Artist Statement
My work reflects a fascination with natural and manmade forms from the land and sea. I combine flowing lines and sweeping curves in the slab construction of my pieces.
Inspiration for my marine pieces started in my early childhood. I was born on the south coast of England and my formative years were often spent on the beach splashing in the sea, collecting shells and dipping into rock pools. I’m still a compulsive beachcomber and hoard collections of pebbles, shells and other natural forms such as seed heads and fossils. These have inspired sculptural pieces, sometimes to grow plants in or over, to use as water features, or to stand in their own right. My seahorses and fish in rich tones of blue evoke the underwater world. Delicate sea urchin and other shell forms complement these shapes in paler shades of white, mauve and turquoise.
I work from slabs of white or buff stoneware clay bodies, which are sometimes impressed with texture from man-made or natural objects, before cutting, forming and assembling into the finished piece. Larger pieces are sometimes carved into the surface to shape and define the form. Decoration is often added at the completed stage either as applied textured detail or as surface pattern with slips, oxides, resists, and glazes before firing.
The scale of my work varies from robust sculptures in warm rustic colours and natural surfaces, to finer, smaller pieces, often in a range of whites, blues and turquoises.
My work is fired in an electric kiln to between 1200C and 1280ºC. The high-fired pieces can be displayed outdoors as well as inside.
At present my work is not available from retail outlets, however it will be available for collection from my studio and from several planned events during 2021.
