Small-group, hands-on workshops rooted in my own studio practice. Beyond technique, you’ll learn how to see, think, and analyse the process – giving you a deeper understanding and the confidence to keep working long after the course ends.
Pickup currently not available
Workshop description
This 4-day intensive workshop is designed to give you a solid foundation in wheel throwing so you can continue practising with confidence on your own. We’ll move step by step through the essentials – from preparing clay and centring, to throwing core forms and refining finished pieces – always with an eye on how you work: your hands, your pace, and whats comfortable for you.
Learning to throw is as much about your state of mind as it is about how your hands work. Throughout the course we’ll slow things down, build good habits, and help you feel truly at home on the wheel.
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?
This course is aimed at beginner to intermediate throwers – from complete newcomers to those who’ve already started but want to deepen their fundamentals. Teaching is tailored to each student, with a maximum of 10 participants so there’s plenty of individual attention.
Included extras
- Welcome and goodbye aperitivos
- Lunches
- Relaxing sound meditations with live piano, voice and singing bowls
- Optional body presence morning sessions
Practical info
Travel information
The nearest airports are Nurnburg, Frankfurt or Munich. We can help you with airport transfers and finding accomodation. My studio is located next to Hassfurt, Bavaria, Germany.
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
- Lunch is included: fresh, vegetarian food (please let us know any allergies in advance)
Contact
Questions Before You Decide?
Please email me at: info@tomdarbydesign.com
Pickup currently not available
Workshop description
This course will teach you everything you need to create natural, flowing leaf-rimmed bowls in the style I make in my own studio. We’ll cover every stage of the process: throwing the base forms, pulling and shaping the leaf rim, sculpting and trimming the foot, and how to recognise and avoid common issues along the way. I will demonstrate each step in detail, giving you a clear, practical example before you work on your own pieces.
You’ll create a selection of forms, building deep, hands-on knowledge of the technique so you can confidently apply it in your own work. With a maximum of 10 students, there’s plenty of individual attention and support throughout, and we’ll be working on top-of-the-line Rohde HMT 600 wheels.
As an added bonus, we’ll also incorporate sound integration sessions to help us centre ourselves and find presence at the wheel - an essential part of working with this technique and bringing intention into every piece.
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 course requires a basic level of wheel-throwing experience and is ideal for people who are comfortable throwing 1 kg of clay or more.
Included extras
- Welcome and goodbye aperitivos
- Lunches
- Relaxing sound meditations with live piano, voice and singing bowls.
- Optional body presence morning sessions
Practical info
Travel information
The nearest airports are Nurnburg, Frankfurt or Munich. We can help you with airport transfers and finding accomodation. My studio is located next to Hassfurt, Bavaria, Germany.
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.