"Potter in the Window"
2012

MARCH / APRIL - David Fry

My work is inspired by the glazes and forms of the early ceramics of China and Japan.

I have spent many years studying and working out recipes for the ancient glazes and have used my own intuition to increase their depth and beauty, achieving layers of colour within colour.

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JUNE - James Hake

James makes a range of ceramic stoneware, thrown at the potter's wheel.  

He also produces slab rolled work including wall hangings and square dishes.

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JULY - John Scott

John established Sourdust Pottery at Stocksfield, Northumberland in 1991, where he produced a wide range of innovative ceramics aimed at high quality gift retailers.

From  2000 he has  progressed to creating  a great variety of unique high quality ceramics specialising in Naked raku, Saggar firing and sculptural Ceramics.

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AUGUST - Alison Ogden

Alison Ogden produces charmingly decorated fine porcelain from her small studio in Carlisle. This work includes a range of highly functional tableware, individual vessels, porcelain illustrations and jewellery. Slip cast forms are hand manipulated producing unique pieces. Each pot is decorated using a variety of techniques including applied sprigs, slip trailing, resist decoration and underglaze painting.
All process from the initial preparation of the porcelain slip, the original design of the models and moulds and the development of the glazes are undertaken by the maker.
Her work describes her interest in detail and decoration and an eclectic mix of sources inspires her from natural forms to textiles and found objects.

www.alisonogdenceramics.com

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SEPTEMBER - Nigel Edmonson

Nigel Edmondson makes sculptural/functional work for the garden or conservatory.

Much of the work is on a large scale and incorporates landscape-based abstraction that reflects and responds to the Lakeland mountains on which he enjoys walking.

The work is generally of slab construction.

Craft-crank clay is used, fired to 1250°C in oxidation; only limited use is made of glazes with colour coming from metal oxides and high firing slips. Where they are used the glazes are matt.

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OCTOBER - John Calver

At his studio in the small village of Yealand Redmayne in North Lancashire, John Calver has been producing domestic stoneware for more than 35 years.    He was drawn to stoneware because of the nature of the firing process.  The high temperatures and smoky atmosphere produce exciting, and sometimes unpredictable, reactions   from the glazes.   His delight in these glaze qualities, together with his fascination with devising ceramic tools, has led to the particular decorative qualities and rich colour palette of his work.  Most of his pots are classically simple functional shapes thrown on the wheel.  Occasionally the freshly thrown pots are altered dynamically to produce one of the signature forms for which he is well known.

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NOV / DEC - Sue Sharp

I live and work in the North Pennines, a beautiful area of wild moorland and fells in the north east corner of Cumbria. A place with big skies, constantly changing light and sometimes extreme weather and a never ending source of inspiration.

I choose to use slips to decorate the pots for a denser colour and get three or four layers which stay where I put them, unlike glazes which run and mingle. I enjoy being able to work directly on the wet unfired clay using it as a painter would use a canvas.

Opening the kiln is the most exciting part, the colours only come to life after they have been covered with a clear glaze and there are always some surprises. It's the fickle nature of the firing process that spurs you on to make the next kiln load.

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