A potter living and working in Canberra, Australia, my handmade ceramic designs are mostly made using porcelain clay. The work comfortably encompasses two parts: wheelthrown functional ware and decorator items alongside jewellery made from porcelain or English Bone China.

I get immense satisfaction from wheel-throwing my work: it suits my love of symmetry although I’ll sometimes challenge that need for symmetry by deliberately distorting a piece. The porcelain I use might be less forgiving to work with than other clays but its whiteness is a great foil for added colour and, left unadorned, has a simplicity that works with any décor.

Although not much of a tea drinker I love making teapots, usually simple rounded or oval forms - teapots designed to be used.

Porcelain is also used for my jewellery range but in the form of slip (liquid clay) rather than the clay body that is thrown on the wheel. The slip is cast as a slab then cut to shape for pendants, earrings and brooches. Sometime the slab is cast as a single thick layer and decorated with coloured stains or transfers after cutting to shape. Other times it’s built up with coloured and uncoloured slips, resulting in abstract patterns. Other pieces are hand formed from English Bone China clay.

 

Exhibitions & Displays

2010	Soda & Ice  - with ceramic artist Maryke Henderson; Kerrie Lowe Gallery, Sydney
2008	Craft ACT front counter display
2005	Limelight  - The Library, UNSW @ The Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra

 

Recent Group Exhibitions

2011	Melbourne Teapot Exhibition 2011 – The Studio @ Flinders, Victoria – selected exhibition
2010	Annual Exhibition  - Canberra Potters’ Society
2010	Sydney Teapot Show - Inner City Clay Workers Gallery, Sydney - invitational
2010	Transferring the Image – Kerrie Lowe Gallery, Sydney – invitational
2010	Melbourne Teapot Exhibition 2010 – The Studio @ Flinders, Victoria – selected exhibition
2010	Life is just a bowl of cherries - Watson Arts Centre, Canberra
2009	Annual Exhibition  - Canberra Potters’ Society
2009	Sydney Teapot Show - Inner City Clay Workers Gallery, Sydney - invitational
2009	Mug’s Game – Watson Arts Centre, Canberra
2009	Melbourne Teapot Exhibition 2009 – The Studio @ Flinders, Victoria – selected exhibition
2008	Exquisite Christmas members’ exhibition - Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre
2008	Sydney Teapot Show - Inner City Clay Workers Gallery, Sydney - invitational
2008	Ignition – Suncoast Clayworkers
2008	Melbourne Teapot Exhibition 2008 – The Studio @ Flinders, Victoria – selected exhibition
2007	Exquisite Christmas members’ exhibition - Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre
2007	Annual Exhibition  - Canberra Potters’ Society
2007	Sydney Teapot Show - Inner City Clay Workers Gallery, Sydney - invitational
2007	Muswellbrook Open Ceramic Award – Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, NSW
2007	Cup & Saucer Exhibition – Where I Fell in Love Gallery, Warwickshire, UK
2007	Teapot Exhibition -The Studio @ Flinders, Victoria – selected exhibition
2007	Émigré – Bendigo Pottery Teapot Exhibition
2006	Annual Exhibition  - Canberra Potters’ Society
2006	Sydney Teapot Show - Inner City Clay Workers Gallery, Sydney - invitational
2006	Teapot Exhibition -The Studio @ Flinders, Victoria – selected exhibition
2005	Christmas Exhibition - Mawson Gallery, Canberra
2005	Christmas Show -Canberra Potters’ Society
2005	Craft for Christmas members’ exhibition - Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre
2005	Annual Exhibition  - Canberra Potters’ Society
2005	Cups - Spiral Gallery, Bega – group exhibition
2005	Sydney Teapot Show - Inner City Clay Workers Gallery, Sydney - invitational
2005	Light Matters – Skepsi on Swanston Gallery, Melbourne – invitational exhibition
2004	Craft for Christmas members’ exhibition - Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre
2004	Cups – Spiral Gallery, Bega –group exhibition
2004	Annual Exhibition  - Canberra Potters’ Society
2004	Sydney Teapot Show - Inner City Clay Workers Gallery, Sydney - invitational
2004	Encore - Skepsi on Swanston Gallery, Melbourne - exhibition of porcelain works
2003	Craft for Christmas members’ exhibition - Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre
2003	Vessels & Vases - Raglan Gallery, Cooma – open exhibition
2003	Particles, Pots and Panoramas - Cuppacumbalong Gallery, Tharwa, ACT - group exhibition

 

Awards

2009	Highly Commended (Functional Teapot) – Melbourne Teapot Exhibition 2009
2008	Best Functional Teapot – Melbourne Teapot Exhibition 2008
2007	Best Functional Teapot (Acquisitive Award) – Bendigo Pottery Teapot Exhibition
2007	Winner – Teapot Challenge, Royal Canberra Show Canberra Times Craft Expo
2007	Winner – Walker Ceramics Award, Royal Canberra Show Canberra Times Craft Expo
2005	2nd & 3rd places, professional wheelthrown – Royal Canberra Show
2004	3rd place, professional wheelthrown – Royal Canberra Show

 

mEMBERSHIPS

Canberra Potters' Society Inc

The Australian Ceramics Association   (directory entry)

Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre

 

'Soda & Ice' exhibition May 2010; bottle & vessel Cool Ice porcelain with black/chocolate satin glaze, August 2005

'Limelight' series porcelain bowl, lime green glaze inside, unglazed polished exterior with 'washed away' design, August 2005

Cool Ice porcelain; black stain; inlaid decoration; clear glaze inside; polished unglazed exterior 2008

Photographer: Steven Murray, Creative Image Photography