Meet The Pottery Studio Team

Creating and creativity is something I have grown to know as a necessary and vital part of life as a weird and wonderful human! I’ve always loved art, making, building and creating so it makes sense that pottery became such a big part of my life so quickly.
Ive been a hand builder for many years on and off, and took to the wheel when I began teaching at the studio at the start of 2022. I love both of them so much, and now combine methods from each into my practice and teaching!
Pottery is the only time I really don’t think about anything else and feel really in my body and connected.
One of my favourite parts of teaching is guiding people to explore ‘mark making’.
I also love watching students troubleshoot, learn and let go of perfectionism and begin to build a relationship with the clay that is unique to only them.

My favourite tools are my hands, and I find the clay responds the best when using them to smooth, mark, shape and create as apposed to other tools…mind you, metal ribs are essential for clean wheel work.

Currently I’m really into large handbuilt pots, characters, and pulling handles.

The handbuilding course is currently my favourite to teach as I get to help and watch students create so many different things and play around with their own unique mark making.
Pottery is not just my job, but a hobby, a form of meditation and a way to learn about yourself and have fun.

I started pottery about 5 years ago, after the birth of my first child as a way for me to do something creative and fun for myself. I love the mindfulness aspect of pottery and the way in which it gets you to let go of preconceived ideas of how something should be. I often go to make something and it turns out different, or a glaze changes in the kiln, it’s often a happy surprise but it helps me to let go of how I think things should be. I absolutely love watching in class the moment when there’s a lull and silence, when everyone kind of falls into the space where they’re completely consumed by what they’re doing, it’s also pretty cool to see those who come in and say that they’re not artistic or creative make something that they’re so stoked with. Everyone is creative in their own way!

Whilst I love both wheel and hand building, I love experimenting with hand building and using different combinations of techniques to creative pieces. Combining slabbing, pinching and coiling to create larger vessels is something I’m playing with at the moment.

I started my course at the studio 2 years ago and was absolutely hooked from the get go, I tell my students this regularly – I sucked for quite a long time before it started clicking. Lots of sad bowls and foots for a solid 6 months, then one day it just happened and I was able to throw what was in my mind. From there I’ve been able to achieve new shapes which I sell for cheap at my roadside stall on parsons road in forest glen, which allows me to sell for less and keep creating!

I love that you will never ever know everything! This is a hobby you can do for life and constantly be learning and improving. From clays, to temps in the kiln, to glazes and trimming – there is a lifetime of things to learn!
Also the bloody stillness – nothing helps me unwind and be completely present quite like being behind a pottery wheel.

I love the excitement people get when they are having a hard time centering or lifting so we try small little adjustments with their hands and body and the clay responds immediately! It’s always small changes that give you big results in pottery.

The Garrity Unfoot tools are always with me when I’m throwing, so handy to get the bottom already in a lovely shape before cutting it off the wheel.