ice cream bowls. The location was easy to find the instructions to get to the place seems almost like a scavenger hunt lol. If you're looking for a casual date idea that's different it's worth checking out. read more

I took a class around the end of August with the goal of making some matcha bowls with spout. It was a long ten weeks wait to get the bowls back but so worth! The glaze is so pretty! All three vary in sizes. And in terms of the spout, one drips and does not pour properly, one drips, but one was pretty good! Since it was quite an impromptu class, I forgot about the importance of spouts and just did whatever. Overall, quite pleased with my pieces and the pottery wheel experience. It was a struggle for me to get the clay to center. I felt like I was being pushed around by the clay most of the time read more

Owner of the studio wrecked my piece purposely after a minor disagreement and lied about it. Very dishonest and unethical business practices happening behind the scenes to keep costs low. Would not support, many better studios in town. read more

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Since doing a very basic ceramics class in college, I've been thinking about getting my hands messy again. I found this studio out of the blue and was able to speak with James over the phone to schedule a studio tour. I usually have a busy work schedule so I appreciated him being flexible with his time to meet with me. He recommended the Hand Building class as a good place to start for a beginner. Since I got a great vibe from him and the studio space, I decided to just go for it and sign up for Wheel Throwing too. I eventually signed up for Glaze Chemistry also, since I've always wanted to get a better understanding of how glazes worked and going about mixing and exploring my mine recipes. I feel lucky that I was able to learn from Rylie, who was my instructor for all three of my classes. They are super knowledgeable and generously shares so many excellent tips and advice. I've learn an enormous amount from them in such a short time, and I've gain a very solid fundamental skillset that I'm very excited to continue exploring and expanding upon. You rock, Rylie! Thank you! The studio offers wheel rental and sells various types of clay, so I've set up a little workspace at home to continue my practice. You can also inquire about studio space. You can see from the images where I've gotten in a couple of months, not including the things I recently did in my glaze class. You certainly don't need to take a class to glaze, but I personally wanted a better understanding before getting into it. I still need a lot more practice, but I feel happy with my progress. It has also been great to be introduced to the community here. Oh, and there is also a small library with some very informative and helpful books, some of which are actually out of print and a bit hard to find. Lastly, here are a couple of things others might be wondering too. In terms of Covid safety, I never felt uncomfortable. It seems like they've taken all the precautions to keep the studio safe and the space is large enough to spread out and be comfortable in. And, though the studio does not offer parking, there is free all day parking just a couple of blocks away. I think I've taken a bit more of a serious approach to this, but there is no pressure and you can approach it however you'd like. You can be very casually about it and just have a great time getting your hands messy and just make some cool things. I've had a wonderful experience, the people here are great, and I'd highly recommend it! :) read more

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Update: After seeing this review the owner started deflecting and blaming me, a customer, for "not doing it right" during our conversation, as if I should know how things should work in HIS business without being informed. Some of his messages were also conflicting and painfully obvious to be outright lies to defend himself. Seems like this is a common problem being reflected in other reviews (and on Google reviews) as well. I communicated with an instructor instead to pick up my piece and everything was smooth and easy. Original Review: tl; dr: Don't consider this place if you wish to pick up what you made. Did a private pottery class (just my friend, the instructor, and I) in Sept 2020 and still cannot arrange a time to pick up our creations now (Mar 2021) - that's like half a year! Seems like they got our money and just don't care about anything after? We were happy with the session and the instructor (Tammie? not 100% sure since it's been too long) was excellent but we are extremely disappointed and frustrated with the pick up process. Upon ending the class, they told us our items will be ready after 6-8 weeks and they would call us. However, we NENVER received a call back or voice message and when I tried calling them - EVERYTIME it went to a voice mail. I called during regular business hours (between 10am -4pm). On google it says "open 24 hours" but it is more like the complete opposite. I got a hold of them over their Instagram and asked about picking up 2 weeks in advance - they gave me ONE 15 min pick up interval for most of the days (eg. 1:45-2 pm). This is a very narrow window and honestly very inflexible and inaccessible. I have been trying for 1 month and still can't arrange a working pickup time. There are many more pottery studios with better customer service and sense of responsibility. Just not this one. Photos as evidence that we went and I even promoted their studio on Instagram after. I have never had such bad experience with businesses in Vancouver that I needed to write a review so guess this is the first. read more

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I'm just finishing a class at hand eye studio with Rylie and Luna. It's been an excellent experience. They are both great teachers and the atmosphere is welcoming and fun. I would recommend this class for a beginner that wants to learn pottery on the wheel as well as someone with more experience. It's also a very safe studio with partitions between each person and their wheel and great protocol in regard to covid. I say give it a try and feel some joy!!! read more

Part way through my first pottery class at Hand Eye Design and I am loving it. The instructor Jasmine is helpful and supportive and the drop in sessions on Sunday have been great for exploring pottery outside of class time. They have a selection of tools and designs and opportunities to explore. I highly recommend and I already signed up for my next class. read more

I went to this studio to host a birthday party with ~6 other friends some time last year. Realistically, this review is just so people put their money in another ceramics studio for an actual pleasant experience. First off, this is my first time doing anything ceramics/wheel throwing related. Being someone who is looking to dip their toes in a new hobby, James was insanely condescending. He'd abruptly stop the class if one of us weren't able to keep up and let out a huge sign of annoyance. He looked mildly happy only when he was speaking about himself and his "success" in commissioning his pieces. But 95% of the time he looked wildly unhappy which was weird because you'd think this company/brand would be his passion. But clearly, I am very wrong. Also, terrible location in not the safest area. Don't try and pick up your pieces weeks later in the evening because the area isn't very safe and you'll only end up picking up a few of your pieces because he has no idea where the other four pieces are. Keep in mind there were 6 or 7 of us. TLDR: James is not a good teacher even for something as light as a "birthday party". read more

I enrolled for the Hand Eye Ceramics Handbuilding course was so unhappy with my experience that I did not return after two weeks into the eight week course. The instructor/owner James is unorganized and impatient and created a very stressful, tense learning environment. James did not explain instructions clearly and when students asked questions, he scolded them for not listening carefully enough. I have taken three other pottery classes in Vancouver and have never felt this level of disrespect from a teacher. In addition, there is not enough space for the class size (everyone felt like they were working on top of each other!) AND there was a wheel throwing class scheduled simultaneously which also overcrowded the studio. The studio is located at Hastings St and Columbia which I personally did not feel safe leaving alone at 9pm at night. I would have appreciated a heads up about the location ahead of time. Lastly, the studio reeked of urine which created a horrible working/learning condition. I do not recommend Hand Eye under any circumstances. It was a complete waste of my time and money when there are so many other lovely ceramics teachers in Vancouver to consider! read more

Very disturbing experience my first time at this studio. The staff were actively discriminating and publicly announcing private information of a client. The client absolutely was in the right, had proof of purchase and permission to attend the class and was told to go home. I know that I will never be back as a result. I could hear the client talking to the owner and it was very shocking at how she was being treated. She was obviously really hurt by the experience and I won't support it either. read more

I joined the Wednesday Wheel Throwing (Beginners to Intermediate) Semester in November of this year with my partner. The session was led by James who was assisted by May Ann. James should not be teaching beginners as he fails to have any compassion and is frankly rude when a student cannot remember a technique learnt the week prior. We wanted to learn but also after a day of work it is not ideal to feel stressed and hurried through your learning. There is a lack of direction with the class. No proper explanation of the objectives of the overall course or each individual class was given either at the start of the semester or class. Instead, James would demonstrate several steps at a time and then not understand why we could not remember or carry out each step. I made a pot at the end of the second session but it was mostly the work of James and May Ann physically directing my hands to finish the work. This help was appreciated but I think the semester would be much improved if it was at a slower pace, one that students could realistically learn at. This last point however was not the reason why I stopped going. I would have continued to attend as I am not the type of person to give up on something when things get difficult. It is the environment fostered by James. It is not enjoyable in the slightest and he needs to appreciate that ultimately most people attending an after-work class are there to have fun and learn in a safe and relaxed manner. In contrast to James, May Ann was understanding and delivered demonstrations light-heartedly. She did this very well considering James would often chime in with unnecessary corrections in a show of one-upmanship and even disrupted the demonstrations by talking loudly to other students. Therefore, if you are a complete beginner, I would recommend looking for a different class to get the basics before attending this class. read more

If you are a complete beginner to pottery I wouldn't recommend this class however if you have some basic pottery knowledge or experience if might be more suited to you. I signed up for a beginner - intermediate class starting in November 2019 being a complete beginner with no previous knowledge or experience in pottery. I was super excited to learn a new skill and have a nice fun hobby, unfortunately that was not my experience and it turned out to be something quite the opposite which is upsetting. The class lacks direction or structure and for me the biggest thing was the negative environment. James teaches with negativity rather than positive encouragement. May Ann is a good teacher who brought some enjoyment to the class, kept it light heartened and fun. There's little guidance or instruction and the instructions you are given are very fast and quick. It's like everything is rushed and when you question or get confused it's met with frustration and anger. Instead of trying to explain things in a different way James just keeps repeating the same thing over and over again which leads to an uncomfortable and tense situation. James says this is the 'basics' but to someone new to pottery it's actually quite difficult and some patience and understanding would go a long way. Instead James made me feel stupid for asking questions or being confused even though I'd only had one previous lesson. As the class is mixed with students who are more advanced I think the teachers presume everyone is at that level. James kept referring to steps he taught us previously but he had never shown these steps to us and had to be corrected by another student. There's some quick ways that the class could be improved such as having materials ready in advance so time is not spent trying to find things. Also the class should be advertised until 10pm because once you add cleaning up your station you don't leave until around 10pm. The studio is a nice space and the other students work is great. I decided that after two classes that I would rather loose my money than return. I started to dread going and wanted it be a enjoyable hobby not to be shouted. I'm disappointed it didn't work out as learning pottery was something I was very excited about but afterward I felt stressed instead of engaged with the class due to the toxic environment. read more

James was impatient, rude, and the worst teacher I've ever had. He's so disrespectful and makes the class unpleasant. I would NOT recommend taking his class. James needs to take a class on how to be a better teacher and person because this is not acceptable. read more

My experience was similar to Sara L. who reviewed this class. James was not a good teacher, spent all his time texting, seemed like he didn't want to be there at all, was unfriendly and gruff, took on way too many students for the space, and even changed the class from what he had originally advertised it as to an entirely different class, so we didn't get what we paid or signed up for, and he wouldn't give refunds. When I tried to pick up my stuff he made it very difficult, was super rude to me over email - accusing me of fucking with him? My experience of the class was bad and then this awful experience over email - I decided I was done with dealing with James, so I never ended up picking my stuff up. Waste of time and money, the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. Also: Location is in the DTES and for sure not a safe feeling leaving at night. Don't take this class. There are much better teachers/classes out there. Update: James wants me to provide proof that I was a student in his class and also proof of the email I refer to. My answer to his request is "no." Instead of suggesting that this review is unfounded or false, James, perhaps just use it as feedback and be a better teacher, maybe don't send hostile/accusatory emails to your students, be professional, etc? read more

Needless to say there is a clear reason why all other pottery studios have massive waitlists but this studio does not. Here are a few reasons you may want to consider when picking or rather reconsider this studio: - The class sizes are too big which causes absolutely no progression with skill sets because you don't have the opportunity to learn from techniques from the instructors - Quality of recycled clay is horrendous and dangerous. There was a piece of metal in my clay. Read that again. - When I had to buy clay as their recycled clay was not usable, they sold me the wrong clay even when I inquired and confirmed with them to make sure the clay that I had was what I wanted (especially because I had to pay a fee for it, in addition to the class fee) - General studio environment is a mess to be quite frank. Clearly it's disorganized where your clay get's mixed up, the glazes and their colours are not accurate either - You can tell all corners have been cut to save costs and anything is done to make an extra cent is implemented but not justified to make the business operational - Emailed him regarding my poor experience (metal piece in my clay, wrong clay that was provided) and received an extremely unprofessional and rude response that is not acceptable when running a business - I understand it is a tough time for local businesses, but that doesn't give this business precedent to just act as you are, there are reasons we support local businesses because they are like family and also provide that service and relationship bond. lacks consideration and empathy, the foundations of what a local business is built on - TRUST me. Now that I've gone to other studios, it's so much more worth the wait to get into a waitlist and attend all other pottery studios in Vancouver than pay the same money to go to this one - I genuinely am writing this in hopes that no one else will waste their time, money and efforts to only be dissatisfied and disappointed read more

Not Covid-safe and barely trying. The staff are terrible at distancing (especially the owner, James). The space almost requires you to come into close contact with others (e.g. there is one sink, down a narrow hall). Then they over-crowd the space (e.g. scheduling a large class during the drop-in period). read more

Amazing class, me and a friend took the 8 week wheel throwing class. great price for all the intimate instruction, james was so knowledgeable! Unlike other one off classes I have taken James teaches you every step from preparing the clay, centering and throwing and then the next week making the foot and cleaning it up and eventually sanding and glazing on your own too! This class made me confident in my ability to throw on my own! We will be back for sure! Highly recommend read more

Would not recommend taking classes here. I have taken pottery classes at a few different places and the instructor here did not have patience with the students that were trying to learn. He filled the class up so there was not much room to walk and he could not spend enough time with each student. He would demonstrate what you need to make then expected you to make it. It was supposed to be relaxing but these classes became very stressful. read more