Throwing and Handbuilding Techniques for a Complex Material
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
Fee: $115 (includes lab fee for individual materials used for each student.
Bring:
Porcelain clay, 25# block of porcelain Cone 5-6 if you plan on firing at our studio, Cone 10 if you are taking to a reduction studio for firing. We can bisque fire at Cone 04-05 for non-members for a firing fee. Recommended mid-fire bodies available at Portland Pottery:
#15 Porcelain Cone 6 Translucent porcelain. An excellent grolleg body for throwing thin pieces.
#16 Grolleg Porcelain Cone 6 Grolleg Cone 6 porcelain. similar to #15 with more ball clay, making it less white, more plastic and forgiving. Additional silica reduces crazing in some glazes. good for slab forming.
Tools for fine detail
Throwing tools
Apron
Porcelain’s clarity and translucency come at a price—this workshop demystifies how to handle it with intention and care. Through demonstrations and guided making, participants will learn techniques to throw, trim, alter, and handbuild porcelain forms with confidence. Emphasis will be placed on drying strategies, thin wall construction, joining methods, and refining surfaces for glaze success.
About the instructor: Charlotte Middleton is a ceramic artist based in southern Maine. She holds a BFA in Sculpture and Education from Wheaton College Massachusetts, and an MFA in Ceramics from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Charlotte apprenticed for two years with Ellen Shankin in Floyd, Virginia- an experience she describes as the most formative in understanding the dedication and discipline required to be a potter. Her work has been recognized with numerous fellowships and awards, including a Hixson-Lied School of Art Creative and Activity Grant and, most recently, the Vreeland Scholarship Award for Meritorious and Creative Work. She has completed residencies at respected craft institutions such as Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and the Lamar Dodd School of Art in Cortona, Italy. Her writing and ceramic work have been featured in leading publications including Pottery Making Illustrated and Ceramics Monthly. Charlotte teaches and is building a studio in southern Maine, where she lives with her partner, Eddie, and their dog, Aunt Nellie.
Instagram: @charlottelmiddleton_
Website: middletonstudio.net
Throwing and Handbuilding Techniques for a Complex Material
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
Fee: $115 (includes lab fee for individual materials used for each student.
Bring:
Porcelain clay, 25# block of porcelain Cone 5-6 if you plan on firing at our studio, Cone 10 if you are taking to a reduction studio for firing. We can bisque fire at Cone 04-05 for non-members for a firing fee. Recommended mid-fire bodies available at Portland Pottery:
#15 Porcelain Cone 6 Translucent porcelain. An excellent grolleg body for throwing thin pieces.
#16 Grolleg Porcelain Cone 6 Grolleg Cone 6 porcelain. similar to #15 with more ball clay, making it less white, more plastic and forgiving. Additional silica reduces crazing in some glazes. good for slab forming.
Tools for fine detail
Throwing tools
Apron
Porcelain’s clarity and translucency come at a price—this workshop demystifies how to handle it with intention and care. Through demonstrations and guided making, participants will learn techniques to throw, trim, alter, and handbuild porcelain forms with confidence. Emphasis will be placed on drying strategies, thin wall construction, joining methods, and refining surfaces for glaze success.
About the instructor: Charlotte Middleton is a ceramic artist based in southern Maine. She holds a BFA in Sculpture and Education from Wheaton College Massachusetts, and an MFA in Ceramics from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Charlotte apprenticed for two years with Ellen Shankin in Floyd, Virginia- an experience she describes as the most formative in understanding the dedication and discipline required to be a potter. Her work has been recognized with numerous fellowships and awards, including a Hixson-Lied School of Art Creative and Activity Grant and, most recently, the Vreeland Scholarship Award for Meritorious and Creative Work. She has completed residencies at respected craft institutions such as Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and the Lamar Dodd School of Art in Cortona, Italy. Her writing and ceramic work have been featured in leading publications including Pottery Making Illustrated and Ceramics Monthly. Charlotte teaches and is building a studio in southern Maine, where she lives with her partner, Eddie, and their dog, Aunt Nellie.
Instagram: @charlottelmiddleton_
Website: middletonstudio.net
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