Landscape is pivotal to my work, expressed in an oblique way. A distillation of my responses to mud and weather, the transient moments of sun and season, and the clay in my hand.
There was a time when my work referenced landscape more directly.
Landscape is still pivotal for me, but now in a more internal, abstracted and oblique way.
The clay structure is the earthy foundation, the surface marks, colours and textures are transient moments of weather and light, season and time.
I am constantly on a quest for the right resonating frequency, a human response, something describing nature and the rightness of it.
A search for truth.
The finished works might be described as having strongly contrasting different appearances. Some, using glazes and brighter colours, look very different to the unglazed pieces, where contrasting slips highlight the exterior surface textures.
Despite the contrasts, there’s an underlying consistency in intent, and a continued connection to landscape. I follow my inspiration, always building by hand, finding different paths towards the same goal, moving across the different terrain with a variety of responses.
This is from an earlier attempt to describe the why and wherefore of my work:
​
'From my studio in a shallow dip of rolling farmland, I witness the enduring landscape exposed to the weather, the changing seasons, and passing of the sun. I glimpse the progress of wild creatures in the margins and ponder on the various traces of human life.'
​
I live and work in north Essex, my studio is surrounded by farmland.
During Higher Education I studied Fine Art and became interested in ceramics.
My education included a diploma by Independent study, where I concentrated on ceramics. I lived for many years in London, where I made ceramics sporadically, in makeshift studios, while I earned my living working in the building trade, as a plasterer and decorator.
Moving back to my roots, I have for the last few years been a dedicated artist, producing a variety of ceramics, exhibiting in galleries across the UK.
