Laetitia, Nohô Host near Châteaudun: a certified ceramic artist, she welcomes you to her studio

There are crafts that take years to learn, are lived out day by day, and are generously passed down. Laetitia’s craft is one of them. A certified ceramic artist for over 20 years, she opened her own studio in early 2026 in Marboué, near Châteaudun, in the Eure-et-Loir department. It’s a bright, 60-square-meter space where she creates, teaches, and welcomes anyone who wants to get their hands dirty with clay. On Nohô, she offers a guided and supportive introduction to pottery, so participants can leave with a piece they’ve made with their own hands.

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Lætitia, and I’m 41 years old. I’ve had my pottery studio in Marboué since early March—it’s still quite new. I’m a single mom to a two-and-a-half-year-old boy, and I’ve been a professional ceramic artist since the 2000s. I earned my CAP in ceramic decoration in 2005, followed by my Brevet des Métiers d’Art in ceramics in 2007, and my CAP in wheel-throwing in 2009.

What has your career path been like?

For the first few years, I was self-employed but working out of my old bedroom at my parents’ house. Then, at age 30, I changed careers and earned a CAP in cosmetology. And then the pandemic hit. I was running a business in a non-essential sector, so I was forced to close. That’s when I went back to pottery. I’ve had my own studio since March. It’s bright and very spacious; I can accommodate groups of up to 20 people.

How do you balance your work between creating pieces and teaching classes?

I love both. As for my creative work, this year I’ve shifted my focus to decorative pieces rather than functional ones. I’ve started developing a line of ceramic wall art, which I’ll gradually expand in terms of size, shape, and color. Alongside that, I have a range of small accessories for gifts under 20 euros: bag hooks, pocket mirrors, pocket ashtrays, pillboxes, keychains, little perfume hearts… Because people have less and less to spend, and it’s nice to be able to give something original and handmade without breaking the bank.

As for classes, I offer workshops for kids and adults on various themes: bathroom accessories, vases, or even workshops more focused on decoration, where participants come to paint a piece that’s already been fired once, using a technique called cloisonné glazing.

Do you have any unique techniques?

In my personal creations, I use the slab technique a lot, thanks to a machine called a slabber. It lets me create clay slabs, which I then use with texture plates to create raised patterns. It’s really my own unique technique. In classes, however, I focus on building from the block, which is more accessible for beginners. I also have a potter’s wheel, which I use for my own creations, but I don’t offer it in group classes since I only have one.

What do you offer on Nohô?

A one-hour introduction to pottery. I provide a small amount of clay, and participants create a piece using the pinching technique: you form a ball, hollow it out with your thumb, and pinch between your thumb and fingers to achieve an even thickness. Depending on how you work the clay, you’ll end up with a small dish, a bowl, or a small vase. At the end, everyone signs their piece on the bottom. And that’s important: they’re the ones who made it. After that, I take care of the rest. First firing, glazing with the color chosen that very day, second firing, and then I contact the participants so they can come pick up their creation. It takes between one and four months, depending on the time of year, because I only fire a batch when I have enough pieces.

When Clay Becomes a Living Material

On Nohô, some encounters leave a tangible mark—something you can place on a shelf. Lætitia’s is one of them. In her studio in Marboué, near Châteaudun, she patiently shares what she’s been doing for over 20 years: the joy of shaping clay, choosing a color, and waiting for the piece to come out of the kiln, finished. Spend an hour with her, and you’ll leave with something you’ve truly made yourself.