Meet our instructors !
Our instructors teach with utmost care, love and dedication to help their students grow, flourish and feel confident in what they're learning.
May Ann
When asked what May Ann's favourite part of her work is, she said “teaching– I love being able to empathize with someone not knowing something, then developing the confidence to do it, and having an object reflect the skills that they’ve learned.” For May Ann, her career started as a hobby. She was studying Communications Design and was introduced to ceramics as a form of relaxation and a break from her degree. But she quickly realized there’s so much more to it than she originally thought, so many technicalities and techniques like glaze making and beyond.
Sydney Caron
Syd (also known as Squid Ceramics) is a Vancouver based ceramicist with a BA in Visual Arts. She has been practising this art form since 2012, and has participated in various pop-up and markets throughout the lower mainland. Syd has been instructing at SF for a year and a half, preferring a hands-on teaching approach. Her main goal is to make you feel comfortable and confident while developing the essentials to start your own ceramic journey ◡̈ Syd invites you to sign up, spend some time laughing and throwing with her in class!
Sarah Tilley
Sarah took fundamentals 1 with May Ann a few years ago and quickly became obsessed with ceramics. An educator for more than 10 years, Sarah brings to her workshops a deep love of teaching and learning. In her classes, you’ll often find her nerding out about the reasoning behind techniques and celebrating the effects of micro adjustments on her students’ wheel throwing. In her own practice, Sarah is drawn to minimalist forms and glazing styles that highlight the raw beauty of her chosen clay bodies
Gaby
Gaby started learning pottery at Studio Fundamentals in 2021, and just never left. As a teacher and general education nerd, Gaby is keen to share the transformative power of wheel-throwing so you can learn the fundamentals, have fun, and make something you love. In her workshops, she focuses on mastering the basics of wheel throwing, teaching how to throw in a way that works for each student. As a potter, Gaby likes to try out fun shapes, colourful glazes, and is keen on MacGyvering things that didn’t turn out as planned into functional works.
Mona
Itching to get out of her house and away from her screens, Mona started her ceramics journey in 2020. Since then, she has absolutely fallen in love with ceramics and has been going to Studio Fundamentals weekly for classes, as a member, and eventually as an instructor. Mona’s teaching style is a mix of constant encouragement, appreciating the beauty of imperfection, and over-sharing about her personal life. When she’s not on the wheel or watching videos of people who are, you can find her screaming into the void or cuddling her cat Lilu.
Laura Bundschuh
Hi! I’m Laura Bundschuh (she/her) and I’ve worked as a jeweler here in Vancouver for over 10 years. I enjoy creating in many mediums and I also love working with my hands, so pottery was a natural fit when I started taking classes a few years ago. I immediately loved the feeling of calm that came over me when working with clay and the way it encouraged me to be in the present moment. Since then, I’ve enjoyed taking many more classes and continuing my learning through self-directed practice as a member of Studio Fundamentals. Being a lover of all things design, I find a lot of joy in creating both hand-built and wheel-thrown pieces that are not only functional, but beautiful.
I’m so happy to be teaching handbuilding because as a technique it allows for a lot of freedom and creativity, and I love seeing what people come up with every week! In my classes, I like to balance technical instruction with lots of time for students to play and practice the techniques. Above all, I want to create a space for people to come and relax, chat, and have fun while creating something they can be proud of!