INTENSIVE PORCELAIN WORKSHOP
October 18-24, 2026 - Saltillo, Mississippi
Move beyond the fear and frustration of porcelain—and learn to work with the clay instead of fighting it.
Spend an intensive week working directly with Antoinette Badenhorst in her Mississippi studio. In a small group of only 10 potters, you will receive hands-on instruction, individual guidance, demonstrations, troubleshooting, and the opportunity to develop your own approach to porcelain.
Limited to 10 participants · $867
Scroll down to see What You'll Learn
Spend an intensive week working directly with Antoinette Badenhorst in her Mississippi studio. In a small group of only 10 potters, you will receive hands-on instruction, individual guidance, demonstrations, troubleshooting, and the opportunity to develop your own approach to porcelain.
Limited to 10 participants · $867
Scroll down to see What You'll Learn
Reserve Your Place - Choose your payment option by clicking the Buttons Below.
IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR YOU?
You may be ready for this workshop if you:
- are curious about porcelain but have been hesitant to make the transition from stoneware or other clay bodies;
- already work with porcelain but struggle with its sensitivity, drying, warping, cracking, or unpredictable behavior;
- want to understand why porcelain behaves the way it does—not simply learn a series of techniques;
- want individual feedback on your own work rather than simply watching demonstrations;
- are ready to push your forms, techniques, and ideas further.
You do not have to be an advanced porcelain potter. You do need to be willing to work, experiment, ask questions, and learn.
This is an intensive, hands-on workshop for potters who want to become more confident and capable with porcelain.
WORK WITH PORCELAIN
Master the unique characteristics of this remarkable material, learn its working principles, and overcome the myths surrounding it to achieve success.
Master the unique characteristics of this remarkable material, learn its working principles, and overcome the myths surrounding it to achieve success.
PERSONAL GUIDANCE
Antoinette offers hands-on assistance, pays individual attention, answers questions, troubleshoots and gives direct feedback on your work.
Antoinette offers hands-on assistance, pays individual attention, answers questions, troubleshoots and gives direct feedback on your work.
YOUR OWN STYLE Learn how to apply new techniques and elevate your own ideas. Antoinette brainstorms, problem solves, and encourages artists to build their own ideas rather than copying from others.
Porcelain doesn't have to be intimidating.
Porcelain is often called the “Diva of Clay” because it can seem demanding, unpredictable, and unforgiving. But porcelain has its own logic.
When you understand how the material behaves—and learn to work with its characteristics rather than against them—the clay becomes far less intimidating.
Antoinette Badenhorst has spent more than four decades working with, teaching, and exploring porcelain. During this intensive week, she shares not only techniques, but the thinking, problem-solving, and experience behind them.
The goal isn't to make you copy Antoinette's work. The goal is to help you understand porcelain well enough to develop your own.
When you understand how the material behaves—and learn to work with its characteristics rather than against them—the clay becomes far less intimidating.
Antoinette Badenhorst has spent more than four decades working with, teaching, and exploring porcelain. During this intensive week, she shares not only techniques, but the thinking, problem-solving, and experience behind them.
The goal isn't to make you copy Antoinette's work. The goal is to help you understand porcelain well enough to develop your own.
YOUR WEEK WITH PORCELAIN
Every student arrives with different experience, interests, and goals. The week has a planned progression, but instruction remains flexible so you can spend time on the techniques and problems most relevant to your own work.
SUNDAY — MEET & GREET: 5:30–8:30 PM
Meet Antoinette and your fellow potters over supper and begin your week with an informal discussion about porcelain. Bring examples of your work or images you'd like to discuss during the week.
MONDAY — GET TO KNOW PORCELAIN
Begin by getting to Understand the Characteristics of Porcelain before getting your hands into the clay. Then, through pinching exercises, you'll discover how porcelain feels and responds differently from other clay bodies.
Antoinette will demonstrate wheel throwing with bowls, with an emphasis on designing both the inside and outside of your forms.
Through practice, you'll begin to understand and appreciate the fine nuances that porcelain has to offer.
TUESDAY — THROW & HAND-BUILD
Explore both wheel throwing and handbuilding as you develop your own forms. Learn how to work with porcelain's delicacy while maintaining control and intention.
Individual instruction helps you identify what is happening in your own work—not just watch someone else demonstrate it.
You'll develop: control, sensitivity, form, and confidence.
WEDNESDAY — TRIM & ALTER
Refine your forms through trimming and altering. Discover how cutting, stretching, compressing, and reshaping can transform a simple vessel into something uniquely your own.
You'll explore: proportion, movement, balance, and design.
THURSDAY — CARVE & DEVELOP
Take your forms further through carving and surface development. Learn to work carefully with thin porcelain while exploring how carving can become an integral part of the design.
You'll discover: how to push porcelain beyond conventional forms and develop your own visual language.
FRIDAY — TROUBLESHOOT & PUSH FURTHER
Porcelain has its own characteristics. Learn to recognize common problems and, more importantly, understand why they happen and how to prevent or correct them.This is the final workday and your pieces go into the bisque firing. While the kiln is firing, Antoinette will present an inspirational slideshow and discuss how to identify faults, find solutions, and make more informed decisions when working with porcelain.
SATURDAY — COMPLETE & REFLECT
We will unpack the kiln and discuss the fired pieces, your successes, challenges, and ideas for continuing your porcelain journey after you return home.
You'll leave with more than bisque fired pieces—you'll leave with a deeper understanding of porcelain and greater confidence in your ability to work with it.
A WEEK OF HANDS-ON LEARNING Classes run from 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, Monday through Saturday, with a lunch break from 12:00–1:00 PM. The studio remains available for additional work until 6:30 PM.
The schedule provides structure, but your work remains your own. Demonstrations, individual instruction, questions, experimentation, and problem-solving are all part of the experience.
Every student arrives with different experience, interests, and goals. The week has a planned progression, but instruction remains flexible so you can spend time on the techniques and problems most relevant to your own work.
SUNDAY — MEET & GREET: 5:30–8:30 PM
Meet Antoinette and your fellow potters over supper and begin your week with an informal discussion about porcelain. Bring examples of your work or images you'd like to discuss during the week.
MONDAY — GET TO KNOW PORCELAIN
Begin by getting to Understand the Characteristics of Porcelain before getting your hands into the clay. Then, through pinching exercises, you'll discover how porcelain feels and responds differently from other clay bodies.
Antoinette will demonstrate wheel throwing with bowls, with an emphasis on designing both the inside and outside of your forms.
Through practice, you'll begin to understand and appreciate the fine nuances that porcelain has to offer.
TUESDAY — THROW & HAND-BUILD
Explore both wheel throwing and handbuilding as you develop your own forms. Learn how to work with porcelain's delicacy while maintaining control and intention.
Individual instruction helps you identify what is happening in your own work—not just watch someone else demonstrate it.
You'll develop: control, sensitivity, form, and confidence.
WEDNESDAY — TRIM & ALTER
Refine your forms through trimming and altering. Discover how cutting, stretching, compressing, and reshaping can transform a simple vessel into something uniquely your own.
You'll explore: proportion, movement, balance, and design.
THURSDAY — CARVE & DEVELOP
Take your forms further through carving and surface development. Learn to work carefully with thin porcelain while exploring how carving can become an integral part of the design.
You'll discover: how to push porcelain beyond conventional forms and develop your own visual language.
FRIDAY — TROUBLESHOOT & PUSH FURTHER
Porcelain has its own characteristics. Learn to recognize common problems and, more importantly, understand why they happen and how to prevent or correct them.This is the final workday and your pieces go into the bisque firing. While the kiln is firing, Antoinette will present an inspirational slideshow and discuss how to identify faults, find solutions, and make more informed decisions when working with porcelain.
SATURDAY — COMPLETE & REFLECT
We will unpack the kiln and discuss the fired pieces, your successes, challenges, and ideas for continuing your porcelain journey after you return home.
You'll leave with more than bisque fired pieces—you'll leave with a deeper understanding of porcelain and greater confidence in your ability to work with it.
A WEEK OF HANDS-ON LEARNING Classes run from 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, Monday through Saturday, with a lunch break from 12:00–1:00 PM. The studio remains available for additional work until 6:30 PM.
The schedule provides structure, but your work remains your own. Demonstrations, individual instruction, questions, experimentation, and problem-solving are all part of the experience.
YOU'RE NOT JUST WATCHING A VIDEO OR DEMONSTRATION
SMALL-GROUP LEARNING
The small-group setting allows Antoinette to work with potters individually, with opportunities for questions, guidance and direct feedback throughout the week.
The small-group setting allows Antoinette to work with potters individually, with opportunities for questions, guidance and direct feedback throughout the week.
HANDS-ON PARTICIPATION
While Antoinette does demonstrate the various projects, she let you work and practice constructively under her watchful eye throughout the week.
While Antoinette does demonstrate the various projects, she let you work and practice constructively under her watchful eye throughout the week.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION
Your questions, ideas and challenges become part of the workshop. What you bring to the group helps shape the experience, while you continue developing your own skills and direction.
Your questions, ideas and challenges become part of the workshop. What you bring to the group helps shape the experience, while you continue developing your own skills and direction.
After decades of working with porcelain, Antoinette shares the knowledge and experience she has gained as an artist, researcher and teacher. Many of her online students come to her in-person workshops to take their learning further, explore new possibilities and work directly with her. The goal is for every potter to return to their own studio with greater understanding, confidence and a desire to keep exploring porcelain
WHAT STUDENTS SAY
"I'm home from spending a life-changing week with world renowned porcelain artist, Antoinette Badenhorst, @porcelainbyantoinette . She is as amazing as her work. Pictured is one of the small, unfinished porcelain pots I made under her direction."-
Kelly Cline
I never had such a detailed training and explanations with such knowledge sharing.
MONIQUE VAN MOLLEKOT - BELGIUM :
Antoinette is an amazing instructor. I took her online porcelain class as well as a live one and learned invaluable techniques that I use on daily basis with any clay. I would highly recommend this class
- BRENDA WOLF (CANADA).
"You will Learn soooo much in this workshop. I highly recommend " -
NancyJones Hayes
That was a great workshop, and a lot of fun. Now that I’m back in my home studio and working with porcelain, I realize how much you taught and how much further I can push the “diva” than I was doing before.
Linda Lebrun (Canada)
I had thought I should take a more advanced course since I already work with porcelain. But I'm humbled by how much I learned, even a bit overwhelmed.
MARY WILSON - USA
October 18–24, 2026
WHERE
Saltillo, Mississippi
GROUP SIZE
10 participants
COST
$867 — Pay in full or divide into 3 payments
Each potter will receive:
WHERE
Saltillo, Mississippi
GROUP SIZE
10 participants
COST
$867 — Pay in full or divide into 3 payments
Each potter will receive:
- 10 lbs of clay included with the workshop (additional clay may be purchased in the studio)
- A set of studio tools suitable for porcelain (to be used during the week and returned afterward)
- Wheel-throwing sessions include
- Pinching exercises to get familiar with the clay
- Throwing specific bowl forms
- Guided wheel practice
- Altering bowls
- Carving bowls
- Hand-building sessions include
- Pinching exercises to get familiar with the clay
- Slab-building an envelope bowl
- Building a bowl form (time permitting)
- Practicing essential hand-building techniques
Studio process and workshop flow
Antoinette will demonstrate each technique, and potters will follow step by step
Antoinette will demonstrate each technique, and potters will follow step by step
- By Wednesday evening, most making should be complete
- Work will stay covered while altering and carving takes place
- The studio is heat- and air-controlled, so be mindful of clay drying too quickly
- Potters will reclaim their clay throughout the week
Studio Rules & Guidelines
The studio opens daily at 8:00 a.m. — coffee will be ready in the kitchen.
Classes run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a lunch break from 12:00–1:00 p.m. We will order food; everyone pays for their own meal (Venmo is available for convenience).
The studio closes at 6:30 p.m. This gives you 1.5 hours of independent practice time each evening, Monday through Thursday. During this time, there must be at least two potters present. Antoinette will not count as one of the two.
Meals & Kitchen Use
You are responsible for your own breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with the exception of Sunday night supper, which is provided.
Friday night will be either a potluck in the kitchen or a group dinner out.
Please inform Antoinette in advance of any food allergies or dietary needs.
Guests are welcome to join Sunday supper—just let us know ahead of time so we can plan accordingly.
The kitchen is available for preparing simple meals (salads, sandwiches, etc.), and you’re welcome to gather there anytime for group meals.
Photography & Video
You are welcome to take photos and short video clips during the workshop. Please share them with Antoinette, as she uses them for promotional purposes. If you post on social media, please tag her.
Koos will also be taking photos and videos throughout the week. If you do not wish to be included, please let him know upfront. If no objection is made, we’ll take that as your consent.
Traveling & housing options for Saltillo workshops
Saltillo is 4 miles north of Tupelo, Mississippi. There is a direct flight from Nashville and Dallas airport to Tupelo Regional Airport with Contour. Rent-a-car facilities are available at the airport.
The studio opens daily at 8:00 a.m. — coffee will be ready in the kitchen.
Classes run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a lunch break from 12:00–1:00 p.m. We will order food; everyone pays for their own meal (Venmo is available for convenience).
The studio closes at 6:30 p.m. This gives you 1.5 hours of independent practice time each evening, Monday through Thursday. During this time, there must be at least two potters present. Antoinette will not count as one of the two.
Meals & Kitchen Use
You are responsible for your own breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with the exception of Sunday night supper, which is provided.
Friday night will be either a potluck in the kitchen or a group dinner out.
Please inform Antoinette in advance of any food allergies or dietary needs.
Guests are welcome to join Sunday supper—just let us know ahead of time so we can plan accordingly.
The kitchen is available for preparing simple meals (salads, sandwiches, etc.), and you’re welcome to gather there anytime for group meals.
Photography & Video
You are welcome to take photos and short video clips during the workshop. Please share them with Antoinette, as she uses them for promotional purposes. If you post on social media, please tag her.
Koos will also be taking photos and videos throughout the week. If you do not wish to be included, please let him know upfront. If no objection is made, we’ll take that as your consent.
Traveling & housing options for Saltillo workshops
Saltillo is 4 miles north of Tupelo, Mississippi. There is a direct flight from Nashville and Dallas airport to Tupelo Regional Airport with Contour. Rent-a-car facilities are available at the airport.
Boarding
Try to stay in a hotel or B&B either downtown Tupelo or on the northern side of Mainstreet. These hotels will bring you within a15-minute drive to Antoinettes’ studio in Saltillo in the heart of business.
Hotels in Tupelo |
Choose a place closer to the Northern side of Tupelo to be within 15 minutes away from my studio. Anyone that has special needs, please let Antoinette know so that she can be on the lookout for your needs.
There are several Air BnB Tupelo
Saltillo also have some places available
Let me know if you are interested in sharing with others when you register.
Saltillo
Entire house
Hideaway
There are camping facilities about 3 miles away from the studio at Campgrounds at Barnes Crossing
Check for flights to and from Tupelo Here
Nashville to Tupelo Regional Airport
Uber, Lyft in Tupelo, MS.
Rent a car at the Tupelo airport
Try to stay in a hotel or B&B either downtown Tupelo or on the northern side of Mainstreet. These hotels will bring you within a15-minute drive to Antoinettes’ studio in Saltillo in the heart of business.
Hotels in Tupelo |
Choose a place closer to the Northern side of Tupelo to be within 15 minutes away from my studio. Anyone that has special needs, please let Antoinette know so that she can be on the lookout for your needs.
There are several Air BnB Tupelo
Saltillo also have some places available
Let me know if you are interested in sharing with others when you register.
Saltillo
Entire house
Hideaway
There are camping facilities about 3 miles away from the studio at Campgrounds at Barnes Crossing
Check for flights to and from Tupelo Here
Nashville to Tupelo Regional Airport
Uber, Lyft in Tupelo, MS.
Rent a car at the Tupelo airport
Join me for an intensive week of porcelain exploration, learning and hands-on studio work.
October 18–24, 2026
Saltillo, Mississippi
10 places available
$867
RESERVE YOUR PLACE
Payment options available
Questions before registering?
[Contact Antoinette]
October 18–24, 2026
Saltillo, Mississippi
10 places available
$867
RESERVE YOUR PLACE
Payment options available
Questions before registering?
[Contact Antoinette]