Artist's Statement

I live and work in Dumfries & Galloway, South West Scotland where I produce sculptural and hand-thrown ceramics. I am also a lecturer and community artist.

Hand-thrown Range

I also produce and range of historically inspired thrown forms. Hand-thrown on a traditional kick wheel this range reflects my interest in historical ceramics. Decorated with specially prepared coloured glazes or smoke-fired.
Influences include Beaker pottery, Moravian and Bohemian antiquities, Romano-British and Medieval ceramics and Staffordshire slipware. Forms include bowls, dishes, jugs, urns, tea bowls and platters.

Ammonites

Ammonites lived on earth 400 million years ago right up until the time that the dinosaurs became extinct, a period of some 300 million years. Their fossil remains provide an enduring record of their diversity and beauty.
My sculptural pieces are created as a response to my fascination with ammonites and the spiral form.
I am interested in the relationship between the convex and the concave and the infinite energy creation and dispersal that spirals convey.

These pieces are created from specially prepared clays. They are hand made and come in various sizes. Within this range two styles of decorative finish are produced.

Stoneware. High-fired pieces with a variety of textural natural finishes produced by ceramic oxides and suitable for an outdoor environment.

Smoke-fired. Bisque fired pieces re-fired in smouldering sawdust where oxidation and reduction atmospheres within the fire produce entirely unique mottled markings on the ware. This range is suited to an indoor environment only.