Portfolio
Journeys from land to sea are reflected in my work.
How it all started
I fell in love with clay 20 years ago and prefer a painterly, experimental approach when building and glazing my work. This can often backfire and leave me with nothing but coloured chards but it always pushes me to the next level. I alter the form and use coloured slips to build the surface. My firing process can be hard on the work as I tumble stack bisque fired pieces in a saggar chamber and fire to 1800’F. I often use Kintsugi gold repair to highlight imperfections and repair cracks which I view as desirable and natural and enhance the timeless quality my work. I saggar fire my pieces outdoors in a small Raku kiln with combustibles, salt and oxides. This mixture creates a mineral rich atmosphere: copper reds and cobalt blues invade the surface of each highly burnished piece. The colour on the pot is actually ‘created by the fire’. I am inspired by Anasazi, Pueblo and preColumbian pottery. While living in Albuquerque and travelling in Mexico and South America I have had the opportunity to study many of these pieces. I have even produced ancient looking tea bowls for the shaman of the TV Series 12 Monkeys!
“My favourite pieces are large scale vessels and wall sculptures made by a combination of wheel throwing hand building and slip casting.”
Technical Notes
Saggar fired pots have a satin matt finish and are sealed with Carnauba wax. Since they are not glazed they don’t hold water or food. They are intended for decorative use only. Saggar firing is similar to Raku ware but relies on careful burnished surface of terra sigillata to achieve the satin appearance. The term ‘saggar’ comes from traditional use of a chamber inside the kiln to protect the piece from the ash and flame. Paradoxically the contemporary use of a saggar keeps my combustibles, salt and oxides close to the work and results in the beautiful markings of the flame.
