Simplicity and function inspired by history and place

I've always considered myself an artist and creative person, I studied Painting and Art History at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio USA. After my degree I found myself taking evening pottery classes with an experienced potter in Seattle, who had creative influences and teachers from potters in England, including the Cardew family. I moved to the UK in 2004 where I continued to develop and refine my ceramic skills in London with Roland Austin, who specialised in throwing tableware ceramics. I’m now able to share my knowledge as a teacher at St Leonards Ceramic Studio, which I opened in 2021.

My work is influenced by Japanese and Greek ceramics, which are simple yet well-considered forms that have function and utility. Beauty comes from function and all of my work should be handled. I hope you will feel and see where my hands have made marks and gestures, all part of the making process. In addition to the functional ware I make, my work continues to evolve as I experiment with new glazes, materials and ways of working that explore my fascination with archaeology and ancient ceramics.

My memory of experienced landscapes is integrated into the designs with particular attention to colour and light. From deserts to mountains to cities and now the horizon of the ever-changing sea and sky in St. Leonards on Sea. The forms may look simple but they are the result of countless hours of repetition and well considered design and glaze applications. I’m interested in how glazes react with each other, as they overlap or barely touch – creating new horizon lines or subtle shifts of hues into one another, creating unique palettes. All are variants based on the thickness of the glaze, its application, the clay body and the specific temperatures when firing the kiln. Incredibly considered to find the right balance of simplicity and beauty.

Each piece is a unique, hand thrown object using stoneware clay and a mixture of bespoke glazes that I continue to experiment with and develop. No two pieces will ever be the same.