An apprenticeship in France and several visits to Italy introduced me to the delights of earthenware and in particular tin-glazed ware, often referred to as ‘maiolica’. Additional training at Harrow School of Art refined and developed my skills and confirmed my commitment to low-fired pottery. The attraction of maiolica for me lies in its unique qualities - a softness, depth and luminosity of glaze and colour not to be found in other ceramic techniques, the transformation of the pigments in the firing, and the variations of intensity and texture of the pigments as they fuse and shift with the glaze. The many variable elements – body, glaze and pigment thickness, firing temperature – all conspire to create continual surprises on opening the kiln.
I make a range of thrown, and sometimes hand-built, painted tin-glazed earthenware which combine an awareness of historical precedents with a passion for plants. Other sources of inspiration include textile designs and early Islamic ceramics.
Although I still work with a broad colour palette, I have also discovered the delights of working with a much more limited palette – often just shades of blue or black, relying on tonal values rather than brilliant colours for effect. I also find that, having worked for a while with this more restrained palette, I tend to approach my polychrome work in a more economical and simple way, working with the pigments as I would with watercolours.
