CENTRE FOR MODERN & CONTEMPORARY
STUDIO CERAMICS AND ORIGINAL ARTWORK

I am a designer-maker based in Bristol combining the traditional craft of enamelling with fresh, clean, contemporary design.

Enamelling is the art of fusing glass onto metal. Watching an enamelled copper panel emerging from a kiln glowing red hot after being fired at a temperature of 800°C is always an exciting experience. As the metal cools the true colours of the panel emerge. It takes multiple short firings to create a finished piece of work.

My enamel panels are generally inspired by trees, flowers, leaves and seed heads, taking their shape and form in new directions through the creation of intricate hand-cut stencils. These stencils form the basis of many of my panel designs when enamel powder is sifted over these stencils onto the bare copper.

Enamel is a durable, strong, impervious and colourfast material which is well-suited for every room in the home or workspace from kitchen to bathroom, washroom to boardroom. The inherent qualities of the enamel, its sheen and its interplay with light bring something new and very tactile into any space.

With artists as parents, I grew up in a home filled with fine art and ceramics and with the smell of oil paint ever-present. I took a History of Art degree at Sheffield City Polytechnic followed by an MA in Museum Studies at Leicester University before working in a number of galleries and museums. In 2002 after the birth of my second child, and to take my life in a new direction, I began studying Enamelling one evening a week at the Bristol School of Art and Design, Filton College. I became a full-time enameller in 2006.

In the recent past I have taught Enamelling to adult education classes, but most of my spare time is taken up by my voluntary role as Co-ordinator of the Southbank Bristol Arts Trail.