I would like to start doing some pottery and clay work but....

You might be interested in doing polymer clay instead of earth/ceramic clay. it is not generally thrown on a wheel (though it can be in some cases), but it has been used quite successfully to make larger items like vases, bowls, boxes, decorative slabs, etc., as well as the smaller items it is more known for. It can even be used as a veneer to cover really large items like furniture, etc.

Now ''air-dry'' clays of various types can be used to make lots of traditional pottery type things too. some of those clays will shrink though, & will break more easily than (the strong brands of) polymer clay--Premo, FimoClassic, Kato Polyclay, Cernit.

A kiln is not needed to cure polymer clay; it simply ''bakes'' in a home oven (or other unit) at a low temp for 30-60 minutes. Plus, it never dries out like air-dry clays do (and pottery clays).
Not many tools r needed to work with polymer clay either, & many polymer clayers work in very small spaces.
Also, of course, polymer clays come in colors! (which can be mixed together to create infinite variety), & all kinds of patterns can be created & fauxs with it too (simulating metal, wood, stone, jade, pearl, rock, coral, etc.).

If you'd like to check out polymer clay just in general, one good way would be to go to the Table of Contents page at my polymer clay ''encyclopedia'' where u can see an overview of all polymer clay can do. If u see a topic you'd like to investigate further (like making Vessels, or Baking, or creating Fauxs, etc, etc.), just click on the name of that page from the alphabetical navigation bar to the left side fo that page to go there & get loads of info, links to photos, etc., on that particular topic.


Diane B.

You have to find a space first and we do not know where you live. Do you have a patio or a spear room?