*This is an advertorial blog for Jackrabbits Pottery
It has been just over a year since Sarah and Aidan took over Leeds’s first pottery painting workshop, Jackrabbits Pottery, a huge change in career direction for both of them. I recently caught up with them both and they discuss how they haven’t regretted the decision for a moment and their exciting plans for the pottery workshop over the coming months.
Since opening in 2014, Jackrabbits Pottery in Oakwood has been a much-loved Leeds landmark. Whether babies’ hand and footprints, treats for toddlers, bigger kids’ birthdays, happy hen parties or indulgent nights out for grownups, a visit to Jackrabbits is always a welcome event.
“We knew that Jackrabbits meant a lot to its customers”, says Sarah, “But we’ve been amazed and delighted about quite how much love there is for this shop – we love it too!”
Pottery painting is as simple or as sophisticated as you choose to make it. The smallest child can finger-paint something simple in a few fun minutes, or a more careful customer might come in for several sessions before they’re happy with their creation.
“Each piece of pottery is really important to somebody,” says Aidan, “People paint for all sorts of reasons, and the story behind a painting can be astonishing. We’re really lucky because we get to see people’s faces when they collect their pottery after it’s been fired – they’re usually amazed at how well they’ve done, and how great their pottery looks.”
The next few months at Jackrabbits will be particularly busy, as people create special Christmas presents or baubles for their own trees. The specialists at Jackrabbits take handprints and footprints in painted pottery, plaster, clay, or silver – the results are stunning and make wonderful keepsakes.
Sarah and Aidan are also introducing “Tots and Pots” mornings, which include some singing, a story, a snack, and then a chance to paint a character related to the story (there’s a very cute caterpillar to start things off on October 16th, and other dates during November and December). For more details on the Tots and Pots sessions including upcoming dates and themes, click here.
“People find the painting process wonderfully calm and relaxing; we’ve done workshops in care homes and a secure children’s home, for groups of Brownies and for corporate team-building events.”
“It is really important for us to be a part of a positive local community. We’re even doing our bit for the environment by cutting plastic out of the shop as much as possible (no bottled water, paper straws) and any profit from the bags for life we now sell goes to Friends of Gledhow Valley Woods (who also make bug hotels out of our delivery pallets). We’re also moving our electrical supply to a renewable-only supplier.”
“There’s also the heavy responsibility of making sure our shop window brightens the commute for anyone stuck in traffic! At the moment we’ve got a stunning skull for Halloween (and our shelves are full of pottery pumpkins).”
Jackrabbits Pottery, 633a Roundhay Road, Oakwood, LS8 4BA
Telephone: 0113 318 9315
Email: hello@jackrabbitspottery.com
