I was introduced to pottery-making in 2011 by Oxford-based ceramic artist Gilly Whittington when she invited me to take part in the taster class she was arranging.
I went, fell in love with the feel and texture of clay and in no time had converted a tiny space in my then-house into a small but functional studio. A year or two later I bought her elderly electric kiln when she acquired a newer one.
After an early trial on the wheel — my first pot was a success and still holds pens and pencils on my desk, my second attempt flew off the wheel to the far side of the studio — I decided to stick to handbuilding and devoted many hours to practising. They paid off as I began exhibiting and selling my work.
Then I moved to Greece and pottery-making became more difficult, partly because I couldn’t find the clays I was used to working with but more importantly my smoke-firing practice became impractical — given the high risk of wild fires during the dry summers, Greece has, and rightly so, very strict rules about burning anything outside a strictly-enforced winter period.
However, I’m now learning how to work within the restrictions and have started making again.
Watch this space for new work soon…