Inspiration

My early work stemmed from drawings I made whilst studying as a student at Middlesex. This process began with the “Nuclear Jug”. The initial preparatory sketches were inspired by still life studies, futurism and cubist design-whilst the drawings tended to exaggerate the basic elements of the Jug form.

From these I constructed paper templates and constructed prototypes in clay using the slab building method. These pieces kept their 2 dimensional line and form, albeit with sculptural and architectural overtones. In turn these initial forms have developed into a range of different vessels which I have continued to develop over the years. History and archaelogy have always fascinated me, and whilst my vessel forms seem to depict quite modern or futuristic shapes, there is always an element of them speaking of the past, through their mettallic surfaces and weathered patina.

The original forms were all glazed to a stoneware finish. I switched to Raku after becoming fascinated by the immediacy of the technique and the ability to physically intervene and manipulate the process. A wide range of textures and surface patinas are possible and I have continued to develop and experiment with the basic technique. I have been most influenced by artists, sculptors and painters- for example, Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, Richard Serra.