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
​
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
​
​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.