East Dorset Potters

Path and Inspiration

I grew up on the mudflats of the northern Solway Firth, where my creative journey began early - selling handmade clay hedgehogs for 2p at the garden gate when I was four. After a 50-year break from clay, during which I earned a Fine Art (Studio Practice) and Art History degree (Goldsmiths), I’ve finally returned to working with ceramics, thanks to the guidance of the talented Jemma Wyllie.

Today, I’m inspired by the forms, patterns, and colours found in nature as I explore the possibilities of vessels in clay.

Process and Practice

My making process is fluid and intuitive. I’ll spend a day throwing and turning, then let the pieces rest while I decide their next direction—whether that’s adding underglaze, slip, or glaze, or even building onto them by hand. I don’t begin with a fixed idea; instead, I allow the work to evolve naturally.

Inspiration strikes from all corners - architecture often feeds my imagination, and one memorable season was fuelled by French carousels. Last year, I explored the humble eggcup. More recently, I’ve been bringing drawing into my ceramic work, influenced by the forms and movement I observe during yoga - the shapes bodies make in motion and stillness..