Current Work

My main preoccupation is with making decorative wall panels and firing them successfully. Currently fine quality Porcelain is used, it fascinates me as it combines fragility with great strength as it has to withstand high firing temperatures. The same themes are re-worked continuously - trees, leaves and flowers used graphically in a simple, direct way. Recently I have been working with extruded forms - using my usual imagery to decorate them. 

I visit France frequently and have always responded to the decorative carvings in Romanesque Art by using the patterns as panel borders. I also enjoy the playful qualities of Naive Art frequently seen in France. I have always valued drawing - initially it was my entrance to Art College and is an integral part of my work.

Work Generally Available from:
Contemporary Ceramics Centre, London
Gallery at Bevere, Worcester
The Barewall Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent
The Green Man Gallery, Pickering
The Art Room Gallery, Garstang
The Beetroot Tree, Draycott
Rufford Craft Gallery, Notts
Focus Gallery, Nottingham
Eton Applied Arts, Windsor
Room 15, Oban, Scotland

Technical Information

The technique used is simple as slabs are used for the wall panels, these are rolled out to the desired thickness, textured  and slowly dried until they are firm enough for me to draw on.  The combination of texture and the precise quality of my designs work well together.  

After fettling the panels undergo a series of three firings in an electric kiln.  The last two firings adds depth through the use of colour.
1.    Biscuit - 1000c
2.    Oxidised - 1250c - before firing, oxides are added to the surface, this is done to add colour and emphasize the qualities of the designs.
3.    Lustre - 745c - a wide range of coloured lustres are used.

Background History

K.E.G.S. Girls School, Camp Hill, Birmingham
Birmingham College of Art
Dudley Technical College
1970 - 1974  - Faculty of Art and Design, Wolverhampton Polytechnic - awarded First Class Honours
1975 - Faculty of Art and Design, Birmingham Polytechnic - awarded a Post Graduate Diploma in the History of Art and Design

Teaching
1975 -78 - Pottery Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Birmingham Polytechnic
1978 - 95 - Senior Lecturer (part time) Faculty of Art and Design, Birmingham Polytechnic (now known as Birmingham City University)  During this period I taught in the Schools of Industrial Ceramics, Interior Design and Foundation Studies.  Teaching was absorbing and challenging, I have never regretted it.  As the teaching was part time I was able to establish a studio in central Dudley and work there when not teaching.  I concentrated on developing my work, building sales, making contact with galleries and taking part in many exhibitions.

From 1997 - 2001 I was part of a group called "Craftworks" initiated by Craftspace Touring.  We were awarded Lottery funding for a series of mobile making workshops in the Birmingham and Worcester areas.  More workshops resulted from an exhibition at Himley Hall "Twentieth Century Keepsakes"  For the "Year of the Artist"we were funded to do a group residency at the Jaguar Car Factory  Coventry resulted in an Assemblage made in perspex and metal based on observations and research made in the factory. 

Commissioned to design and make a series of wall panels for 2 luxury cruise liners.

Exhibition History

The Gallery Upstairs 1995 to date
Clay Art, Denbigh, North Wales 2002 to date
The Art of Clay, Farnham Maltings 2002 to date
Earth and Fire, Rufford 2005
Potfest, Bakewell 2007
Gorgeous, Ironbridge 2005-6-7
Stoke on Trent Ceramic Festival 2007
Lichfield Festival 2002-3-4
Ceramics in the City 2002-3-4
 
France
Marche des Potiers 1999, 2000