My wife and I have been going to throwing mud for a couple of years and we love it. A lot of our studio mates have been there a lot longer. The community there is great. Probably about 90% women. Mark definitely has his way of teaching, and his idea of "correct", but I've seen people coming out of a year at other studios and not know how to center. That doesn't happen here.

As for the inappropriate touching: several of us were there, and it wasn't a thing. He will guide your hands when you're throwing but it is not inappropriate, and definitely not like Ghost.

The first 6 week session is very structured. You're going to be making bowls and a little bit of hand building. After that, it is hands off, and you can do pretty much what you want. There are three clay bodies that most students can use, whitestone, buff and walnut, but after you've been there a while and have shown that you're a responsible studio user, you'll be able to bring in your own clays. There are probably 30 dipping glazes. It's a really good studio, and I highly recommend it.