About
From a Dartmoor-based studio, I specialize in crafting porcelain vessels and tableware using Cornish stoneware and porcelain. My artistic process involves utilizing the saggar firing technique, which entails placing carefully prepared pots into a container known as a saggar. Alongside them, I incorporate locally sourced combustible materials such as pine cones, beech nuts, grasses, fungi, ferns, seaweed from the Devon coast, wood shavings, and naturally occurring minerals. The saggar is then fired in a gas kiln, enabling the combustibles to burn away, leaving distinct and captivating natural surface patterns on each piece.
Unlike raku or glazing, the fascinating colors and intricate patterns of saggar-fired pottery emerge gradually from the moment the kiln is ignited until the pot has completely cooled. The tableware I create is crafted from high-fired porcelain or Cornish Stoneware, ensuring their longevity and functionality. To enhance their practicality, each piece is sealed for stain resistance, food safety, and is conveniently dishwasher-safe.
Saggar Fired Ceramic Art Vessels
Saggar Fired Sealed Earth Tableware
My Pots
Living in a traditional pottery region in Japan ignited my curiosity for ceramics and inspired me to delve deeper into the medium. Upon returning to the UK, I had the privilege of training with the renowned Raku potter Bruce Chivers, allowing me to enrich my knowledge and skills.
The allure of the potter's wheel and the physicality involved in throwing captivate me. The tactile experience of shaping clay on a wheel is both invigorating and fulfilling. It requires finesse, precision, and a connection between myself and the materials. The challenges presented by the wheel drive me to constantly refine my technique and explore new possibilities.
The sagger, containing pottery and natural materials collected from Dartmoor and the Devon coast, is sealed and placed in a gas kiln for a slow firing process. As the firing progresses, the natural materials undergo a transformation, releasing color, pattern, and texture that imbue the pottery. The elements interact with the clay, resulting in surfaces that are unique and cannot be replicated. This process creates pottery pieces that bear a connection to their origin and possess individual character.
