my journey
HOW DID IT ALL START?
My first introduction to pottery was through my mother who practised as a hobby for many years. Then at university, during teacher training I was able to explore the hand-building techniques as part of my study but it wasn't until I had been teaching for some time that I was drawn to it again, finding the process a soothing balm after a busy day at school.
With the initial support of a pottery club and much trial and error I slowly developed my practice to the stage where people began to ask me to make simple pieces for them.
Five years on and now residing at Papamoa Beach, Aotearoa New Zealand, I’ve switched teaching for ceramics and the rest is history!
my process
where do i draw inspiration?
Slab Ceramics is a small family-run studio in Papamoa Beach, Aotearoa.NZ.
The ceramics include hand-built vessels and wheel-thrown functional pieces designed and made at a home studio. Often the motivation to make the functional designs comes when a need presents itself, either through a personal experience or through customer feedback. This leads to exploration and problem solving to find the best design.
The sculptural designs are heavily influenced by the studio’s coastal environment. This is evident in many of the natural colour tones, often choosing to leave the exterior unglazed to allow the clay to show its natural textures and colour. The use of local sand and volcanic grit in some of the designs add texture and depth. There is also a good range of food-safe coloured glazes used as well. Inspiration is also drawn from the many talented ceramic artists, past and present, in particular, Japanese ceramics and the concept of Wabi-sabi.