Alright. I don't know if Jeff is the man or not we didn't get too distracted from the wheel. I booked a class at Art Wheel for a weekday afternoon. When I showed up I was pleasantly surprised by the space, and the outdoor studio vibe. I was quickly driven to the various pottery he had laying around. He quickly instructed me and another student on how things would work. We started working on the wheel as he quickly moved through wheel throwing and techniques. I took a beginner class. I'm a true beginner (never done this before) I would NOT recommend his beginner classes to true beginners. It's not something that you can just figure out. And, if the instructor has a lot of experience (as he does) they don't always know how to slow down and or give clear instructions. Nothing against Jeff and his M.O. I simply wouldn't take his class again. I felt ignored in his class. For a long moment he was talking directly to the other student (she had significant more experience than me) and completely disregarding me. You really shouldn't be teaching a beginner class if its easier for you to teach advanced students. We are paying the same amount of money as the advanced students, and you are given them more of your time (when in fact they need less of your time). Sure, your job might be more fun, teaching advanced students. So you have to think about that as a business owner. I had to speak up and say "Hey! You are speaking directly to her, there are two of us here, we paid the same amount of money to be here!" he redirected his approach-ish. Not all artists are good teachers. Not all good teachers are artists (thank god). This instructor is not for me. On a positive note, he has an immense collection of pottery which has been created by him and or left behind by students. I mean this man could open a store. I bought a beautiful bowl that I use daily for my ceremonial matcha. It's so beautiful and I do thank him for that! read more

Good one time experience and I would recommend only if you purchase a Groupon with an extra promo or sale along with it. The instructor did his best to assist and accommodate all of us, but he is definitely not a people person and wasn't the best instructor. Often times when a student would ask for help, instead of instructing, he would just take over for the student, which would frustrate them, considering we did pay to learn. Jeff informed us that coloring/firing our projects would be a few weeks but we didn't get an email about the projects being ready for pick up until a month later. When I arrived, all of the pieces were shoved into a big bucket and I had to go through the entire bucket and dig for my pieces, which contained pieces from several different dates. When I got to the bottom of the bucket, I noticed pieces that were broken in half! I think it would be helpful if pieces are separated by date and if there is a better system where the pieces or organized piece by piece, and not stacked all over on top of each other. If people aren't careful while digging through the bucket, your pieces could break before you even pick them up! The finish on our pieces are okay, slightly better than expected. But there was white paint all over one of my black pieces. I read from previous reviews that if you wanted to color/fire your pieces, you had to pay $3 each, which is terrible. But, we were able to color/fire 2 pieces that were included, and each extra piece after that was $3, which is completely fair. Overall, I'm happy I made the decision to take this class and would recommend. read more

Art Wheel Studio - An ash tray, two bowls, and an abstract pencil holder? - Art Galleries Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

See all

We did a field trip for a group of homeschooled students. Jeff was great with all the kids and did a demo of how a pottery wheel is used. We then did an activity of creating a 3D tile. The students and parents all had a great time with this experience. We are very thankful Jeff! Thanks again for having us. read more

Just came here 6/10/2017 and had a lovely time throwing clay with Jeff for our first class. We originally misread the time the first time we scheduled and by the time we were left the house, we were going to be late by a hour. Understandably enough we each got charged the $10. Of course we rescheduled. When we arrived here, this time ensuring that we judged the drive to the place, I understood why - as the clay's prepared and there are seats for a selected amount of people, and he scheduled the time out of his day to teach those of us that are interested in trying it out. It's the same as if you made plans with a friend, and you bail out last minute - that's pretty disappointing no? Jeff showed us the basics of centering the clay after we rolled them into balls and then came around to help everyone. Then we just got to play around. We being - me and Liang and another couple who I'll label as M squared since both of their names began with M's. He gave us the tutorial of making a cup - making it long and then on another a bowl. One of the things is...you're not going to be a expert throw pottery person after the 2 hours - don't expect that. Learning is a process, and practice is a huge part of it. The basics will take a while to get down as each person's different. By the end of it, it was just a fun time exploring what we can do with our hands - and what came out of it (or what was salvaged haha). You can keep whatever you make as decorative - for those 2 hours, or have Jeff glaze and fire it for an extra $5 to pick up later. For anyone that's a long drive away, he can also ship your pieces. I made a cup that I'll be drinking out of, while Liang made his special sake cup/drinking cup. I didn't have time to do others as I did mess up on one or two. Liang made a decorative ...small vase (?) which was his first creation, an ash tray or could be a coaster and last but not least the special drinking cup. M squared also got theirs glazed as well. We even get to request what color to have it or as Artist's Choice. I would love to try it again, however Imperial Beach is a slight drive away from Poway...so maybe once in a blue moon. The area definitely was a place to let your artsy side out and perfect for playing with clay. The two hour throwing class is also outside but thankfully out of the sun's view. He has other classes if anyone was interested in continuing on or trying anything else. He's been open since 2010 (if I remember correctly) but that's also when all that mortgage crisis was going on, so his business has been blooming not too long ago. I had found out about this place from Groupon and it was on my bucket list to try a lot of things - which I can now cross pottery off of. If you do plan to try out the 2 hour class for throwing pottery, make sure to redeem the Groupon with him (if you buy it and reserve your spot in class) that same day you see him so he gets paid! Groupon was his way in getting the Art Wheel's name out. And of course Jeff gives pretty good instructions on a email before we even got there on what to wear - basically clothes you don't mind getting dirty and for girl to tie up their hair so nothing get in their face. It's definitely a place where you'll get some mud on yourself while playing around. Thanks for the fun time Jeff! Can't wait for our pieces to be glazed and fired up in the next couple of weeks! read more

See all

10 out of 10 recommend taking the intro class with Jeff! Very good teacher and has a very neat spot to work. It was a super fun experience! I can't wait to do it again! He even sells a lot of his own personal creations which are amazing! Make sure to ask lots of questions! He is super nice, great educator, and an open book! read more

Art Wheel Studio - Art Galleries Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

See all

Anyone who wrote a bad review is a Karen and a half. Jeff's the man - Had a blast. Well educated, witty sense of humor, and a just a big teddy bear that loves what he does. Thanks Jeff! We'll be back soon! read more

yeah, no. pros: - you get to take home to already made bowls if you can't successfully make anything (like me, lol) cons: - i took pretty close to nothing away from the class - you can't use the bathroom there "due to covid" but what you can do is give them your $$ to attend a class (despite covid) and walk all the way to the IB pier to use the restroom mid-class i went with a date to the 2-hr intro class. upon walking up, my date and i felt that the energy of the owner was off but, we ignored it because class was already paid for + we just got there, let's just see how it goes. the second couple that would be attending class with us arrived (a white couple, they were lovely!) and from then on, the owner ONLY taught them. like, literally only looked at them while instructing or speaking. every so often, he'd remember that we were there, would briefly look over to us and then resume teaching the other couple. this is not to necessarily to say he's racist -- because i can't dictate that. this is simply to say, he paid little to no mind to two paying customers and thought that sh!t would fly. i wouldn't personally recommend this place but it is a small business so if you're looking to support one, try at your own risk. i personally will not be back. read more

Attended a class with my sister and niece. It was a beautiful day so enjoyed being outside trying our best to sculpt a bowl. However, I noticed there was no organization regarding our finished products. We put them on a table with no markings whatsoever. We were never contacted to pick up our finished pieces or directed to reach out to them to pick up our product. read more

I bought a package as a gift for my partner and I. We did date night class, using clay and a wheel. It turned out to be a wonderful experience. I highly recommend the date night class with someone you love. read more

My friends an I attended a pottery lesson at art wheel a few weeks back. I would say the experience was mediocre. The only reason I am giving three starts is because Jeff ( instructed ) created a special class for us when we called to make reservations. The instructions in the class were not clear. Jeff starts off explaining how you center the clay on the wheel ( which is the most important step ), and then goes off on a 20 min long instruction rant that no human can follow..... he actually acknowledges that in class ..... questions is , why do it??? . I think it would be better if he just focused on how to make one item - just one bowl in the first class. Despite the poor instructions I managed to make a cup and a saucer. Now he tells us that we need to pay him to bake the stuff we made. What is the point of making a pot of you can't bake and take it home !!!! .... anyways, we payed him. He took down our info and asked us to come back in 3 weeks. I called him in three weeks and made an appointment for pickup. I go to the studio and he points me to a pile of about 50 or so items and asks me to find the stuff that we made in class. This is what pissed me off the most. He could have at least segregated the items based on date (class). I finally found my cup and saucer. The paint/ finish on the saucer was uneven, I asked him if that was his quality of workmanship. He said he can re finish it, but it will take three more weeks. If you are really interested in pottery Balboa park Spanish village offers pottery classes too. The folks there are much more professional. read more

Art Wheel Studio - My cup! - Art Galleries Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

See all

I ordered a few custom pieces here and they turned out soooo good! He did them fast and the quality was really good. Will for sure order more pieces in the future. Thank you! read more

Had an awesome evening! We learned a lot and had so much fun. Definitely great if you want to learn a little about the art of pottery and also get a little dirty and make a few pots yourself. The Instructor was great, super funny and informative, highly recommend. read more

We called to make sure that the Groupon was valid before purchasing since it said (Valid Saturday and Sunday). One the phone he was pretty rude even though he confirmed weekends were valid. He hurried us off the phone and told us to just text him or email him even though we were on the phone already. (By the way previous reviewers also talk about his tone as quoted here by another yelper............("He instructed them with a condescending tone. I don't know if it's just him, but he also sounds like that on the phone."-Viviana Y.) Anyways after he got back to us after confirming weekends were fine he changed his answer and said Sunday would not apply because its Mothers Day...it only says in the fine print not valid on "FEDERAL" HOLIDAYS which Mothers Day is not (will include picture). This is my first Mothers Day and we wanted to do something special for the first one! I totally understand if companies can not accept Groupons on certain holidays but it should be included in the print, and it should be honored if it does not say anything on the print. I guess we could have gone another day and celebrated later but why would we do that and give money to a company with poor customer service skills. No thanks...we canceled the Groupon and will be going somewhere else this Sunday for my first Mothers Day :) EDITED****** The owner tried to explain what happened in the comment as if I was the one who got it wrong but really did not explain anything... Here is my reply to his comment below: You just proved that you changed your story when you wrote that you said "yes" to May 13 but then later said no to Mothers day which is in fact on May 13th...How is that not changing story? Also, you tried to say in your comment that you make holidays clear when in fact you did not? Did not say Mothers Day on there and I included a picture?.... If we had the opportunity to judge you on the actual service and not based off phone conversations and booking problems that would have been nice, but we did not get that opportunity. In that case, this is why we had to judge you off of the experience that we received. You are basically saying that first impressions shouldn't be judged...hmm first impressions are everything in the service industries my friend. Confused by your comment even more because it did not explain any of the negative parts of the experience that my review was about. read more

Art Wheel Studio - Fine print only saying not valid on FEDERAL holidays. Says nothing about Mothers Day which is not a federal holiday!!! - Art Galleries Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

My friend and I both went to the 2 hour intro class and had a great time! The instructor knew a lot about ceramics and was happy to pass on tips. read more

Not the best experience. I went here with my boyfriend for his birthday and it was not the best experience. We still had a good time because it was our first time ever working with pottery which has been a dream of ours, and getting to work with it at all was exciting to say the least, but, in my opinion, unfortunately (Jeff) the instructor was not the best teacher. He didn't really explain how you were supposed to position your hands to work with the tools and clay itself, and instead just sort of showed you with his own hands without explaining where he was actually positioning each of his fingers each time you asked. He also walks off a lot to kind of do his own thing while leaving you there to try your best with the clay, which wasn't all bad, but personally I prefer a teacher that is more attentive and closely watches the process instead of having to be called over for assistance every time you need it. I take less of an issue with being left to figure out the physical molding of the clay and more of an issue with the disorganization of the pottery afterward. We returned for our pottery several weeks after our initial class and he ended up letting someone take the small dish I made because he didn't organize properly and "believed them when they said it was theirs," which was disappointing at best. He apologized and offered me one of the many finished pots from the pieces he had laid out, but I came to pick up what I had made, not some random pot that he or someone else made. It's not that big of a deal, I bought my own pottery wheel since I enjoyed the experience of working with clay so much, and I'm sure I'll make many more things on my own, it was just kind of a let down. Though I'm glad for the experience, when booking the class I was told that we would get to keep what we made, and not that what we made would be given away because he would fail to keep track of who's pottery he's finished. Overall there's a large element of disorganization to the way he does things which isn't something I look for in a teacher, and I'm just especially disappointed that he let someone take what I made. I had been looking forward to picking it up for weeks, which is just a bummer--for lack of better wording. He also used a used mask to wipe the pottery wheel that the girl in front of me was using You should have seen her face. I appreciate the initial instruction but I don't think I'll be returning for lessons here in the future. read more

I haven't thrown pottery since high school so I was super excited to get back on the wheel so to speak! Jeff, the owner runs a very efficient class -- we had a two hour beginner class, 8 or 9 of us in total. Everyone had a wheel which we sat at after a quick orientation and having gotten our four clay mounds. Jeff made it clear that we could all go at our own speed. He showed us the basics of centering the clay and cake around to help everyone. He did a quick tutorial of how to make a cup and then a bowl -- showed us the basics and then just let us play around. He was very good about coming around and telling us to holler if we needed help. You can keep what you make as is (decorative) or have Jeff glaze and fire it for an extra $5 to pick up later (in a couple of weeks ... for tourists, he can also ship your pieces). Excited to go back and try more complex projects -- thanks Jeff! read more

Art Wheel Studio - Art Galleries Near Me - Imperial Beach, California

See all

I took the 8 week wheel class at this studio. I think the novelty of this studio is the two hour workshop class where you can come and test out pottery and see if you like it. The 8 week class is terrible. He spends most of his time with the two hour workshop group and largely ignores the group working on the 8 week class. On occasion, there were no others attending for two hour workshop classes and so he took this time to do his laundry, make dinner, run errands and/or clean up the studio. When he did take the time to observe what we were doing, he did sometimes have good suggestions for improvement. There are nine wheels, most of which are in varying stages of disrepair. We were issued 3.5-5lbs of cheap clay at the beginning of the session and told we would have to buy more if we wanted more. (1$ per pound). The studio has a grand total of 6 glazes. I don't particularly care for any of them. This man has to be the single most disorganized person I've ever encountered. He never seems to know when he is supposed to have a class and was surprised that we were there on more than one occasion. When people came to pick up their pottery from other classes, he rarely helped sift through the mountain of pots to show them where theirs were. He couldn't tell them if their pots were even finished or not sometimes. He could never find his own tools. Throughout the class, our pots were never fired so that we could see how we were progressing. We had to return on multiple occasions to glaze because he had not fired the kiln yet. If you already know what you are doing and are just looking for a place to throw, it's not bad. The studio is outdoors and its ocean adjacent, so it's very temperate. He plays music and the atmosphere is nice. Parking is on the street, but not hard to find unless it's a sunny day (in San Diego). The classes are scheduled for 2 hours, but he's pretty flexible if you wanted to show up a little early or late, he would probably let you. It took almost 4 months to get out pots from the start of our 8 week class. Here's a list of excuses I recall hearing for why our pots hadn't been fired. It rained a week ago I was sick I had to redo my kitchen I had to go grocery shopping The restaurant down the street was under staffed and so I couldn't eat and my blood glucose was low There weren't enough pots There were too many pots I was out of town My son was graduating I had to bring my son somewhere My wife wanted me to make dinner and do laundry I couldn't load the kiln I couldn't unload the kiln read more

We attended our first class and thoroughly enjoyed Jeff and the class. We bought a deal on another site which had some harsh reviews so we were a bit skeptical. I think it's a shame how much consumers demand. Jeff is a real artist and not some cookie cutter franchise. He does all his own booking, payments, set up, teaching, and clean up. For all of the instant gratification jokers, this is what business used to look like before McDonalds and Walmart put other people out of business. Enjoy the experience. Go in with an open mind and no expectations and you will have a great time. read more

Jeff was an amazing instructor and very patient with questions. Going in with an open mind and understanding that you are not going to be a pro after your first class. It was nice to get the basics and all the reasons to come back. Jeff let us stay a little later to help decorate and made sure everyone was taken care of before leaving. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for an experience! read more

My friend and I had a really good time. This class was slightly hard but alot of fun and the teacher was great.

My Husband bought an experience to Art Wheel Studio for my birthday Our money was completely wasted.....This experience was awful, Jeff was a terrible teacher. He gave a lecture and then basically left us on our own to be extremely frustrated with the entire experience. Instead of helping us he just kept saying.....your not going o learn in one lesson...keep trying, put another ball of clay on. Never once did he come over and actually watch what we were doing and suggest changes we could make to at least ease our frustration. He spent the entire class cleaning his yard, drinking tea and making his own pots on his own wheel. Very disappointing "class". To make matters worse is operating a business, making money but would not allow us to use the restroom because of " covid restrictions" I am unaware of ANY business that cant allow their customers that are paying good money to use the restroom...Horrible experience I think you should vet these people a bit more carefully...this makes me NOT want to use Virgin experiences again, I am angry that we not only wasted our money but our time!!! We actually left early because it was so awful. read more

I purchased a month of classes for a neighbor's 13 year old child. She was interested in learning to throw pots on a wheel. When it rained, there was an indoor place to work. Since I'm not familiar with this kind of training, I have nothing to compare it to. She was throwing small pots soon after she began. I'd say that's a really good return. I plan to keep her in classes until she decides she's bored and wants to move on. I certainly recommend Jeff's school. Alta Renton read more

Had a lot of fun attending my very first pottery class. Jeff was quite helpful with his instructions and was very attentive to everyone in the class. read more

My daughter and I used a Groupon and had a great experience. We picked up our bowls a few weeks later and were thrilled with our cute little bowls . read more

I bought a groupon for a 2 hour ceramic class. It was amazing! Jeff was so helpful and very patient! My niece and I had a relaxing time doing the class, it was also our first time in a ceramic class. I wasn't expecting to make a masterpiece on our first visit, but I was able to make a cup, and my niece made a bowl. I plan on coming here more often. It's a great hobby to pick up! read more

So much fun with my wife for a Saturday date! I used to do ceramic in school so it was really fun to do again. Jeff is a great thorough teacher. Excellent idea for a first date as a great ice breaker or even if you're married a date night . highly recommended and affordable read more

We had a great time learning pottery for the first time. It was a fun experience, more challenging than we expected. We realized 2 hour session was not enough. We had a group of 8 and that was too many to get quality lesson. An hour was spent on watching and an hour of pottery. I would recommend getting more hours because 2 hours would not be enough for a large group of 8. read more

Jeff is a great Sherpa for all things clay. The learning\work environment is both functional and welcoming. Great vibe, great value!

Attended a 2 hour class with Jeff and several other first timers. Jeff is an artist, and a teacher. He had incredible patience and a sense of humor when trying to teach me . Great vibe and outdoor studio. With Jeff's help I made a small cup and bowl and look forward to taking them home. Thanks Jeff! read more

I've been taking weekly ceramics lessons at Art Wheel for over a year now, and I love it there! Jeff's a great teacher and really helps you turn your artistic vision into reality. Most students work at their own pace on projects of their own choosing, but we sometimes do group lessons as well. Hours and times are flexible. You can focus on hand building techniques or learn to use the wheel. Prices are very reasonable compared to other studios I've used, and you have access to an assortment of clays, glazes, paints, and tools for your projects. The location is quite nice as well, right by the Imperial Beach pier. When the weather's nice, we work outside in the studio's large covered patio garden area. It's a great place to explore your artistic side! read more

The location is only a hop skip and a jump from the beach in a relaxed tropical setting with excellent instruction from Jeff and mellow vibe, I made a really cool coffee mug, breakfast bowl and artistic serving dish that my friends admire. I'm looking forward to more fun creations like a teapot and matching cups in the near future. If you're interested in learning and or expanding your ceramic talents then Art Wheel is the place to go. read more

Great teacher! No nonsense, just go in with an open mind and learn. This was only the second time I have attempted throwing. I felt well guided, he left me alone to figure things out when he felt I had a handle on things and popped in and gave me pointers when he saw I was doing something wrong. I will deffinatly be back! read more

This is a hidden gem in IB, it has a quiet yet creative environment with a lot great clay pieces done by Jeff and other artists who work at his studio. Jeff is very accommodating and he is willing to work with you to ensure you get the most out of your time. You may even surprise your self with the path you chose like I did. I have thrown for years but when I saw Jeff's masterpiece which is on display at his studio, I was inspired and imagined the possibilities. I've enjoyed the creative process and making it personal. read more

Great class! It was really hands on and Jeff was really helpful with beginners like me!

Took the 2-hour wheel workshop and loved it. I've never used a pottery wheel and Jeff's instructions and demonstrations were so helpful. Definitely cut your nails ladies as it will make everything easier. The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because the whole thing is a little disorganized. Jeff breaks the process into three steps but each step contains a lot of information. Wish he has broken it down a little more so we could have followed along. Overall I would definitely recommend. Keep in mind that it takes about 4 weeks (hopefully) to get your pot fired. read more

Absolutely terrible experience. The owner/teacher is incredibly rude to his customers. We were gifted a "date night" groupon, which was supposed to include wine glasses. He didn't give us those at all. More importantly, he had the worst attitude. I should've read the reviews more thoroughly because there are plenty of people who have said this exact same thing. We could barely ask questions because anytime we would, he would roll his eyes and yell at us for not knowing the correct way to work with clay. Instead of showing us how to create something step by step and then have us do it during each step, he would just go through the WHOLE process very rapidly. When it was our turn to try it, and if we didn't understand a certain part, he would get mad at us and just do it for us. It was the worst kind of teaching, with the most demeaning and rude demeanor. Once he was finished, he told all the guests to not to write a bad review because he's had that happen plenty of times. He told us he would have our pieces finished in 2-3 weeks. We got an email they were finished 2 months later. Absolutely ridiculous. read more

This place is definitely a quaint and charming shop! You wouldn't see it if you're driving around Imperial Beach. It's very personable, private and a lot of fun if you're looking for pottery classes. The class I went to wasn't too big so we were able to get direct attention from the instructor and owner, Jeff. He was very accommodating to our schedule. I bought my class tickets from Groupon and had to reschedule last minute, but Jeff was able to work with us. We appreciated it greatly. The pottery classes are a lot of fun and useful. I'd recommend this place as a weekend activity. read more

I attended two pottery lessons with my teenage daughter this summer. We were complete novices, but Jeff was great at explaining and demonstrating techniques. We threw some pots on the wheel, and did some hand sculpting. The studio is very pleasant; we worked outside under an awning and were able to enjoy the fresh air and warm temperatures. The other students were friendly and shared some of their ideas and art, too. read more

We used a Groupon for his two hour wheel throwing class for our anniversary. We were paired with a lovely couple for the class. I was the only one with prior experience in my group for wheel throwing and I noticed a few reviews talking about the tone of voice and lack of customer service 'expertise' but I kinda just got over it. We only had so much clay allotted to each of us which for me seemed like a very little amount, less than 2 pounds each for 2 hour class but whatever. He was good at one on one instruction which was helpful for such a small class. I wasn't in a very big rush for my pottery but when I picked them up after we paid 5$ each extra to have them glazed, they were blotchy, spots that are missing glaze, very uneven and on EVERY SINGLE ONE of our pots, the glaze stopped 3/4ths of the way down the pots so there's white clay exposed in a big ring around them. It doesn't look very good at all. Despite the fact that we were unable to clean up the unevenness of the clay after throwing them, the glaze almost makes them look even worse. I had a good time spending time with my husband but I definitely would not go back. read more

See all

I just started taking this class with my 7 year old son, it is the most amazing class I have ever taken. He is really good with kids and adults and will make sure your projects are interesting for all ages. I would recommend this class for everyone, you wont be disappointed. read more