CENTRE FOR MODERN & CONTEMPORARY
STUDIO CERAMICS AND ORIGINAL ARTWORK

As soon as I discovered the process of pit firing I knew that it was a way of working that I strongly identified with, and I felt that I had found my creative direction. I am excited by its endless possibilities, by the fact that the pieces seem to have been created by nature itself, by the organic material, the seaweed, and the element of fire, with its power to transform the surface of the clay into a myriad of different patterns and colours.

The technique is a marriage between the artist and chance, experimentation and observation, where discovery becomes as significant as invention, and failures should be seen as just part of the process of learning. Each piece that is unearthed from the ashes is totally unique and I am inspired and intrigued by the fact that the beauty of nature itself seems have been encapsulated into the work when the elements interact. Consequently I am constantly striving to create forms that mirror the simplicity and balance evident all around us in the natural world, so that surface and form become seamlessly unified, as in nature.

In my life I enjoy taking risks and chances, going on long journeys of discovery, and travelling to places where few people venture. By working in this way I am able to find the same challenges and adventure in my creative life, and I hope that my work conveys and retains the excitement and enthusiasm I feel when I am making it.