As a child, I spent summer holidays scouring Cornish beaches, collecting stones and pebbles that resonated with my personal aesthetic – drawn to their shapes, surfaces, colours, and textures. With my pockets overflowing, I unknowingly began a lifelong fascination with natural forms shaped by the elements. This early connection to the raw beauty of weathered landscapes remains the foundation of my work as a ceramic artist.
The natural world has long inspired artists, but I find meaning in the quiet narratives held within eroded rock fragments – stories of time, decay, and transformation on a microcosmic scale. My work is an abstract interpretation of these geological processes, expressed through press-moulding, hand-building, and carving techniques.
Contrast plays a central role in my practice – spiky and smooth, light and dark, controlled and unpredictable. Through these tensions, I seek to create balance within each piece. My process is both meticulous and intuitive: surfaces are carefully smoothed, then punctuated with spikes or dimples, applied one by one to create a dynamic interplay of form and texture. Smoke firing introduces an element of unpredictability, allowing organic surface patterns to emerge, while copper leaf embellishments add warmth and vibrancy.
Recent explorations in carving have led to a new body of work – new forms and textures are taking shape while maintaining the signature smoked surfaces intrinsic to my practice. As my work evolves, I continue to draw inspiration from the ever-changing landscapes that first captivated me, embracing both control and chance in my pursuit of balance and beauty.
