Handbuilding Pottery for Beginners is an online workshop at TeachinArt, presented by Antoinette Badenhorst. Learn the essentials of shaping clay by hand in a clear, supportive way. This beginner-friendly class introduces simple handbuilding techniques, creative forms, and practical tips to help you build confidence from your very first piece.

TeachinArt, an online school of ceramics and art, was founded in 2014 by Koos and Antoinette Badenhorst. They started with online pottery instruction and have since expanded their offerings to include numerous classes and instructors.

Our detailed pottery video lessons are available at affordable prices, allowing students from all over the world to participate in our workshops. Our school’s motto, “From the artist to the artist,” reflects our commitment to fostering a community of artists.

You can watch our videos anytime of the day, from any technological platform of your choice, regardless of your location. ​ See more about Antoinette's online workshops at TeachinArt online workshops.

Antoinette Badenhorst presents a wide range of professional online pottery and porcelain workshops through TeachinArt, the online school of art she co-founded with Koos Badenhorst. Her classes focus on porcelain, handbuilding, wheel throwing, glazing, design, and technical ceramic skills for beginners through advanced potters. 
Popular workshops include:

• Understanding Porcelain
• Porcelain Handbuilding
• Wheel Thrown Porcelain Dinnerware
• Handbuilding Porcelain Dinnerware
• Wheel Thrown Teapots
• Pinching Teapots for Beginners
• Glazing Made Easy 

​Antoinette is widely recognized for her detailed instruction on translucent porcelain, often referred to in her teaching as the “Diva of Clay.” Her online workshops combine close-up demonstrations, professional studio techniques, design principles, firing methods, and direct interaction with students. 
The TeachinArt format allows students to learn at their own pace through professionally recorded video lessons while maintaining direct access to the instructor for questions and guidance throughout the course. 

Marie was one of the most talented artists that I ever knew. She had the ability to use anything to create and decorate with. Her vision to take an idea and transform it into a story with clay and other found objects was extraordinary. She created multiple ceramic sculptures, often starting out from one specific element which she build out in several different narratives. 
Marie past away in 2019 and we miss her new inspirations tremendously, but I am very fortunate that I could talk to her in front of the camera, so her voice, her teaching and great example lives in. 
The last time that Marie and I were sitting on a porch, discussing her online workshop over a glass of wine, Marie expressed the wish she can reach students far and wide, therefor I am happy to to confirm that the online workshop will Post-fired Finishes continue to be available for students. ​

I visited with Marie in her studio and was  excited and happy for the opportunity to feature Marie Gibbons Evans.  . Marie is recognized for her extraordinary ability to transform everyday craft materials—similar to those found in common hobby stores—into meaningful works of fine art. By combining clay with painterly techniques and mixed media, she elevates craft into expressive artistic storytelling, and the conversation invites her to share how she developed this unique approach.

I asked her how she started with her current techniques: 
She began her journey in clay working with raku firing, drawn to its unpredictability, dramatic fire process, and especially the rich carbon trapping effects. However, she became frustrated with the limited color palette and the lack of control over surface results. Seeking greater creative freedom, she explored ways to introduce more color while preserving the carbon-trapped appearance she loved.
By experimenting with acrylic paints and combining them with her ceramic surfaces, Marie developed her signature technique known as post-fired finishing. She first applied black paint and wiped it back so it remained in the crevices, simulating the carbon trapping of raku. She then layered thin applications of acrylic color on top, allowing her to achieve vibrant, controlled surfaces while maintaining the depth and character of raku effects.

She went on to explain that her post-fired finishing technique is intended for non-functional, purely decorative ceramic work, not for pieces that hold food or water. This method offers greater artistic control, allowing her to apply and adjust colors gradually rather than relying on unpredictable kiln results.
Over the past 20 years, she has come to value the intimacy this process creates between herself and her work. Because the coloring happens entirely by hand after firing, she remains physically connected to each piece, holding it, observing it from all angles, and making adjustments as needed. By layering thin acrylic paints directly onto the surface rather than mixing colors on a palette, she builds depth and richness gradually. This approach allows flexibility—if she is not satisfied with an area, she can continue refining it, knowing the piece is not ruined but simply still in progress.
Antoinette asked Marie  to clarify what she meant by “non-functional” work. She emphasized that while the pieces are not utilitarian and cannot be used for eating or holding food, they still serve an important function. Antoinette invited Marie to explain the deeper purpose of her work, particularly the theatrical qualities she observed, and asked her to describe how storytelling and theater relate to the true function and meaning of her ceramic sculptures.

She answered that she appreciates the broader meaning of the word “function,” noting that while her work is not utilitarian like dinnerware, sculpture and art still serve an important purpose in human life. For her, the function of art is to help process experiences, emotions, and observations drawn from everyday encounters and personal interactions. She described her work as theatrical because it expresses and performs these human stories, allowing both herself and the viewer to reflect, laugh, or feel deeply.Marie also discussed her “Pin Heads” sculptures, which incorporate vintage hat pins and handmade elements to enhance their narrative quality. She often uses commercial molds but intentionally alters them, leaving seams, sprues, and imperfections visible. By doing this, she challenges the expectation of perfection in molded forms and emphasizes the handmade character, individuality, and expressive presence of each piece.

Marie  went on to described one of her favorite sculptures, which she calls her “Zen Baby,” as calm, self-aware, and meditative. Although she uses the same mold repeatedly, she individually refines and alters each face so every piece develops its own personality, appearing related but never identical.
She explained that her “Pin Heads” series was inspired by periods of intense multitasking and mental overload. The pins symbolize the small mental reminders, emotional nudges, and responsibilities that occupy the mind—ranging from daily tasks to deeper emotional experiences. Beyond the literal appearance, the pins also reflect broader themes about life, memory, emotional awareness, and the influences that shape people over time. Through these theatrical and symbolic elements, her work invites viewers to reflect on personal stories, societal influences, and human experience.
​

Marie Gibbons Evans explained that she believes art is most meaningful when it can be interpreted in many different ways, allowing viewers to connect their own personal stories and experiences to the work. She intentionally incorporates found objects, especially vintage hat pins, because they carry history, wear, and character that enrich the narrative of each piece.
While preparing for a solo exhibition, she spent months searching antique stores, online marketplaces, and antique malls to find authentic vintage pins rather than reproductions, because only original objects could provide the sense of history she wanted. She valued the imperfections—rust, chips, and age—as part of their story. Over time, her community and collectors also contributed by sharing and donating vintage pins, adding another layer of connection and shared meaning to her work.

Tags:
post firing techniques ceramics, ceramic surface decoration, cold finishes ceramics, mixed media ceramics, found objects in ceramics, ceramic sculpture techniques, ceramic finishing methods, alternative ceramic surfaces, honoring ceramic artist, ceramic artist tribute, ceramic artist inspiration, ceramic teaching legacy, women in ceramics, ceramic art , art history, contemporary art,

Malelane was paradise. Our children were young preschoolers; in fact Tinyke was a 9 month old baby when we moved there. Koos was working at the sugar mill, a booming new industry for a region that previously relied on vegetables for their daily bread. 

I was raised in Namibia, where we only saw flowing rivers when it rained in the Khomas Hochland Mountain, just so that it will run down in a few hours into dry sand beds? So in comparison, Malelane was a true paradise.

It was a luxury to see the Crocodile River constantly running. Drought was not uncommon in this region, but the vegetation was lusciously green after the mostly grayish green landscapes where I grew up. Bougainvillea became trees in comparison with the ones growing in Namibia and I never saw bigger banana leaves than the ones that grew in plantations next to the roads.   There were crocodiles and hippopotamus in the river and if you watched closely, you could see elephants or buffalo on the other side of the river in the Kruger National Park. Our favorite leisure time was on Sunday afternoons when we took the children to see animals in and around the river.

My biggest challenge at the time was to get the papayas off the trees in my garden, before the monkeys get it! A papaya showing the slightest hint of yellow was a monkey’s delicacy and they would grab it and then tease me from a distance while they consume it!

It was a beautiful remote little town, where everybody knew each other and helped raise each other’s children, but it was also a place where we had limited enrichment and adult educational opportunities. The result was that the woman of the town took it upon themselves to do exciting and stimulating projects.
So it happened that I became the regional potter. 

Have you ever noticed how potters transfer images on clay, either by scratching through the surface or by painting on the clay surfaces? As a young potter, the marks that I put on my clay had no particular meaning; at least that was what I was thinking at the time. It was just pure joy to cut and carve and smear and pinch and roll the clay, a willing material that forms and shape in whatever direction it was pinched and pushed. ​

​When I think back, I recall unfinished bottoms and sloppy pots, often times with underdeveloped forms. We did try to smooth it off, but it took several years, before I got the knowledge to finish my work properly. I learned that clay needed to rest and become ready for the next preparation phase with hard lessons. Even though I could see that there were mistakes, I did not have the knowledge to solve it.  Pots were thick and it stayed thick! The local library had a few books about pottery and we utilized them as much we could, but the information was scarce and very unsatisfactory and all the information we got were always about the making process, but never about finishing the final product before it goes in the bisque kiln.

During this time we made pots and all kind of objects; from pinching, to coiling to slab built pottery that the clay allowed us to do, never thinking that once we have it fired, it basically would be set in stone, carrying naive finger and cutting marks ; objects that carried the evidence of a small community of potters to be. 

It took me five months before I had my first kiln. Someone advertised a kiln for R400 (about $23.11 in current terms) in Nelspruit, a neighboring town. It was time for my next lesson and it was here that my husband showed his weight in gold regarding my pottery adventures. 

The kiln was a flimsy old top loader, with broken elements and only two settings: on and off. With the help of technicians, Koos hand coiled elements and before long we had a kiln going! 

​By then I collected enough class fees to buy our first glazes. Not knowing better, I ordered 12 different one kilogram (2.2 lb.) glazes to dip our pots in. Of cause it did not work too well (our pots were too big to dip and we did not know of any other way, so we poured the glaze. We managed though and before long we had our kiln firing. Our first pots were made and we were very proud of ourselves.

As I improved, curiosity sometimes got the best of me and I opened a kiln way too soon, just to end up seeing pots cracking in two right in front of my eyes.
Today I know much better; I teach pottery and porcelain workshops. One of these classes is an online workshop in which I teach potters how to improve their glazes, store bought or self made and how to fire a porcelain kiln successfully. 

It took me years to learn and understand that pottery carried a history that stretched far beyond my imagination. I never realized the importance of clay for anthropological research.  If my first studio would have been an archaeological site, they will probably find shards, telling interesting stories of us few women that had so much fun in our garage studio and maybe they would find the first signs of the birth of my passion for clay. It became a lifelong love affair, one that I never would have managed, was it not for my dear husband and his patience with me. (oh he still did not eat his hat as he said he would do if I become a potter!)

I mentioned anthropologists. They are very interested in clay objects. Did you know that  shards can tell us about ancient technology and human behavior? Since clay is preserved by fire, it carries footprints and cultural evidence that cannot easily be distinguished. 

I came across this you tube video that explains how they translate images and marks from clay into historical facts: The presenter has a lively way in which he explains the importance of pottery shards to read ancient history.

I also found this beautiful website with information about the Ancestral Pueblo cultures found in the regions where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado meets, known as “The Four Corner area” It is believed that the Pueblo people descended from nomadic living styles and gathered here some 12 thousand years ago. Their pottery has a significant influence on American pottery; to this day.

I was not fortunate enough to learn about clay through generational inheritance, as the ancient people probably did. I did not even know at first that clay is earth and it was a big "aha" moment for me when I realized that clay in a kiln and rocks forming from lava has strong similarities. When I decided I have to start teaching pottery, I never thought that I started on a path in which I created footprints that may have some permanence. Having that knowledge now, puts an obligation on me to make sure that any piece I fire, not just holds beauty in its core, but also an intelligence of good craftsmanship and expressional value to last for millenniums to come. ​

I partook in one of America’s most prestigious shows (American Craft Expo). Was it not that I still have so much to learn, I might have thought that I finally came full circle, but after almost 40 years I can say, I know what I still don’t know…….at least I think I can guess……

Links: 
TeachinArt online School of Art
​​Hands-on workshops with Antoinette Badenhorst

​Every once in a while all of us experience something that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. I had such a chance this past week at the close of our hands-on porcelain workshop in Pennsylvania. 

The group was small. We all learned from each other all week long in the open pottery studio, while it was pleasantly raining outside and we had opportunities to share life experiences, pottery experiences and more. 

At the end of the week Annie Carlsson surprised us with her writing talent. Her observations of the week were documented in a beautiful essay. It was a gift to me and touched me so much that I asked her if I could share it with you on my blog and with her permission I am giving you a glimpse of our week there. 

I could not get myself to type her letter, since I thought it will contaminate the authenticity, so I asked my always willing husband, Koos Badenhorst to take pictures of the essay.

Annie I will always cherish it. Your essay highlighted an already extraordinary week. Thank you Annie, Briget, Hannah, Pam, Jeff, Eric and Lee. Without your presence, attitude and help, I would have been a lost case. I will remember this week for the rest of my life.

I teach porcelain workshops around the world in either an online workshop with TeachinArt, or hands-on somewhere in the world.

Places where I would still like to teach is Australia, New Zealand, India, Greece, South America and Asia. If anyone is interested in hosting a workshop in future, you can check out my workshop proposals and contact me.

​2021 - Italy: La Meridiana

​I was raised in an ordinary house with extraordinary parents. My dad was a policeman, an ambulance driver and a handy man; in my little eyes the best and biggest man out there. He loved music and had a beautiful voice himself. Everyone always asked him to sing and his favorite was “O Solo Mio”. There was sweetness in his voice, the same sweetness that Mario Lanza was known for.

My mom made the best food and clothes and she had a musical sound in her laugh that was infectious.  I recall people talking about her artwork and her stories that she wrote and I remember she was the best story teller and the best painting artist that I knew.

Through my parents eyes and ears I learned to appreciate Michael Angelo (we had a thick book about his life and career on our coffee table) and Tchaikovsky.

I was an all-rounder in school. A little sport, a little singing and recitation, writing and whatever a young girl could do to impress teachers and peers. I even tried to paint, but failure convinced me that painting was not my forte!

I was already married when my husband and I were passing a gallery one day. I saw beautiful stone – like objects through the window and it drew me like a magnet pass the door. After a conversation with the gallery owner, I found out it was called pottery. At the time I knew nothing about clay; not where it came from, not how it gets hardened by heat and where the shiny glassy layer came from. At the time I never imagined in my wildest dream that ceramics would become my life long career, that I will still be learning about pottery 40 years later, teaching porcelain and pottery and exhibit my work in galleries and museums around the globe.  ​

​Fragments of ancient pottery were found in southern China that is estimated to date as far back as 20,000 years ago. Clay was used for housing for thousands of years, but the first signs of using it for water and food, dates back to about 10 000 years. 
​
It is said that in prehistoric times, clay (which is earth that has a plastic workable quality) was originally roughly shaped and used unfired to hide food from predators. People then soon discovered that water last a little longer in a mud container and that food stayed fresher in a clay hive. It is been said that someone dropped a clay object in a fire one day and it came out hardened. The first pottery was created.

I often hear potters telling me that they are not sure if their teacher provide in their needs as far as instruction goes. 
It is true that some instructors are more interested in the income or the opportunity to use the facilities that is available. There are also instructors that are simply just not qualified. 
Here are a few things that beginner pottery students can ask / observe from their instructor before signing up for a class to see if the class may serve them. 

• look around the classroom, is it dusty from months of not cleaning?  -  There are certain hazards in pottery that is related to dust. 
• Can your instructor do different clay techniques - there are at least 6 basic  clay techniques that are used by potters on a regular basis. The pottery wheel is not the only instrument in use in pottery studios. 
• Can the instructor talk comfortably about where clay comes from, plasticity, shrinking of clay, slabs, firing schedules, types of clay, explain heat work, discuss different types of cracking, discuss glaze faults and remedies. 
• Can your instructor answer your questions in a confident manner and admit if the answer to a question is unknown. Will the person come back with an answer to you. 
• All instructors fails from time to time with technique; is that the norm with yours or the exception? 
• All instructors specialize in one or two areas and have a basic knowledge of the rest. Does your instructor forces you into a direction, or assist/support you with what you are interested in? 

The most important fact is to consider if you feel you can trust your instructor. If your gut feel tells you something is wrong, it probably us true. It is possible that the problem is not with the instructor, but it may just not be the right instructor for you.  Remember all instructors were students once. While some came through a specific kind of schooling, some came through a limited schooling. The instructor that is experienced enough to allow a student to work withing the clay rules, but find his/her way, is probably the most desirable person to learn from.