Emma sculpts a range of garden ornaments inspired by seed heads and British flowers, all infused with her love of texture.
She developed her passion for clay during childhood, using clay from her garden and attending a weekly pottery class. She completed a Foundation Diploma at Wimbledon School of Art and gained a Degree in Textile Design at Loughborough School of Art. In 2014, Emma returned to clay, as her preferred medium and found ways to express her design ideas through ceramics. During her degree, Emma explored pattern and texture which still informs her ceramic style today.
Emma utilises various tools in addition to her handmade stamps and linocuts to impress repeating patterns into the soft clay to create a variety of surfaces. These textures are then enhanced by the glazes she has developed. During the firing, her pale turquoise-green glaze leaves a wonderful toasty orange halo on the surrounding unglazed clay, adding depth to the impressions, while her bronze glaze catches the sunlight. These natural colours complement the flower bed.
Her pieces are intended to be enjoyed in the garden all year round and Emma encourages viewers to stop and notice the subtle differences in the appearance of the bronze glaze as the colour of the sun changes depending on the time of day, season and weather. The bird baths and drinkers capture beautiful reflections that ripple in the breeze. Her work is high-fired to 1250C, making them very frost resistant and are designed to be outside all winter.
