Having taken a break of 13 years from my short-lived pottery career, the reduced daytime demands of family life have enabled me to slowly re-engage with making pots. With no insulation, electrics or running water in the garage I had to put up with the cold, run an extension lead from the house to plug in builders lights to see what I was doing, fetch water from the water butt in the veg patch (nea
rer than the house tap) and stick to slab-built pottery. Everything was fired in a small, portable kiln that runs off a 13 Amp plug. However, blessings came in 2012 when 2 friends from different colleges offered me both a big kiln and a wheel. These lay dormant for another year, as did my work, as we extended our house, piled the kitchen cupboards in to the garage and laid electricity cables and water pipes up to the garage. September 2013 saw the beginning of me working in the new and improved 'garage' pottery. There is still no insulation and it is like Niagara Falls in there during the winter months, due to condensation, and despite sharing my space with bikes, garden and sports equipment, my son's climbing stuff, jam jars, junk and the rabbit, I am so grateful for the space to work. I love throwing, particularly, and everything I make is with food and drink in mind: the cooking of food, the serving of it etc. The shape of mug I want to drink out of depends on whether it's tea or coffee. Is it for a morning coffee or after-dinner with friends? Do I want to make a bowl for a hearty soup or for a child's cereal, or maybe a dessert ? Is the dessert a crumble with custard or a chocolate mousse? Is this mixing bowl for whisking up scrambled eggs or a cake? The permutations are endless. I derive a huge amount of joy from the making of my pots and I wish for you to derive the same from using them; alone or in company.
