Path and Inspiration
I like to take traditional objects such as bowls and vases and push their evolution beyond the usual to form interesting shapes with modern decorative techniques. After a very successful exhibition in Totnes of my altered vases, I have moved on to creating Japanese style bowls - lightweight and with narrow foot rings. These are tricky to make and take a lot of practice to get the curvature just right - a nice concave shape on the inside, but with a straight or even slightly convex outer shape.Process and Practice
I work out of a 2 x 2m shed in my garden. Small but a lovely space looking out over a maple tree. I throw my pieces on the wheel in white stoneware or porcelain. Each piece takes a lot of time, as I work hard to produce the right form - a traditional bowl shaped interior but with a flatter curve on the outside. Doing this while keeping the piece light takes quite a bit of time. I then decorate with underglazes and the. Scrape back or use paper resist to create interesting decorative effects.
