4-week pottery course
Q&A
TRAVEL and daily LIFE QUESTIONS
Which airport to fly into Latvia?
There is only one :) Rix airport in capital city Riga, 70km from the studio.
How do I arrive at your place from the airport?
Some people choose to rent the car- in this case put "LAIMA CERAMICS” in navigation and you will easily find us.
Alternatively, we offer pick-up from Bauska bus station (20min drive), just write to us when making a reservation to arrange a pick-up time!
How will I get around to do my shopping and travel?
We recommend to rent a car amongst the group of all the students. You can discuss details on the common chat to come to agreement amongst the group. Car rental is around 500eur/month, if shared amongst 4 people this should be very reasonable and give you great freedom to get around as well as to explore the country.
By car: please simply enter LAIMA CERAMICS in google and follow through with your navigation app (Waze or google maps).
What to bring along?
There is bedding and basic kitchen equipment provided as well as basic selection of ceramic tools.
Bring your:
2 pairs of slippers- 1 for bedroom 1 for studio use (!!! no outside shoes inside allowed!)
slip-in outdoor shoes (like crocs or sandals)
2 sets of aprons (we don't allow working in dirty apron due to health and safety)
any special tools for pottery (we don't provide throwing bats, modelling tools etc)
For autumn/spring term- Weather in Autumn/Spring can be rainy and windy. Latvia is 40% forests and nature tourism is one of the best things to do around. Bring appropriate clothing for the season! Wellington boots and rain jacket recommended.
your yoga matt (ceramics is hard work, everyone need to take care of their backs!), any sports equipment
Towel
Hair-dryer (if you need one)
What kind of electricity plug there is in Latvia?
Latvia is a standard European plug.
POTTERY WORK QUESTIONS
How do you manage reclaim?
There are shared buckets for white/grey stoneware and 2 plaster bats for drying the reclaim.
Are there throwing bats for wheel?
No we don’t have/ don’t use a bat system for throwing. Throwing is directly on the wheel head. If you have/need bat system you might want to consider bringing them along. Wheel size is 30cm and 35cm.
Other basic tools are here but please take any specialty hand tools you might need.
How much cleaning will I do?
During your personal practice: You are always required to leave your working area (wheel, glaze room, the large table) in clean state every time it is used. There is hoover and mop around and use it often to minimize dust and health hazards ceramic dust poses.
As this is an active working studio, open to the public there is a requirement to keep all areas nice and clean at all times.
To offer best price for you we offer this as self-catered opportunity.
Will I be able to pack and fire kilns?
Yes! We will go through programming the kilns and different firing settings.
How about glazing? Will I get pre-mixed glazes?
There is a selection of several containers with our pre-mixed MAIN STUDIO GLAZES (transparent, white, beige, black and a few more) that is most reliable and kept in larger quantities where you can dip/submerse small-medium sized work.
We generally fire to 1250 C in oxidised atmosphere in electrical top-loader rhode kiln so most of our glazes are suitable for this range.
There are recipe EBOOKS available via my website with many of my favorite recipes for sale. Have a look at our gorgeous studio glazes for sale here!
To streamline glazing costs we charge 50eur/per whole kiln worth (so you can use any of the pre-mixed glazes). If mixing your own glazes we charge 30eur/kg.
How many people work for the studio?
There are 4 people at the core of this company
Laima - maker/designer - doing wheel-throwing, large-scale work, marketing, social-media and photography
Oksana - assistant - making slab-rolled dinnerware, glazing, kiln-loading, creative workshops, packing and customer service
Vēsma- Laima’s mum, doing all the book-keeping and finances
Krišjānis - doing graphic design, photography and woodwork
TOURISM AND FREE-TIME QUESTIONS
WHAT ARE the socialising/travel opportunities?
The studio is located 20km from the town of Bauska and only 70km from the capital Riga. You are very welcome to use your weekend for exploring the country (there is convenient and cheap public transport everywhere). The studio is located “middle of nowhere” so there is a sort of bubble feeling here where you need to make a certain effort to get out of the farm and start exploring the surroundings.
We do recommend to reserve some time to explore this beautiful, natural country.
Our top 3 favourites:
Kolka- where the open Baltic sea meets the bay
Kuldīga- the most beautiful, charming old town
Gauja National Park
Have a look at https://www.latvia.travel/en for more details.
What other activities can I enjoy around the studio?
· There are yoga classes and swimming pool in Bauska.
· There is a sauna next to the studio.
· Walking/cycling
We recommend these cafes/restaurants nearby:
Aveņi (in Bauska)
Tornis (in Bauska)
Rezidence (near Rundale palace)
Baltā Māja (near Rundale palace)
What amenities there are?
Shower, washing machine
Electric stove, electric oven, refrigerator
Bed linens (no towels)
Handmade tableware, blender, electric kettle
wifi
WE DON’T PROVIDE: ironing board, microwave, dish-washer, dryer, juicer, coffee-machine, toaster, towels. Please take along any special items you may need.
Are there any potentially dangerous animals in Latvia?
Mosquitoes in the summertime, but they don't come into the house if we keep the windows closed and they don't carry any disease.
There are ticks (that carry encephalitis and lime disease). Please always check your body (March-October) after coming in from the garden to notice any ticks while they are still crawling.
There are no other dangerous animals here.
If lucky you may see some deer, fox, badger, moose, mice and lots of birds in the countryside.
MONEY QUESTIONS
WHAT ADDITIONAL EXPENSES I MIGHT HAVE?
Food expenses in Latvia are around 300-500eur per month. We recommend the farmers market in Bauska for local seasonal vegetables, meat and fish. And Rimi shopping mall has everything else. There is also a small seasoning shop in Bauska. For speciality shopping, I recommend you go to Riga to larger supermarkets and slow-food markets.
The nearest shop next to Bauska Bus Station is the mini Rimi. If you arrive by car, it will be more convenient for you to shop at hypermarket Rimi.
For other items: in Bauska there are few second-hand shops and few low-quality shops, but most people go to Riga (just 1h drive from Bauska) for larger shopping.
How will I transport my pieces home?
Most people take an extra baggage allowance for their return trip or can be delivered to your address with EMS or DPD courier. Price can be calculated at the end.
After your course, all pieces can be packed and shipped to your address.
When purchasing this course via the website, you will be asked to agree on our Terms and Conditions. Please get acquainted with them here:
Terms & ConditionS
Want more details? :P
Below is a link to our STUDIO ORGANISING GUIDELINES that we will go through upon your arrival to make sure you know every single procedure in the studio.
Congratulations for making until the end to this extensive page.
If you have more questions please reach out to us via email.
You will have opportunity to ask questions during the online interview process as well.
Warmest wishes,
Laima & co
Photography: Krišjānis Piliņš 2022