5-Day Hands-On Porcelain Workshops

Choose between Wheel Throwing or Handbuilding

My five-day hands-on porcelain workshops are designed to give potters time to understand the character of porcelain and apply that understanding through their work.

For hosted workshops, I offer two separate pathways: Wheel-Throwing Porcelain or Handbuilding Porcelain. Separating these approaches gives students more time to practice, ask questions and develop their work without trying to fit too much into five days.

Both workshops begin with getting to know the clay itself. From there, techniques and projects are used to help students understand how porcelain behaves, where problems may develop, and how form, design and process work together.

The schedule remains flexible. I adapt demonstrations and activities to the experience and needs of the group and to the natural progress of the work during the week. The order of demonstrations and activities may change as the workshop develops.

​Wheel-Throwing Porcelain

Antoinette Badenhorst demonstrating porcelain wheel throwing to potters before they practice at their wheels.
Students explore the character of porcelain through pinching and wheel throwing, progressing through V- and U-shaped bowl forms, trimming, altering, design and carving. Throughout the workshop we discuss common faults and remedies, glazing and firing, with time for individual practice and assistance.

Handbuilding Porcelain

Students begin by getting to know the character of porcelain through pinching and slab work, then develop V-shaped forms and press-molded forms. As the workshop progresses, we explore altering, refinement, design and carving, together with glazing, firing, common faults and remedies.

What to Expect During a 5-Day Workshop

These workshops are not designed around completing as many projects as possible, or simply teaching techniques. I use selected forms and techniques to help potters understand the character of porcelain and learn how it behaves throughout the making process.
Demonstrations are followed by time for students to practice, develop their work and ask questions. As the work progresses, I address trimming and refining, altering and design, common faults and remedies, glazing and firing.
Every group is different, so the exact sequence develops according to the experience of the potters, their questions and the progress of their work.
Sculptural translucent porcelain bowl by Antoinette Badenhorst demonstrating the relationship between form, design and the character of porcelain.

For Workshop Hosts

I work with studios and ceramic centers to shape each workshop around the experience of the group, the facilities available and the interests of the participating potters.
A five-day workshop may focus on either Wheel-Throwing Porcelain or Handbuilding Porcelain. Keeping these as separate workshops allows enough time for demonstrations, individual practice, questions and personal assistance while students develop a better understanding of how porcelain behaves.
The exact schedule is discussed with the host beforehand and remains flexible enough to respond to the progress of the group during the workshop.

Interested in hosting a porcelain workshop? Please contact me to discuss your studio, your students and the workshop format that would suit your group.