Our mission
Make clay education approachable, technically grounded, and generous to different ways of thinking.
About the studio
A practice shaped by patience, material, and place.
PureTide Clay Studio began as a shared table for makers who wanted less noise around the creative process. Today, we teach clay sculpting with the same belief: good instruction should make room for both structure and surprise.
Our pace
We replace rushed outcomes with clear stages, useful repetition, and honest feedback.
Our promise
You will always know what a technique is for, how to practice it, and where to take it next.
The people at the table
Mara Ellis — Founding Teacher
Mara focuses on hand-building, proportion, and helping new makers trust gradual progress.
Jon Bell — Form Tutor
Jon teaches sculptural structure and enjoys finding the stable center inside expressive work.
Nia Santos — Surface Tutor
Nia explores carved line, slips, and the quiet tension between pattern and open clay.
A class has three tides
- Arrive
We introduce the material and make the first decision together.
- Shape
A demonstration becomes guided practice, with time for questions.
- Carry forward
You leave with a clear next step for your piece and your practice.