Anything But Gray - Childrens Pottery

Hello my name is Michelle Tierney, I thought I’d share a little bit about me and the background of my new venture ‘Anything but Gray’ children’s pottery classes. I’m a busy working mother to two beautiful and very special little girls, Penelope and Annabelle and I’m very lucky to have a husband who supports and encourages me to follow my dreams.

Having recently returned to work after a second spell of maternity leave I’ve had a strong desire to find something ‘else’ for me, something that I can get excited and passionate about away from my family and work which leads to me where I am right now.

Inspired by my children’s love for trying new things and having exhausted pretty much every club, class and session in the area I decided that actually I had the answer to a new and exciting experience for children by going back to my creative roots. I found myself revisiting and rediscovering ways that I enjoyed learning and getting creative in the past and pottery /ceramics felt like a natural choice for me. My love for pottery and art started at an early age. I attended Canon Slade School and sixth form college in Bolton and then went on to Manchester Metropolitan University to study ceramics, where I obtained my BA Hons in Three-Dimensional design (Ceramics).

For over 15 years I put my love of ceramics on the backburner and lost touch with art in general as life as a manager in the medical regulation industry took over and it’s only recently and since becoming a parent with very active and inquisitive children that I’ve had the time to reflect and rediscover my love for clay, and ceramics /pottery again.

The magic of pottery - The thing I most love about clay is that it’s such a unique medium and it asks to be touched, pinched, poked, twisted and rolled. Pottery is a wonderful way of helping children to develop both fine and major motor skills. There is nothing more amazing than watching your child’s face when they realise the effect they have on the clay as it responds to their touch and manipulation, to them it’s like watching a magic trick!

Fun is at the heart of what we do - I have developed my children’s pottery classes with fun and experimentation at the heart of what I do. This is so that children can learn the simple art of creating with clay in an environment where there is total freedom to explore without any structure or pressure. Children are encouraged to use their imagination and hands to create and initiate play and to not worry about the ‘finished product’.

Classes are aimed at preschool children (usually aged 1-4 years old) but older children can enjoy them too.

I use air drying clay which is child friendly and provides a great introduction to the wonderful world of ceramics.

Hello my name is Michelle Tierney, I thought I’d share a little bit about me and the background of my new venture ‘Anything but Gray’ children’s pottery classes. I’m a busy working mother to two beautiful and very special little girls, Penelope and Annabelle and I’m very lucky to have a husband who supports and encourages me to follow my dreams.

Having recently returned to work after a second spell of maternity leave I’ve had a strong desire to find something ‘else’ for me, something that I can get excited and passionate about away from my family and work which leads to me where I am right now.

Inspired by my children’s love for trying new things and having exhausted pretty much every club, class and session in the area I decided that actually I had the answer to a new and exciting experience for children by going back to my creative roots. I found myself revisiting and rediscovering ways that I enjoyed learning and getting creative in the past and pottery /ceramics felt like a natural choice for me. My love for pottery and art started at an early age. I attended Canon Slade School and sixth form college in Bolton and then went on to Manchester Metropolitan University to study ceramics, where I obtained my BA Hons in Three-Dimensional design (Ceramics).

For over 15 years I put my love of ceramics on the backburner and lost touch with art in general as life as a manager in the medical regulation industry took over and it’s only recently and since becoming a parent with very active and inquisitive children that I’ve had the time to reflect and rediscover my love for clay, and ceramics /pottery again.

The magic of pottery - The thing I most love about clay is that it’s such a unique medium and it asks to be touched, pinched, poked, twisted and rolled. Pottery is a wonderful way of helping children to develop both fine and major motor skills. There is nothing more amazing than watching your child’s face when they realise the effect they have on the clay as it responds to their touch and manipulation, to them it’s like watching a magic trick!

Fun is at the heart of what we do - I have developed my children’s pottery classes with fun and experimentation at the heart of what I do. This is so that children can learn the simple art of creating with clay in an environment where there is total freedom to explore without any structure or pressure. Children are encouraged to use their imagination and hands to create and initiate play and to not worry about the ‘finished product’.

Classes are aimed at preschool children (usually aged 1-4 years old) but older children can enjoy them too.

I use air drying clay which is child friendly and provides a great introduction to the wonderful world of ceramics.