Throwing in Sections with Tom Kemp

Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 January 2027, 10 am to 5 pm each day, including a one-hour lunch break
Course language: English

Tom Kemp has been throwing porcelain vessels for around 15 years. Over this weekend he will show you how to get past the limits of a single lump of clay on the wheel.

There are two ways to make large vessels. You can learn to get more height out of a single piece of clay, or you can throw several sections and join them into a vessel larger than anything you could throw in one piece. This course covers both.

Course outline

The first morning is devoted to the simplest basic form, the cylinder. You will practise throwing taller, with thin, even walls and without a heavy base, so that you use your clay deliberately instead of wasting it. In the afternoon you will apply this to larger forms and throw the first two sections of your vessel.

On the second day you will join these two sections, trim the vessel and refine it further. Alongside this, you will throw two or three more, larger sections, which you will also join together in the afternoon. If drying allows, you can trim and finish the large vessel at the end of the day.

By the end of the weekend you will know how to get more height out of less clay and how to plan and securely join a vessel made of several sections. This lets you make forms that are difficult or impossible to throw from a single piece.

What happens to your pieces

We bisque fire your pieces, so they come back unglazed. Large vessels need time to dry slowly and evenly, which is why they will be ready for collection at the studio after about five weeks. You can glaze them afterwards in our open studio; this is not included in the course price.

Requirements

This course is for intermediate throwers. You should be able to throw a cylinder from about 1 kg of clay with confidence and feel comfortable with the basic techniques on the wheel. It is not suitable for beginners. Tom teaches in English. [If applicable: basic English is enough, as much of the teaching happens through demonstration.]

Materials

Each participant has up to 12 kg of stoneware clay for the two days. If you would like to work with porcelain, you are welcome to; Tom will also use porcelain for his demonstrations. Switching to 12 kg of porcelain instead of stoneware costs an additional €42.

General information

Participants: minimum 5, maximum 10
Cancellation: You can cancel free of charge up to four weeks before the course starts. After that, the full course fee is due.
Minimum number: If fewer than five people sign up, we will cancel the course and refund the full amount.
Location: rami ceramics, Volkertplatz 15, 1020 Vienna
Contact: hello@rami-ceramics.com

About Tom Kemp

Tom Kemp is a British ceramic artist. He came to clay from calligraphy, having spent many years studying traditional Roman lettering and brush techniques before discovering the potter's wheel around 15 years ago. Today he works mainly with porcelain and large thrown vessels. He brings the precision of throwing together with what he carries over from lettering: movement and the gesture of the brush. He describes his work as "writing without language", writing that does without words and speaks through form. Alongside his own practice, he passes on his knowledge in courses, above all on large vessels and thin-walled porcelain forms.