I enjoy making functional pots.  I like the idea of making beautiful things that are practical and can be used in everyday life.  I’m still experimenting with different styles and designs but I enjoy simple shapes mostly.  Many years ago I attended a workshop on decoration and fell in love with brushwork designs using home made oxides and pigments.  Living in China for many years developed an even greater appreciation of simple brushwork pictures of leaves and branches.  At present I am learning to incorporate them with coloured slip backgrounds.

I’m also fascinated by the idea of taking simple natural waste items and turning them into something useful.  My parents wood stove produces lots of ash which last year came from the replaced old family wharf.  This was an opportunity to experiment with wood ash as a major ingredient in the glaze.