Ceramics and sustainable crafts by Sarah Muir-Smith
Sarah runs small group workshops on natural fibres and sustainable crafts, as well as wheel throwing courses in Naarm’s North with a focus on circular and regenerative design practices.
Take a look around for information on past exhibitions using “waste” as resource, peruse the web store (which is only periodically restocked) or get in touch for place-based collaborations, commissions or consultations!
Thank you to Tatanja from On Jackson St for these beautiful studio photos!
Click the tiles to shop.
Feedback from customers <3
Classes are intimate (there were only two people in my course), and personalised for each persons level of experience. The atmosphere is so welcoming and Sarah is a fantastic teacher - I've already completed beginners and intermediate, and I will be back for more! Thank you Sarah :)
Sarah created such a comfortable space to give the wheel a first try. The class size was really small and informal which really suited us, and was a great environment. Sarah imparted some really helpful information in a short amount of time and I think it was the best way of giving the wheel a go as a beginner. Thanks!
I very much enjoyed the 6-week wheel sessions with Sarah. Sarah was a great teacher and made me feel at ease in the class. With the class size being so small there was plenty of support available which was amazing as a beginner. Sarah was flexible in letting us make different things in the class and I was able to take home several creations at the end. Loved it!
Sarah was friendly and patient, helping us to go from zero knowledge through to being able to largely control what we were making! Being in a class of three meant I felt I got plenty of time, and the low pressure learning environment was perfect for letting my concentration build - the 2.5 hours absolutely flew by every week.
I came out with some really lovely bowls and mugs and can't wait to get stuck in again - please do some courses for intermediate students so I can come back again!
A clever and whimsical cup if there ever was one. Thank you Sarah!
We really enjoyed the 'try the wheel workshop' with Sarah. She is a very warm, patient and encouraging instructor, who made us feel welcome and at ease. She shared her professional skills and we learned a lot. The studio is a little oasis, and we feel the same sense of calm when we use or look at the pieces we brought home (which Sarah expertly dried, trimmed, fired and glazed for us). They are really beautiful and we feel proud of ourselves. We are hoping to return for a term course.
My child and I did have a very relaxing play with clay! Sarah was very warm and welcoming and we had a lot of fun.
Had the loveliest experience in a solo wheel workshop with Sarah this week. She was warm, friendly, funny, super passionate and knowledgeable, and made the class such a lovely experience for me. She was endlessly patient with my forgetful moments and a great hype man as well. Would love to do more classes in the future, and so excited to have been invited so warmly into the world of clay! (Also gorgeous studio space with tea and lovely art to look at- worth it just to sit in such a gorgeous space)
I came into the 6-week wheel course with no prior pottery or ceramics experience. I don't feel as though pottery came naturally to me, although Sarah's supportive guidance in my failures & small wins were all very much part of me learning the fundamental skills require to progress further. Despite not feeling as though I completed many items or objects, I felt a progression within the building of my skill set. I would definitely much prefer to be learning essential & fundamental skills (quality over quantity) to help me progress further in the future. I also thoroughly enjoyed myself throughout this course. Sarah's personality is very easygoing & fluid by nature which I found very helpful at times when I became frustrated at myself & this was conducive to the overall social interaction within the class. The ethos of 'Snakebird Designs' is something else I feel should be highly commended as the course itself, tools, consumables & materials used are done so with sustainability prioritised. The class times & availability made the process of enrolling into the course very accessible for me. The smaller class size was also a huge advantage to receiving guidance & one-on-one assistance which is imperative when starting out or wanting to really refine your skill set. I really look forward to enrolling into another one of these courses again in the near future.
6 week wheel course, Monday nights: April 24-May 29
Thank you Sarah! Eau Naturale is a perfect way to describe this beautiful planter. I love the pared back wabi sabi nature of your work. Looking forward to owning more Snakebird pieces!
My friends and I had the most lovely experience in this class! It was such a warm and welcoming environment to learn new skills in. Sarah was super knowledgeable, passionate, and patient with us all. Would highly recommend!! Thanks so much Sarah :)
I have been to other beginner pottery wheel workshops in the past and have found them to be too rushed and I've walked away without really grasping the techniques. Whereas Sarah's workshop was the perfect pace, informative and fun. I felt at ease with Sarah's teaching style.
With their joyous, approachable forms and functional nature, Snakebird Designs pieces call for celebration of the everyday. They are made to foster an appreciation of the quiet moments in your life.
Sarah runs Snakebird Designs independently, with sustainability and social justice as core principles that inform her business model. She uses local, found and waste materials in her practice wherever possible, and shares her love of crafts and ceramics by teaching pottery workshops and classes.
Follow along on instagram for beautiful photography, behind the scenes insights into the ceramic process and the occasional cat pic!
Feedback from customers <3
Classes are intimate (there were only two people in my course), and personalised for each persons level of experience. The atmosphere is so welcoming and Sarah is a fantastic teacher - I've already completed beginners and intermediate, and I will be back for more! Thank you Sarah :)
Sarah created such a comfortable space to give the wheel a first try. The class size was really small and informal which really suited us, and was a great environment. Sarah imparted some really helpful information in a short amount of time and I think it was the best way of giving the wheel a go as a beginner. Thanks!
I very much enjoyed the 6-week wheel sessions with Sarah. Sarah was a great teacher and made me feel at ease in the class. With the class size being so small there was plenty of support available which was amazing as a beginner. Sarah was flexible in letting us make different things in the class and I was able to take home several creations at the end. Loved it!
Sarah was friendly and patient, helping us to go from zero knowledge through to being able to largely control what we were making! Being in a class of three meant I felt I got plenty of time, and the low pressure learning environment was perfect for letting my concentration build - the 2.5 hours absolutely flew by every week.
I came out with some really lovely bowls and mugs and can't wait to get stuck in again - please do some courses for intermediate students so I can come back again!
A clever and whimsical cup if there ever was one. Thank you Sarah!
We really enjoyed the 'try the wheel workshop' with Sarah. She is a very warm, patient and encouraging instructor, who made us feel welcome and at ease. She shared her professional skills and we learned a lot. The studio is a little oasis, and we feel the same sense of calm when we use or look at the pieces we brought home (which Sarah expertly dried, trimmed, fired and glazed for us). They are really beautiful and we feel proud of ourselves. We are hoping to return for a term course.
My child and I did have a very relaxing play with clay! Sarah was very warm and welcoming and we had a lot of fun.
Had the loveliest experience in a solo wheel workshop with Sarah this week. She was warm, friendly, funny, super passionate and knowledgeable, and made the class such a lovely experience for me. She was endlessly patient with my forgetful moments and a great hype man as well. Would love to do more classes in the future, and so excited to have been invited so warmly into the world of clay! (Also gorgeous studio space with tea and lovely art to look at- worth it just to sit in such a gorgeous space)
I came into the 6-week wheel course with no prior pottery or ceramics experience. I don't feel as though pottery came naturally to me, although Sarah's supportive guidance in my failures & small wins were all very much part of me learning the fundamental skills require to progress further. Despite not feeling as though I completed many items or objects, I felt a progression within the building of my skill set. I would definitely much prefer to be learning essential & fundamental skills (quality over quantity) to help me progress further in the future. I also thoroughly enjoyed myself throughout this course. Sarah's personality is very easygoing & fluid by nature which I found very helpful at times when I became frustrated at myself & this was conducive to the overall social interaction within the class. The ethos of 'Snakebird Designs' is something else I feel should be highly commended as the course itself, tools, consumables & materials used are done so with sustainability prioritised. The class times & availability made the process of enrolling into the course very accessible for me. The smaller class size was also a huge advantage to receiving guidance & one-on-one assistance which is imperative when starting out or wanting to really refine your skill set. I really look forward to enrolling into another one of these courses again in the near future.
6 week wheel course, Monday nights: April 24-May 29
Thank you Sarah! Eau Naturale is a perfect way to describe this beautiful planter. I love the pared back wabi sabi nature of your work. Looking forward to owning more Snakebird pieces!
My friends and I had the most lovely experience in this class! It was such a warm and welcoming environment to learn new skills in. Sarah was super knowledgeable, passionate, and patient with us all. Would highly recommend!! Thanks so much Sarah :)
I have been to other beginner pottery wheel workshops in the past and have found them to be too rushed and I've walked away without really grasping the techniques. Whereas Sarah's workshop was the perfect pace, informative and fun. I felt at ease with Sarah's teaching style.