Artistic Statement

I started pottery as a hobby 40 years ago. I began with hand-building and then developed skills on the wheel. I worked a lot with red earthenware clay and developed designs using majolica glaze and oxides.

I moved to the North East in 2002, having taken early retirement from teaching, and thought my days of pottery were in the past. I have many other hobbies. However, 5 years ago I discovered a local pottery studio and I have been hooked ever since. I now work mainly in stoneware and white earthenware clays and mainly hand build using slabs, coils and moulds. I love constructing forms/shapes with clay in various states, either soft coils or leather hard sections. I rely on decorating techniques rather than glazes, on most pieces. I use a clear glaze as the decoration for me is the most important part. I have an interest in printing and textile design and use this as an inspiration for decorating my ceramics. On stoneware clay I use coloured slips to decorate, sometimes in a very fluid way with brushes and sometimes in a more precise way using the scragfitto technique. On white earthenware clay I make use of vibrant coloured underglazes to create designs inspired by textiles and photos taken on my travels.

I love working with clay, to create individual pieces, but for me the sheer delight is decorating the pots, whether it is painting onto the surface or carving into the coloured slips.