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Home page
| Forthcoming Exhibitions/Events: |
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'Pod Form' sleceted for Ceramica Multiplex
11th April - 3rd May 2009: Ceramica Multiplex, Varazdin, Croatia
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'Pod Form' selected for 1st International Ceramic Triennial UNICUM 09, Slovenia 15th May - 28th September 2009
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International Ceramics Festival Aberystwyth Wales 3rd-5th July 2009
I have been selected as a student-helper to assist Danish Ceramic Artist, Nina Hole in building one of her fire-sculptures during the festival in July.
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| Artists Statement |
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“Tradition is the living hand of the dead; traditionalism is the dead hand of the living” Toshiko Takaezu, Japanese-American Ceramic Artist I feel very strongly that skill, technique and tradition are the wellsprings from which ideas flow – this can lead to innovation as our vision is extended beyond that which we know. I want to ‘know’ and understand my materials and tools as well as I can; continued experimentation is important to me. I do not plan my work as such, except in the broadest sense – evaluation of previous work leads on to new ideas – decisions are intuitive and I enjoy the spontaneity of working in this way. The outcome can only be controlled so far. The end result depends on the ‘serendipity’ of the combination of clay, oxides and the firing process. The inspiration for my work comes from the natural world – geological formations, strata and textures
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| Training |
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NCVEA in Crafts, Grennan Mill Craft School; Pottery Skills Course, Crafts Council of Ireland; Higher National Diploma & Honours Degree, Carmarthenshire College of Technology & Art, Wales. (More details on Career Page)
(Close up of Standing Form)
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| Lismore |
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For the last four years I have been living in the lovely award-wining town of Lismore, Co. Waterford, in the SE of Ireland. Recently Lismore Castle has turned the old Long Gallery into 'Lismore Castle Arts'.
(Lismore Castle & River Blackwater, more images on the "Lismore" page)
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| My Studio |
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My studio, 'Tin Shack Ceramics', is situated at the Old Railway Station. Unfortunately John O'Neill no longer runs 'The Centre for Traditional Skills' here, as they are planning to sell the place and I will soon have to find somewhere else to work!
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It was the Dispatch Office for the coal shed, which can be seen in the background, part of which is now my kiln shed. The shack is tiny - 3 metres X 4 metres, but easy to keep warm in the winter!
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| My Work |
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I love clay as a material and would hate to be restricted to only using it in one way - therefore I like to vary what I do with it usually working through a series in any one method. For the moment my main method of working is handbuilding using small textured slabs of clay, building up the shape over a former of some sort.
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I throw small pots which are raku-fired, no two are exactly the same. I also handbuild, using the more traditional coil method, making individual raku-fired vessels.
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