Shaping More Than Clay: Orange County Ceramics Studios Build Community

There’s something special about creating something new, entirely from scratch. And it’s even better when you get to do it with your own hands.

From taking your first lump of clay and shaping it to the moment your finished piece emerges from the kiln, the process of making ceramics is deeply personal yet surprisingly communal. In pottery studios throughout Orange County, locals are building their own network of people seeking creative outlets. In addition to creating something new, they’re fostering connection and new relationships, sharing ideas and cultivating a sense of belonging that many don’t get from their 9-to-5 jobs. Although you may stop in expecting to take a hands-on art class or try a new hobby, you’ll likely experience something more, as creativity and community take shape.

ARTime Barro

In a place as fast-paced as Orange County, it’s easy to feel like creativity and connection are stifled. Between long workdays, endless traffic on the freeway and crowds of people wherever you wander, the tranquility that stems from embracing art can feel worlds away, despite the many music venues, performing arts stages, artist galleries, museums and hands-on studios that fill the region.

Over the last few years, since launching her first location in Laguna Beach with her mom in 2020 (and a second O.C. location in Costa Mesa’s The Camp the following year), ARTime Barro founder Nicole Peredo has made a concentrated effort to bridge this gap. Like many other O.C. studios, classes delve into the creation of something new. But ARTime Barro also incorporates mental health components that are often implied at other studios, but not necessarily expressed. Elements of wellness such as meditation and creative journaling enhance the experience, but Peredo has found that even the act of creating pottery has calming properties.

“Ceramics is an art form that is intuitive to all people, as it’s one of the oldest art forms in existence,” she said. “Learning how to use your hands and touching earth grounds you, is therapeutic and allows you to bring 2D ideas into 3D …. It’s a Zen creative process that allows you to focus, relax and make pieces that you can take and use at home.”

Options abound, allowing those interested in trying a new, hands-on art form to learn the basics during one-time Awaken classes or set up ongoing sessions, called Grasp, to turn a fascination into a full-fledged hobby. The Refine open-studio membership is also available for those who don’t need instruction and just want to practice the medium, rounding out the offerings for all skill levels.

“We teach in small groups so students feel they are getting lots of attention,” Peredo said. “We teach newcomers to be independent from the very beginning and that making mistakes is essential.”

While you’d expect art lovers and creative types at ARTime Barro, Peredo said that many of the members who frequent the studio work in technology or business-focused jobs – often remotely. After spending most of their time alone throughout the day, they turn to ceramics to find peace outside of the corporate world. “These are the people that need a hobby and to be away from screens and in (a) creative community the most,” she said. “People come for the clay and stay for the community.”

One thing that Peredo finds especially intriguing about ceramics in general is the fact that it combines the basic building blocks of the natural world throughout the journey. “You are using all elements of life: earth, water, fire and air,” she said. “It’s a grounding process.”

Mud Hen Clay and Art Studio

While many think that ceramics is about absolute perfection, Mud Hen Clay and Art Studio owner and instructor Jennifer Kelly believes that embracing imperfections is what leads to the deep enjoyment that often stems from this art form.

“Everyone learns differently, so our instructors adjust their teaching to each student,” Kelly said. “We want people to leave feeling successful, even if it’s their very first time touching clay. Most importantly, we work hard to create an environment where it’s okay to laugh at the wobbly bowls.”

People from all walks of life visit the Tustin art studio, which opened in 2019 and has flourished ever since. Engineers, teachers, teenagers, couples on date nights and complete beginners have all walked through the doors, eager to create something that can’t be replicated. 

“Our goal has always been to create more than a place where people make pottery,” Kelly said. “We want Mud Hen to be a welcoming gathering place where people feel comfortable walking in, whether they’re experienced artists or complete beginners. We’ve watched families make pottery together, coworkers connect outside the office, homeschool groups build friendships and individuals find a creative outlet during difficult seasons of life. It’s incredibly rewarding to see people discover not just ceramics, but a community they want to be part of.”

All of the clay, tools and equipment are provided, with step-by-step instruction and education on drying, glazing and firing all part of the process. One-time pottery classes are joined by a diverse lineup that includes handbuilding workshops, date-night events, family classes, team-building experiences and paint-your-own pottery sessions with no assembly required. Monthly series also allow both kids and adults to return over a span of time, building new skills that can help turn pottery into a long-term hobby.

But for Kelly, working with ceramics over the last 20 years has taught her more than how to create a mug or vase. Rather, working with clay has taught her problem-solving skills, patience, resilience and flexibility, which can all be crucial tools when navigating everyday situations. “If something doesn’t go exactly as planned, you learn to adapt and often end up creating something even better than what you imagined,” she said. “It has endless possibilities, which is one of the reasons I never get tired of it.”

As at ARTime Barro, the feeling of connection and the importance of embracing your creativity come to life in bold ways at Mud Hen Clay and Art Studio. “People spend so much of their lives behind screens that they’re craving experiences that feel real and tangible,” Kelly said. “Clay gives people permission to disconnect, be present and create something that didn’t exist before they walked in. I also think people are looking for meaningful ways to spend time together. Instead of simply meeting for dinner, they’re choosing experiences where they make memories while making something with their hands.”

Olomana Studios

Slowing down is all part of the process at the Irvine-based Olomana Studios – something that attracted co-owner Christina Jin to the medium in the first place. “Clay requires your attention, but it is also forgiving and open-ended,” she said. “For many people, the appeal is not only the finished piece. It is the experience of being present, learning through touch and stepping away from screens and daily responsibilities for a little while.”

Calling it “relaxing, playful, challenging and deeply satisfying all at once,” Jin discovered that ceramics was an important creative outlet for her and found her footing in the art world by opening the studio in 2025. Artistic types can stop in for one-time classes that introduce both wheel throwing and handbuilding as well as workshops where they can create their own matcha bowl – an offering unique to Olomana Studios. A four-week wheel-throwing program is also available for those looking to build their skills gradually while kids and family classes, summer camps and private group events are also offered.

While you can form a piece in a day, there are many steps that go into the finished product – something that many don’t realize when signing up for a ceramics class. But to Jin, this complicated technique is what makes the experience so satisfying. “A piece must be formed, dried, trimmed or refined, fired, glazed and fired again,” she said. “The transformation from soft clay to a finished ceramic object takes time and that makes the final result feel especially meaningful.”

This knowledge allows budding artists to feel more at home when practicing the medium, with Olamana Studios aiming to create an environment where beginners are comfortable asking questions and experimenting along the way. “There is no expectation that a first piece needs to be perfect,” Jin said. “We focus on helping students understand the material, enjoy the process and leave feeling proud that they made something with their own hands.”

It’s a clear contrast to digital life, where next to nothing is natural and handmade. Plus, designing things like bowls, cups, plates or vases that can be used in everyday life extends the experience long after you’ve left the studio. And the sense of community around shared interests is one that’s hard to find as society turns more and more toward digitally driven moments.

“Ceramics naturally creates community because people spend time together over several weeks while taking classes together,” Jin said. “There is conversation, shared frustration, encouragement and excitement when a piece finally comes out of the kiln.”

Hello Pottery

Not everyone wants to hop on the pottery wheel and get their hands dirty in the clay. But Orange County offers something for everyone, thanks to Hello Pottery’s ceramics painting studio – and the sense of community here can run just as deep.

These workshops, located in Irvine’s Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center and the Brea Mall, invite visitors to try fluid art, mosaics and cream glue adornment to personalize items like phone cases or trinket boxes. But most of its clientele stops by for the bisque pottery. Shelves line the walls, filled with greenware pieces that guests can select to paint. You’ll choose from decorative figurines of beloved characters, functional items like plates and mugs, small boxes, sauce bowls and more.

After you’ve selected your piece, you’ll be directed to a table where you can peruse a color sheet to determine which paints you’ll use. Then, following the instructions of the employees, you’ll layer paint on your piece. When it’s finished, you leave it behind, ready to get fired in the kiln before returning to pick it up a few weeks later.

Bring your friends along to spend time together and make memories or connect with others in the studio for new ideas. This welcoming space encourages those of all ages and skill levels to explore the world of pottery without any pressure attached for a stress-free way to get your hands dirty and create something that you’ll use and love for years to come – no strings attached.

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