Introduction to Wheel-Throwing Porcelain
Taught by Jo Davies
1-day, 9:30-5, 4 spaces, East London, £255 per person, inclusive of all materials, tools, kiln firings and tuition.
Friday 9 August 2024
This course is a full day of working through the fundamentals of throwing with porcelain and has been designed to de-mystify a clay that has a reputation for being temperamental. However, the only reason for this reputation is because budding ceramicists will often approach the clay with a lack of knowledge which then results in unwanted outcomes. This really is overcome easily with a little knowledge so, contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to be absolutely proficient in throwing ahead of even trying porcelain - this is simply a myth that keeps people from learning. If you’re curious you should just try it and see. The worst that will happen is that learning about porcelain will improve your approach to other clays for reasons that will become clear during this workshop taught by Jo Davies.
Jo will take you through simple porcelain-clay preparation to special considerations around the centering and compression of porcelain, as well as after-care that will make the difference between warped or cracked porcelain items and pieces that keep their integrity. The day will be a combination of practical advice, demonstrations from Jo and wheel-throwing practice for students.
Trimming will be demonstrated at the end of the day but you should book onto a Freewheel Session (see below) at the studio if you wish to trim the items you have made - pots will not be dry enough to trim on the same day (please note these are subject to availability so please do book ahead to avoid disappointment). You do not need to have worked with porcelain before, you just need to have had a little experience with throwing. As with all our courses we welcome people looking to extend their knowledge and understand that you are coming for a learning experience so we don't expect you to be perfect, just happy to learn!
Masterclasses in Wheel-Throwing
Taught by Jo Davies
One to one, in-person class with Jo Davies. Please get in touch to discuss dates and times. Takes place in either the Jo Davies London Teaching Studio or Herefordshire on flexible dates
£165 per 2 hr session, inclusive of all materials, equipment and firings (supplementary fee for firings at the Hereford site)
These bespoke one to one wheel-throwing classes are designed for people who have some experience of wheel-throwing and wish to improve or tackle particular recurring issues in their throwing such as, although not exclusively, problems with consistency in centring, pulling up, gaining more height in their pots or generally throwing at a larger scale. Many of Jo Davies’ students find that after one or two sessions of troubleshooting issues during these sessions their technique is much improved. This is largely because a concentrated time is dedicated to observing and discussing your technique and what can be improved. Often the improvements that can be made are small rather than fundamental but these tweaks and adjustments make a huge difference and can only be observed by someone with a lot of experience. These sessions are not there to change your technique wholesale but to work with you in order to build on what you have. As a studio we understand that there is only so much that observing other potters will give you and there comes a point where your technique needs to be observed so that unconscious and accidental mistakes can be remedied.
A single or short series of lessons may be preferred. These sessions are scheduled at times that suit both parties so please do get in touch to discuss timing.
Please get in touch to discuss your learning requirements and to discuss a convenient time on jo@jo-davies.com or use the form below.
The majority of Master Classes take place at the Jo Davies Teaching Studio in East London but Master Classes can now be offered in Herefordshire in the West Midlands. Please let us know if you would prefer to take the class in Hereford.