Artist Statement
About my work…
I like to make pots with softly curving forms and rich stoneware glazes, which I develop myself. The variety of textures and colours is infinite, even within the softer, stoneware palette that I prefer, and how the glazes interact with each other and with the clay is endlessly intriguing.
I also have a fascination with scale, and the miniature jugs and nested bowls that I make have become something of a signature. I also make practical tableware and other essentially usable pieces that people seem to enjoy picking up and handling. As I don’t like throwing to a guide in order to produce rows of identical mugs or bowls, these also come in a range of sizes, so you can “try a mug on” and make sure it fits! The pots are designed to be easy to live with: dishwasher- and microwave-proof, as well as comfortable to hold and use.
About me…
As for me, I came to potting late, having spent far too long in IT, from programmer to IT manager. Increasingly stressful circumstances took their toll and in 2000, not long after moving north from Cardiff, I had a major breakdown. I joined the Arts on Prescription scheme in Stockport, which motivated me to leave the house once a week at least, and gave me back my ability to read, as well as the confidence to draw and paint for the first time since school. An Art and Design Foundation course at Stockport College followed, and in 2007 I graduated from MMU (now Manchester School of Art) with a BA in Three Dimensional Design, and established my own studio.
My experiences have made me a passionate advocate for the process of art as a means of therapy, and alongside my own creative practice I work with individuals and groups of all ages and backgrounds, many of whom have mental health problems, which allows me to “give something back”. Working in clay gives me a sense of peace and focus, and what could be more rewarding than sharing this with other people?
