Years ago, when I first shared this demonstration, my intention was to give potters a glimpse into the way I teach porcelain. Since then, my teaching has grown into full online courses, national and international hands-on workshops, workshops in my own studio, and demonstrations—all supported by many more years of working with, teaching, and researching porcelain. 

Throughout those years, my belief that successful work with porcelain begins with an understanding of the medium has been reinforced by my success with potters around the world. Understanding what the clay is doing and why it behaves the way it does has opened many doors for potters who tried to work with porcelain but struggled to succeed.

The method I use for throwing tall bottles has been consistently successful. Rather than simply pulling the clay upward and then trying to shape the form, I use the movement of the clay, the positioning of my hands and arms, and controlled pressure to gradually develop the bottle.
The accompanying video shows the process in motion. The steps below explain more of what I am doing and, importantly, why I am doing it.

1. Preparing and Opening the Clay

Prepare your porcelain carefully before you begin. Thorough wedging helps distribute the moisture evenly through the clay, which becomes particularly important when throwing a tall form.
When I center the clay, I begin by creating a dome. The width of this dome already gives me an indication of how wide the bottom of the finished bottle will be.
Once the clay is centered, I open it while keeping a rounded curve in the bottom. This rounded interior gives me the beginning of the flowing curve that I want to carry through the finished form.

2. Raising the Wall: Push Rather Than Pull
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Once the clay is opened, I push a slight dent into the side at the bottom of the pot. This gives me a wall of clay that I can begin moving upward.
I think of this movement as pushing rather than pulling the clay. Notice the direction of my arm as I move the clay upward. This helps me keep the cylinder narrow and encourages the clay to move upward rather than flare outward.
As I continue, I push the wave of clay all the way to the top. I then strengthen the rim by gently compressing the clay back into the wall. I normally repeat this process several times as the form gains height.
With porcelain, I work sparingly with water. Porcelain quickly becomes softer as it ​​absorbs water, and a water-saturated wall loses its integrity and can easily collapse.

3. Developing the Belly
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​Once I have enough height, I begin to develop the belly of the bottle. I leave the wall thick enough at this stage so that there is enough clay to expand into the curve without weakening the form.
While making the cylinder, my hands are more or less level with each other on the inside and outside. As I begin developing the belly, their positions shift. My non-dominant hand leads on the outside, slightly above my dominant hand, which pushes from the inside. The outside hand supports and controls the developing curve while the inside hand pushes the wall outward and continues moving the clay upward.
The continuous curve develops gradually, creating the volume of the bottle while maintaining enough strength in the wall for the next stage. I keep the extra clay at the base because it supports the form and helps prevent it from collapsing.
To begin closing the form, the roles of my hands gradually change. The exterior, non-dominant hand takes on a stronger role, pushing the clay inward, while the dominant hand on the inside becomes more supportive. Eventually, the opening becomes too small for my inside hand and both hands begin collaring the clay from the outside.
As the opening narrows, the clay at the rim becomes thicker again. This is the clay I will use to form the spout.

​Have you heard potters talking about porcelain as if it is the hardest thing in the world to master? Just a few days ago, I saw a fairly renowned potter making the comment that porcelain is “difficult to work with.” I immediately contradicted the potter by telling him that my grandchildren worked with porcelain from the first day they started playing in my studio.
Of course, that is an oversimplification, because everything these, and the many other children who found their way through my studio made was either recycled, or, if it did make it through the kiln, it went through my hands first.

​If this potter had said that porcelain is a different medium and that anyone who wants to work with it must first understand how it differs from other types of clay, I would have agreed.
Many potters have tried to work with this diva and given up when they discovered that what goes into the kiln may come out as something very different. Then there are the potters who work with the clay successfully but work with it as if it is a regular stoneware clay body.

​Normally I have some potters that prefer to hand-build and others that want to work on the wheel. Interestingly enough as the week progress, some potters want to switch and try the opposite techniques. My philosophy is that techniques and styles should never be boxed in. Working on both the wheel and hand-building, open so many more possibilities for each potter and I love that! See, during a week there are opportunities to learn technique, but also to expand our horizons with ideas. Afterall, ceramic art is not just a form of creating; it is a form of communication. When we mastered the craft, we can begin to communicate through it.  
 

​There are not many ceramic studios that offer porcelain classes; even in colleges opportunities to learn about porcelain are limited. Potters told me before that the instructors are not always equip to teach them to work with porcelain. They are sometimes allowed to work with the material, but then they have to work things out on their own and it is not always successful. During my porcelain classes we make a deep dive into as many of the problems as possible. Potters make those mistakes in the workshop and the whole group learn from that and if we miss something, I encourage my students to stay in touch and share their problems via email. There is always a solution. The key however is that they learn to see the mistake as it happens and obtain the tools to avoid them in future. 

​If you’re an experienced porcelain potter who want to learn to push your own limits, this class is for you. Maybe you wanted to get your hands in porcelain clay all your life, but you’ve been told that it is too hard; I am sure I will be able to break that fear and all the other myths about porcelain that is out there. Even early beginner potters that know early on that they would want to work with the medium will find this workshop suitable, because I address the most basic principles, something that is often overlooked in a regular pottery class. Also; because the group is small, I can work with each student individually. 

​I love teaching porcelain workshops.
The knowledge, techniques, and understanding of the medium resonate differently with each person and give them an opportunity to grow in their art. I’ve seen firsthand how potters discover the techniques that suit their style the best.
The love of throwing porcelain is always there, but as they discover that handbuilding, altering, or carving are complementary techniques, excitement for all the different possibilities happens.
Some will finally understand why their porcelain has been giving them problems. And some will simply discover that porcelain isn't as intimidating as they had been told.
For me, that is what a workshop is about—not just making pots for a week, but opening the door to possibilities.
On October 18–24, 2026, I invite you to join me in my studio in Saltillo, Mississippi, for a weeklong hands on workshop. We will be working, learning, experimenting, asking questions, making mistakes, solving problems, and discovering what porcelain can become in your hands.