"Seascapes are hand-built vessels inspired by the marine environment, incorporating swirling wave forms and aquatic textures and colours.
I am absorbed by the way the action of the sea erodes material yet can also bind surfaces together; it can smooth away rough texture yet promote the encrustation of other surfaces. I try to evoke the sea’s movement, colours and textures on the exterior and interior of my vessel forms.
I coil and manipulate soft stoneware clay and use natural objects such as shells, fruit stones, bark and rock to create texture and sprig motifs, then sponge overlapping coloured slips to the exterior, and layer glazes on the interior. I explore my theme through the making of handled vessels, large and small bowls, trays, platters and vases.
The water content and consistency of the Oxidising St Thomas 150-1102 straight from the bag is just the way I like it for hand building in that it is soft enough to join without slip, yet firm enough to hold its shape. It’s a really good clay for all making methods as I can coil and slab with it and throw too. It’s smooth enough to take the detail of quite delicate impressions such as shells pressed into the surface, and the light colour takes the colour of slips well, yet if I want to leave some areas unslipped the clay itself is an attractive off-white. I’ve experimented with other clays, but always come back to St Thomas!"
