Human Expression, Meet Clay
We’re a studio for people who want to explore creativity without pressure or pretense. Whether you’re new to ceramics or deeply rooted in your practice, all are welcome here.
Born from Two Decades of Working with Clay
Personal Ceramics is Randy Person’s vision of how art can inspire community. Located in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone—an energetic hub for art and culture—the studio offers a space to reconnect with the passions that often emerge through making.
In the studio, regardless of experience, we provide room to learn, explore, and follow curiosity wherever it leads. As we celebrate what we create, we remember that the real magic lives in the process of shaping earth into art that may be beautiful, quirky, or unexpected—art that is Personal.
Our Offerings
Designed with flexibility and accessibility in mind, Personal Ceramics offers experiences that support both self-directed practice and guided, communal learning.
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Our lessons include one-day classes, Clay Nights, a variety of workshops, and private lessons. During your lesson, instructors will demonstrate the basic steps for your throwing or hand-building class, and provide hands on guidance as you make your art. After class, our instructors trim, fire, and glaze your pieces, which will be ready for pickup in 3–5 weeks.
Show up as you are—we provide all the materials you’ll need. Just bring your curiosity, explore your artistic expression, and create alongside others.
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For those seeking more structured time with clay, our multi-week courses offer an intentional, immersive experience. You’ll learn how to transform a simple lump of clay into a finished creation—from wedging and forming to trimming and glazing.
A guided curriculum and thoughtfully designed projects support skill development without sacrificing wonder or personal expression. Each technique becomes a tool for creativity, expanding both your artistic voice.
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Studio Use is designed for those seeking independent work time in the studio within a shared, creative environment. Current offerings include Open Studio hours and Figure Drawing sessions. Studio access includes use of throwing wheels, hand-building tables, and shared tools.
Whether you’re carving out quiet time with clay or creating alongside others, the studio is a place to settle in, experiment, and grow your practice.
As Personal Ceramics continues to evolve, our Studio Use options will expand in response to the needs and ideas of our community. We welcome and encourage suggestions for future offerings.
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Personal Ceramics facilitates events designed around your vision. Whether you’re planning a celebration, team gathering, or creative experience, we collaborate with you to shape an event that fits your goals, timeline, and group.
Private events can be customized to include guided instruction, open making time, or a blend of both, and are suited for a wide range of experience levels. We provide the studio space, materials, and facilitation—so you and your guests can focus on creating, connecting, and enjoying the process.
Behind Personal Ceramics
Our studio features eleven throwing wheels, a hand-building table, a slab roller, a glaze station with mid-fire glazes, and two electric kilns—everything you need to make something with your own personal touch. With our attention on art, people, and the cultivation of meaningful moments, Personal Ceramics is a marriage of function and comfort: a place where exploring something new feels as familiar as being at home.
If bringing individuals together is our gift, spending that time making is the bow on top. Come as you are, and leave filled by all that art and community have to offer.
An Intersection of Expression and Clay
Come as you are and build what’s personal—your style, your story, your way of making.