I have had a passion for clay since school and after a few career changes I finally set up my ceramics studio in 1996.
I enjoy making hand-built vessels, bowls and dishes by using coils, slabs or a combination using white stoneware clay. Before the first firing, I apply slip to the surface of the piece which I then burnish to give a smooth, shiny finish. The pieces are then bisque fired in an electric kiln, and then smoke -fired in sawdust, wood shavings or newspaper. I use various materials to resist the smoke, such as string, masking tape and wax, which burn away in the firing to make patterns on the pots. The pieces are then waxed to give them a deeper shine.
I love the way the smoke penetrates the pots and becomes part of them, and also that it cannot really be controlled; I am never sure how a piece will turn out until it is removed from the ashes. This also means that each piece is totally unique.
As the smoke firing is an organic process, the pots should not be left in direct sunlight as it can fade the markings. The pots will also benefit from an occasional polish with clear wax.
As well as studio ceramics, I have been involved in workshops and demonstrations for both adults and children. For the past two years I have been the artist in residence at a primary school in Southampton for Big Arts Week. Big Arts Week is a national event where artists volunteer to go into schools and take part in an arts project. Previous projects have been making Mythical Creatures and making a ceramic tile mural based on a Victorian Garden. I have also been involved in other schools’ Art Weeks including working at a special needs school.
I am a member of the Southern Ceramic Group and have exhibited at various galleries across the South of England.