My happy place. I've been taking classes here 6 months in a row now. Here's why I continue to choose this place over others: - Along with a 2 hour guided session once a week, you get to come in during non-class hours to practice and make unlimited items throughout the month (which makes this studio's monthly class cost an AMAZING DEAL) - They provide all the clay and tools needed to succeed. No need to purchase anything unless you want to upgrade your game. - I've only taken classes with Emma and Tim (who are both stellar instructors), but I heard everyone else is great too. - As long as you provide a 48 hour notice, you can switch your class to another day of the week. - There's always parking available! - You can purchase tools and materials directly from the shop and pick it up on the shelf the next time you come in. Overall, this place is 10/10. The only "downside" is that it's a cone 10 reduction studio, but to some it might not matter! read more

I am so glad I got the classes at this studio, everyone is so welcoming and the studio is not only spacious for everyone, the people there are so welcoming! Definitely considering the membership! read more

I am so happy I was turned on to this studio by my friend! I have taken two of Tim's courses and really feel I come away with not just hands on experience, but knowledge of ceramics to help me progress. The business model is perfect for me, as a student taking their classes I am able to use studio time basically anytime and free use of studio materials, tools, and kilns -both for bisque firing (see my new words! Haha) and glaze firing. I will continue taking classes as they offer a ton, and perhaps one day join as a member. It's always clean and quiet, and I love all their plants:) read more

This place has little or nothing to do with art. This place is about money, and it makes me sad. Where has the true love or art gone? Instead of revering and nurturing good ceramic artists into great potters of our day, this place punished them by over-charging them to use these incredible facilities. Have you ever wondered why the prices are not printed anywhere on their website? The only way to find out the costs is to go there in person. The place is amazing, but the cost makes it unaffordable for most people. I went in there today and asked about their classes and membership. He started to tell me a very complicated and expansive payment system based on the shelf you pick, the glazes you use, the firing, clay, tools, times, uses....on and on it went. I asked for a flier to explain this all. Nope. They do not have a flier. Huge red flag. No flier, like in Ancient Rome, means the rules change all the time, including costs. I asked for paper and wrote it all out: If you take a class, it is about $60 for two hours, or $240 for four visits of two hours. Contrast that with seasonal classes at a community Art center which costs $140 for three months and 12 visits of three hours. If that is not discouraging. Let's say you are a very good potter who needs open studio use. Instead of feeling the support of a like minded lover of ceramic arts, you are faced with money makers who encourage you to not throw any pots over twelve inches high!! Why? They charge you $1.25 per pound to glaze fire pots under 12 inches, and a whopping $2.25 a pound for pots higher than 12 inches. You are being punished for being a better potter and throwing bigger pots. This place is not about making you a better potter and challenging you to take risks and set goals for yourself. This place charges more the better you are at ceramic arts. The costs for member ship is $140 a month for a shelf less than 12 inches. They charge $160 for a top shelf higher than 12 inches. For a beginning potter, the costs are a lot, but the better a ceramic artist you are, the costs increase. This is why I do not support a place that instead of helping and supporting art for all, it charges more the better the artist you are. What is happening to our society when we treat artists in such a way? Sad. These people take advantage of good people who love clay. SAD. Artists are creative and hard working people, why not tap into their natural talents? Artists do not have a lot of money because money is not important to them. They can teach classes? volunteer their time and expertise to help beginning potters. They can clean up, fire the kilns, mix glazes, why not tat into their skills? Instead, you hit them where it hurts, their bank accounts. This place has nothing to do with art. read more

This studio is amazing, spacious clean and all are so friendly! I would definitely recommend this place.

I had been a member of this studio for almost two years after taking my first wheel classes in July 2022. For a long time, I thought I had found my "third space," the place that wasn't work or home where you could find community. That has unfortunately changed very quickly since about November 2023. As my favorites (Henri, Wendy, Heather, etc) slowly started to leave and more and more restrictions were put into place, it felt less like a welcoming studio to make art and more like a place to spend money. After having multiple pieces broken or just neglected during the firing process, I have decided to leave. February 2024 was my last month and it has been bittersweet. The most recent time something of mine was broken, I didn't even get an apology. The worker asked if I wanted to "chuck it." This is after I had already been charged for glazing it. I won't get that money back. It has been disappointing to watch a place I used to love fall apart. I am thankful I got to work with talented people while The Pottery Studio was at its peak. read more

Just participated in the Throwing Large Pots Workshop. Our instructor Tim was excellent - very knowledgeable and skilled at seeing where individuals could improve technique and providing individualized attention. It as a fun and laid back class, but I was challenged and left feeling more confident in throwing with more clay. read more

Ive been coming here for about 6 months. It's good for beginners and people who make small items. Shelves are tied to memberships or classes. The shelves are too small to make a lot of items. There's no greenware drying shelves. So you're limited to making what fits on your shelf. Top shelves are $160.00 regular shelves are $120.00. The people are awesome. The teachers are knowledgeable. The tool availability is limited to classes. Paid members need to bring everything they need other than a wheel, slab roller and kilns. Classes will override memberships for wheels and clay tables. So you have to work around the class schedule. The studio fires regularly but has had some technical difficulties with the permit for gas and the bisque kiln went down recently. No dry work can be done inside the studio. Keeping dust low. The studio is cone 10 only which is awesome. No horrible melt downs because low fire clay was fired too high. read more

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I was excited to explore a new hobby! I attended one class and enjoyed it. Unfortunately I broke my toe a few days later meaning I have to be off of my foot for at least a couple of weeks. I asked if I could continue the following month seeing that I had only attended one class and they told me no. I still have 3.5 weeks left. They didn't feel very warm or compassionate. Just bottom line driven. I wasn't expecting them to go against the policy but some type of accommodation for a customer who paid for the month wouldve been appreciated. I will find somewhere else to explore this hobby. Overall not very accommodating or warm. read more

I really love this place. I have been to a few pottery studios as a beginner, and this is my favorite bye far. The staff are all very friendly and helpful. I have paid for the beginner wheel class twice now and both times I have left happy with the knowledge I received. I love that you get to learn the entire process from the wheel to glazing your pieces. My favorite is that you can come in between class hours and practice on your own. I think that is a great deal! outside of the staff, I found that the community is super nice and helpful. Everyone just helps each other grow and I can easily spend hours talking to everyone and seeing their pieces. I wish I could afford to go every month, but with my current financial situation I will be at least paying for a few months a year. I know I want to continue this hobby. read more

24/7 access! It's worth the membership. Two glaze kilns, two bisque kilns. Turn around is pretty fast compared to other studios. Overall, content with the work space. Staff are kind, and will work with you when approached with questions. read more

As a visiting potter from napa I was looking at costa mesa studios that might do small bisque firing for a traveling potter. They were unable to do that for me, but, Sunny was welcoming and showed me around the whole facility. They have supplies to purchase, and a fabulously large and roomy studio. Clean, organized, lovely people at work, fair rates, and they really made me feel at home. No phone I could find, combo on door, I just flagged someone down but they have a website. Stop in if you want to take lesson or do studio work! It looks awesome!! read more

Great Class! - very informative and helpful with new techniques. I have been playing around with the wheel for about a year. I took 'returning to the wheel' class and it was a fun with Heather. I would highly recommend this studio :) read more

I would not recommend this studio for beginners/intermediate classes. The wheels are too far apart to teach a class with the amount of people enrolled. (I was in the January class) So disappointed because I was looking forward to learning from scratch plus I was driving from Whittier because I thought it would be worth it. Nope. I give it a two because the people I met there were actually nice and helping each other out and giving each other pointers. Also a two star because technically I did learn a little. First class - intro basics, walk thru for tool locations and clean up, and a group of people hanging out that's not in class were distracting in the beginning because they were taking space already from some wheels. Wendy, the instructor, had us gather her around and watch her do the basics. Then we would go back to our seats and do it at our wheel, but again, those wheels are too far apart to teach a class. Maybe it's me but was not a fan of this teaching technique. Please remember, I've never done this and I want to learn which is why I was there meaning I was going to fail, BUT the look on Wendy's face when I pulled a wall and it fell. It's seriously felt like she stopped helping me in that moment.....towards the end of first day of class. Second class - Wendy could see me struggling trimming and said "good job" and that's when I knew, this isn't the right place for me. Went on a Friday and Sunday to practice. Third / Fourth classes- Never went because I'm never going back there. Sometimes I would think, maybe Pottery isn't just for me and this is why I failed at this. Or maybe it was my resting b face, I don't know! But, I still find myself wanting to learn about pottery and watching Pottery snippets online even after all this. And I was about to let this just go into the universe and say to myself "oh well" but I guess I still find it unfair of the experience I had at this place for a cool $250 (I purchased the rescheduling option just in case which I didn't even need). It didn't feel welcoming, if that makes sense. Like I was intruding. Sorry! But the students taking the class were nice. :) read more

This has been an amazing place to learn the craft and exercise my creativity. The instructors have been great about answering all my questions while allowing me to basically make whatever I want (within the size limit), and I like that the building is spacious. read more

I joined this studio in January 2024 just to take a class or two but I loved it so much I became a member. The classes are great for foundational knowledge and fantastic for beginners who want to experiment with shapes and glazes on a budget. But what really makes this studio is the community of members, teachers, and staff outside of class. There is a huge group of passionate, friendly, talented, helpful people all exploring and creating together. It's rare to find somewhere like this. read more

Just completed my second class at The Pottery Studio, Hand-building Exploration with Tim. Excellent class, I learned so much and gained the confidence needed to continue on my own. Tim has much experience and knowledge always being helpful and supportive about hand-building and glazing and other aspects of pottery. I would highly recommend this class and teacher. The classes are a great value and so much more informative than a class taken elsewhere. Very Happy at the Pottery Studio! read more

I have been taking pottery classes for 6 months at a few different studios in Santa Ana and Costa Mesa, but I needed more one on one guidance on improving my throwing skills. I found The Pottery Studio on Instagram and I started taking their returning wheel throwing class. The class is small and the instructor Daniel is super helpful and attentive. He is very hands on and detail oriented on giving feedback. I went from pulling as high as 4/5" to 7" in 3 and classes. Just give you some perspective, the other studios often have more students, and the teacher can't really spend sufficient time with each student to address individual needs. I really feel like my skills and confidence have improved greatly. Also, this place is a great deal because you can use unlimited clay, unlimited free studio time and the teacher will offer help when ever he is available. Other studios would require an additional membership to use the studio outside of class. The studio is clean, well equipped and organized. I personally love the modern and sophisticated choice of glazes. Just for white they have 5 different choices in both matte and glossy, which suit my minimalist aesthetic. They are also a store which is great if you need extra supplies. I highly recommend this studio. read more

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I signed up for the 4 week wheel throwing classes with Henry as the instructor. It was great! I enjoyed it so much I signed up for Henry's 4 week hand crafting classes right after the wheel throwing sessions ended. Henry is a skilled and patient instructor, which was great for me as I needed extra help figuring out how to center my pieces on the wheel, which was step 1! Henry inspired us during classes to think about what we wanted out of our pieces and experiences in the class. I told him my goal was to make practical things I could use around the house, instead of just pretty pieces to look at. With his guidance, but with my own hands, I created and now have multiple gorgeous mugs with handles that I've been using regularly for tea and water. Thanks Henry! read more

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This studio is the perfect environment to learn from talented teachers and the friendly members who are always willing to share their insights. Henri led my Intro to Wheel class with the perfect balance of demonstrative skill and experience that allows space to encourage a student to learn by doing. I had about a million questions as a beginner (and an equal amount of enthusiasm to learn), and Henri was open to any question I threw (pardon the pun) his way. I've happily discovered that wheel throwing is a welcome avenue for creativity and a way to "unplug" for a while. I absolutely recommend taking classes from Henri, and am happy to share I've started a membership to continue honing my skills and become a part of this super-creative and collaborative community. read more

The Pottery Studio - One of the first bowls I created in the Intro to Wheel Class. - Art Supplies Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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This is a beautiful space, the price is right and the access is amazing. Everyone was really nice too. Love it.

SCAM, DO NOT COME HERE. I am asking for reimbursement from my credit card for my $225 class fee. I went to class once and the instructor was an amateur college student that was terrible at explaining. I previously took courses at Muddy's Studios (would recommend) and was very rusty at pottery, basically a beginner. The instructor was flying through the course like we were advanced and had no interest in helping us through. I did not go to the remaining 3 out of 4 classes. I asked for a refund from my credit card stating the case and then receive an angry email from Kelley stating this is fraudulent and that I am hurting "small business". I asked for a partial refund since I did go to one class and used a bit of their material, but she would not accommodate. I went through my credit card company because I do not want to deal with this studio, but they continue to reach out with threatening and harsh emails, this is not the way to have client retention. read more