I am a studio potter living and working in North Norfolk. After a career working in film art departments, I decided to switch paths and over three years took various pottery courses in London. I moved back to Norfolk in 2013 to raise a family and set up my own studio.
My work explores subtle variations of form, pattern and colour, and takes inspiration from ceramics and sculptures from antiquity to the present, as well as patterns, textiles, drawings, paintings and nature’s constantly shifting displays. I am always experimenting. There is a common theme but many pieces are unique due to spontaneity in the making and chance events in the kiln. Consequently some pieces are unrepeatable. But it is this unknowing alchemy and freedom that excites me and often drives the work in new directions. I can then concentrate on refining ideas into pieces that are both beautiful and functional.
I throw on the wheel and will join forms together to make some of the larger items. To some pieces I apply a coloured slip and then carve back into it to reveal the clay beneath; a process called 'sgraffito'. With others I use mixes of slips and glazes to achieve depth of texture and colour.
Most of the pots have a semi-matt glaze and are twice-fired in an electric kiln. Various types of clay are used which give diverse qualities to the finished pieces from smooth and precise to rough and weathered, like worn stone. While I keep within the bounds of functional pottery, my use of the materials is constantly evolving as I regularly reimagine and rework my designs.
