As a small child I was fortunate to find clay deposits in my parents back garden and soon discovered how to make objects from this which I was occasionally allowed to ‘fire’ in bonfires and then home-made kilns I built out of old bricks! I was probably about 8 years old!
From that period on I always had access to clay throughout my time at school and then Bath Academy of Art where I studied ceramics and three-dimensional design in the late 1970’s.
Whilst at Bath I was given the freedom to experiment in the use of many different clays and materials under the expert guidance of my tutors and visiting ceramic artists and was exposed to various ways of making, some conventional and others more expressive. This is where my love of non-conventional ceramics began.
After pursuing a career in education, I decided to go back to university and studied for an MA in ceramics at the University of Central Lancashire in 2010 giving me an opportunity to further develop my creative skills and satisfy my curiosity in the use of new availble materials.
Moving forward….
I love to experiment—creating non-functional ceramic sculpture using a variety of clays mixed with locally sourced natural materials, which when fired to high temperatures offers unpredictable surfaces, creating unique pieces which are sometimes polished and sand-blasted to complete.
The anticipation and excitement of opening a kiln door after firings never ceases to amaze, especially when finding something delightfully magical has happened in the fusion of unlikely material combinations, driving me on to try new things.
Looking fab Claire! Wyn 🙂 x
Thanks Wyn x