Learn to make your pieces look impressive and feel artistic. Be a part of workshops rooted in my own studio practice. Refine your eye for design and understand what makes your pieces elegant. Intimate group sizes for exclusive guidance. These sessions give you the clarity and confidence to keep progressing long after the course ends.
Pickup currently not available
Workshop description
4-Day Wheel Throwing Foundations
Stop guessing on the wheel. Build a foundation you can trust. leave with a repeatable process, a trained eye, and the confidence to keep progressing on the wheel.
In four days, you’ll learn to:
- Centre with more ease (posture + hand positions that actually support you)
- Throw core forms the right way (cylinders, bowls, cups, vases)
- Shape with more control (so results become repeatable, not accidental)
- Trim and refine your forms (clean lines, subtle texture, finished feet)
- Diagnose problems early - and correct them while you throw
Over four focused days, we’ll strip wheel throwing back to the essentials and rebuild it step by step: centring, pulling, shaping, and refining - with plenty of repetition so the skills stick.
This isn’t a class where you copy a demo and hope it works at home. You’ll learn why things happen, what to look for, and what to do when things go off track.
Our secret tools to your success on the wheel
Body presence - gives you control, awareness and connection on the wheel
Sound integration - rejuvenates + increases your focus and builds muscle memory
Studio & schedule
- 4 consecutive days, 9:00–17:00 (last hour for cleaning down and questions)
- Professional Rohde HMT 600 wheels
- High-fired stoneware clay and studio tools included
- Daily vegetarian lunch: fresh, nourishing meals to keep you fuelled through the day.
Curriculum
Day 1 – Clay, Centring & Cylinders
Introduction to the studio, tools, materials, wedging and preparing clay, centring of the wheel: posture, hand positions and common mistakes, throwing cylinders.
Day 2 – Bowls, Cups & Wall Control
Revisiting centring and cylinders to build muscle memory, throwing bowls and cups: opening, shaping curves and refining rims, working on even wall thickness, correcting common problems as they appear.
Day 3 – Taller Forms & Repetition
Throwing taller cylinders and simple vases, working in series to build consistency, refining shapes: subtle curves, proportions and profiles, introduction to trimming: when pieces are ready, basic tools and principles.
Day 4 – Trimming, Finishing & Next Steps
Trimming your pieces: turning feet, refining profiles, using chucks where needed, soft surface refinement with ribs, sponges and simple textures, selecting your best pieces to be fired and finished in the studio.
Who is it for?
It’s for you if…
- You’re new to the wheel and want to start properly
- You’ve already begun, but progress feels inconsistent
- You want more control, cleaner forms, and better shaping
- You want your work to feel more intentional - more refined
What sets this workshop apart
- Daily vegetarian lunch: fresh, nourishing meals to keep you fuelled through the day.
- Live sound meditations: piano, voice, and singing bowls - a gentle way to let the day’s learning settle in.
- Optional morning body-presence sessions: gentle grounding to prepare you for the wheel.
Getting here
Travel information
The nearest airports are Nuremberg, Frankfurt, and Munich. If you’d like, we can help you organise transfers from the airport or train station, and support you with finding and booking accommodation nearby.
Contact
Questions Before You Decide?
Please email me at: info@tomdarbydesign.com
Pickup currently not available
Workshop description
Learn the full technique behind my leaf-rimmed bowls - and leave able to make them on your own.
In this workshop you’ll learn the full process behind my leaf-rimmed bowls - using the same techniques I’ve developed through my studio practice. We’ll move step by step through the full process, with clear demonstrations before you begin so you’re never guessing.
We’ll cover:
- Throwing different base forms (built for stability and movement)
- Pulling and shaping the leaf rim using different techniques
- Refining the edge and controlling the “flow” of the rim
- Trimming and sculpting the foot using various thrown chucks
- Spotting common issues early and how to avoid them
How you’ll learn:
- I demonstrate each stage in detail, then guide you as you work
- You’ll make a small series of bowls for repetition and real understanding
- You’ll leave with a technique you can apply confidently in your own work
Small group, high support
- Maximum of 10 students for plenty of individual attention
- Thrown on professional Rohde HMT 600 wheels
Sound integration
- Sound sessions to help you integrate what you've learned and find presence while working - a powerful support for this technique, where sensitivity and presence make all the difference
Studio & schedule - 3 0r 5 consecutive days, 9:00–17:00 (last hour for cleaning down and questions)
- Professional Rohde HMT 600 wheels
- Stoneware clay and studio tools included
- Daily vegetarian lunch: fresh, nourishing meals to keep you fuelled through the day.
Curriculum: 3-day workshops
Day 1 – Form & Foundations
Introduction to leaf-rimmed bowls, looking at different bowl shapes and throwing the base forms you’ll use for the rest of the course.
Day 2 – Building the Leaf Rim
Learning how to pull and shape the leaf rim: hand positions, water management, and creating a natural, flowing edge on your thrown pieces.
Day 3 – Sculpting & Finishing
Carving, sculpting, and trimming your bowls, then refining the surfaces with tools, sponges, and brushes to bring each piece together.
Curriculum: 5-day workshops
Day 1 – Form & Foundations
Introduction to leaf-rimmed bowls, looking at different bowl shapes and throwing the base forms you’ll use for the rest of the course.
Day 2 – Advanced Throwing
Continuing throwing practice with more complex shapes and techniques, focusing on control, consistency, and solving common wheel issues.
Day 3 – Building the Leaf Rim
Learning how to pull and shape the leaf rim: hand positions, water management, and creating a natural, flowing edge on your thrown pieces.
Day 4 – Developing Form & Surface
Refining your leaf rims and beginning to carve and sculpt the bowls, adding movement, dynamics, and trimming the foot using various chucks.
Day 5 – Sculpting & Finishing
Final sculpting, trimming, and surface refinement with tools, sponges, and brushes, bringing each piece to a finished, cohesive form.
Who is it for?
This workshop is best suited to students with basic wheel-throwing experience.
Ideally, you’re comfortable throwing 500g of clay or more, so you can focus on learning the leaf-rim technique rather than the fundamentals.
Included extras
- Daily vegetarian lunch: fresh, nourishing meals to keep you fuelled through the day.
- Live sound meditations: piano, voice, and singing bowls - a gentle way to let the day’s learning settle in.
- Optional morning body-presence sessions: gentle grounding to prepare you for the day.
Practical info
Travel information
The nearest airports are Nuremberg, Frankfurt, and Munich. If you’d like, we can help you organise transfers from the airport or train station, and support you with finding and booking accommodation nearby.
Contact
Questions Before You Decide?
Please email me at: info@tomdarbydesign.com
Pickup currently not available
Workshop description
Throwing Large Forms in Sections
Move beyond the limits of a single thrown form. Learn how to build larger, more ambitious pieces on the wheel with planning, structure, and control.
Small group format
Due to the nature of this technique, each student will work across two wheels - one for throwing and one for joining, shaping and building the form.
This means group sizes are kept intentionally small, spaces are highly limited, and each participant receives a high level of individual guidance throughout the workshop.
If you’re interested in learning this technique, this is a rare opportunity to study the process in a focused, hands-on setting with plenty of 1:1 support.
In four days, you’ll learn to:
- Design a large form before you begin throwing
- Create templates to guide height, width, curve and proportion
- Break a large piece down into manageable thrown sections
- Understand how to manage wall thickness in larger pieces
- Throw a clay pad to secure bats to the wheel
- Throw the different sections of your form using your template as a guide
- Use the point-and-valley method to attach sections securely
- Shape the joined sections using your template as a guide
- Manage drying stages and moisture levels between sections
- Refine joins so the piece feels like one continuous form
- Trim, support and finish larger pieces with more confidence
Over four focused days, we’ll break down the full process of throwing large forms in sections: designing, templating, throwing, joining, shaping, trimming and surface finishing.
This isn’t about simply making something bigger. It’s about understanding how to build a large form with structure - so each section supports the next, the proportions stay balanced, and the finished piece feels whole.
You’ll learn how to plan before you throw, how to judge when each section is ready to attach, which wall thickness gives larger pieces the support they need, and how to use templates to keep control of the form as it grows.
Our secret tools to your success on the wheel
Template-led throwing - gives you a clear visual guide so you can build larger forms with more accuracy and success.
Point-and-valley joining - a keyed joining technique that helps sections interlock before being compressed into one continuous form.
Moisture control - teaches you when to throw, when to wait, and when to attach, so the structure can support itself as it grows.
Structural wall thickness - helps you understand how much clay to leave in the walls so larger forms have enough strength without becoming heavy or difficult to trim and refine.
Studio schedule
- 4 consecutive days, 9:00–17:00
- Professional Rohde HMT 600 wheels
- High-fired stoneware clay and studio tools included
- Daily vegetarian lunch: fresh, nourishing meals to keep you fuelled through the day.
Curriculum: 4-day workshop
Day 1:
We’ll design the form, draw templates, break the shape into sections, and throw the first parts.
Day 2:
We’ll attach the lower sections, shape them using the template, and throw the next section.
Day 3:
We’ll continue building, attaching, shaping, and refining the form as it grows.
Day 4:
We’ll cover trimming larger pieces, surface finishing, refining joins, and preparing the piece for drying and firing.
The workshop will focus on planning, proportion, joining, moisture control, and building confidence with larger forms.
Who is it for?
This workshop is best suited to potters who already have a basic foundation on the wheel and can comfortably throw 1kg of clay or more.
You don’t need to be an advanced thrower, but you should already be able to centre, pull walls, and throw simple forms with some control.
This workshop is ideal if you want to:
- Move beyond smaller pots
- Build taller, larger, more ambitious forms
- Understand how to throw in sections
- Learn how to plan a form before making it
- Improve your control over proportion, structure and wall thickness
- Gain more confidence with joining, shaping and refining larger pieces
It’s not designed as a beginner wheel-throwing course. If you’re still learning how to centre or throw a basic cylinder, the 4-Day Wheel Throwing Foundations workshop would be a great place to start.
Included extras
- Daily vegetarian lunch: fresh, nourishing meals to keep you fuelled through the day.
Practical info
Travel information
The nearest airports are Nuremberg, Frankfurt, and Munich. If you’d like, we can help you organise transfers from the airport or train station, and support you with finding and booking accommodation nearby.
Contact
Questions Before You Decide?
Please email me at: info@tomdarbydesign.com
A word from a few previous attendees
About me
Working with me in the studio
First of all, here's a little backstory on me.
I'm originally trained as a fine art and furniture maker. I discovered clay almost by chance. What began as a taster class soon became my passion. The immediacy of the material, its responsiveness to touch, and its ability to flow into form drew me into an ongoing, innovative dialogue with the wheel and hand-building techniques.
Before establishing myself as a ceramic artist, I worked with Marc Fish, a renowned UK furniture designer and maker whose work is exhibited in galleries and art shows worldwide. I also collaborated with Millimetre, an award-winning design and fabrication company known for working with artists, architects, and engineers on cutting-edge projects. Later, I deepened my connection to ceramics while working as a teacher and studio assistant for Corrie Bain, an acclaimed ceramic artist at her ceramics school and BCN Clay Studio in Barcelona.
My teaching philosophy
Wheel throwing isn’t only about technique – it’s also about state of mind.
My approach is calm, practical and hands-on. We slow things down, build strong habits, and make the wheel feel understandable – so you can repeat results, not just hope for them.
I work closely with each student, adjusting posture, hand position, pressure and pace to suit your body and the way you learn. But I’m not only teaching processes – I’m teaching you how to think at the wheel: how to read the clay, understand the form, and make decisions with intention.
Clarity matters. When you understand what’s happening, progress becomes faster and more consistent – and that foundation stays with you long after the workshop ends.