3-Day Wheel-Throwing Hands-on Porcelain Workshop
This concentrated three-day workshop is intended for potters who already have experience working with clay and want to begin working with porcelain, develop greater confidence with it, or push their work to a new level.
The workshop combines hands-on practice, demonstration and discussion. Rather than trying to compress a five-day workshop into three days, we concentrate on processes that allow participants to understand how porcelain behaves at different stages.
Preparing for the Workshop
I will need access to the studio the day before the workshop begins so that I can prepare pieces at different stages of drying. This will allow me to demonstrate processes that could not otherwise be shown within the three-day timeframe.
Day 1 — Getting to Know Porcelain
We begin with the character of porcelain and how it differs from other clay bodies. Participants are introduced to the porcelain we will be using through pinching techniques. We will also use pinching later during the altering process.
We explore two very distinctive wheel-thrown forms: V- and U-shaped bowls. Through these forms, potters learn how to control form in porcelain, throw thin walls for translucency, manage the various stages of drying, and understand how porcelain responds during handling and drying.
Throughout the workshop, we discuss tools—the most useful tools for working with porcelain at various stages, how to use them effectively, and how and when porcelain can best be manipulated.
I demonstrate the first stages of trimming and how to preserve moisture in the pots so that they remain workable until we are ready to allow them to dry further.
Layering glazes
Day 2 — Refining and Developing the Form
Participants continue with selected forms and begin trimming and refining their work.
I demonstrate how to alter thrown pots and develop the forms using a combination of handbuilding techniques, particularly the pinching techniques introduced on the first day. We look at when porcelain can safely be manipulated, how to extend the working time, and how decisions made during throwing and drying affect later stages.
We also examine common problems such as cracking, deformation and warping, discussing why they occur and how they may be prevented.
Day 3 — Altering, Carving and Translucency
The final day concentrates on developing the forms beyond the basic thrown object. Throughout the day, I lead by demonstrating how I refine and carve altered forms for movement and translucency.
Participants continue developing selected pieces while we focus on design.
We discuss glazing and firing, and I demonstrate these processes where practical.
If time permits, I will give a one-hour slide presentation focusing on my own career development with porcelain, some of the challenges I encountered and how I overcame them. This can include a short presentation on porcelain faults and remedies. We can finish the workshop with a final question-and-answer session.
