Pottery – one of the oldest crafts known to humankind, with a long archeological history dating back to 29,000BC. The tactile nature of clay has lent itself to the hands of artisans all over the world for millennia.
Throughout the rise and fall of civilisations, pots of all shapes and sizes have made themselves useful in homes for their use in the storage of food, water, utensils, and other objects, or simply as beautiful works of art to be admired.
My approach to wheel throwing is systematic and rigorous, with the best pots achieved only through repetition, failed forms and new insights.
For every pot you see finished on a shelf, plinth, or glass case, there are around five that don’t make the cut. The reasons vary and failures occur at every stage of the long making cycle, the most common being an unsatisfactory shape.
The forms I throw take inspiration from any number of ancient and modern cultures whose pottery survives in the history books, online catalogues, and museums.
As the history of pottery is so rich and varied it is hard to pinpoint any one style or period which captivates me the most, although I have a soft spot for the ceramics of Ancient Egypt and Rome, particularly large urns and anything with lugs on it.
Lately, I have made a foray into glaze making and so this remains a whole world to be explored. Throwing is my main method of expression with clay and this continues with a daily discipline and commitment to the craft.
As of 2024, I am exploring many commercial clays and their unique characteristics. I throw with no less than three different types of stoneware, and so my tubs of reclaimed clay have become hybrid blends with additions that give me new clays to trial each month.
My focus for the next year is primarily in the construction of larger pots and formulating new glazes for them. I hope to continue this craft for as long as possible.
