WELCOME TO MY WEBSITE.
I HOPE YOU ENJOY LOOKING AROUND & FINDING OUT A BIT ABOUT ME, MY CERAMICS & MY DOGS.
ABOUT ME...
When I was little I had a big tub of plasticine that I loved modelling into all kinds of creatures great and small, but especially dogs. I loved them!
It was my childhood dream to sculpt peoples dogs for them and now I'm lucky enough to do just that.
I have sculpting my ceramic dogs since graduating from Wolverhampton University in 1997.
In 2022 we made the move from Warwickshire to Suffolk where I combine family life and my ceramics.
Over the years I have exhibited in galleries across the country and my work has been sold at art fairs world wide.
EDUCATION
1992-94
Suffolk College
1994-97
University of Wolverhampton
Btec General Art & Design.
2:1 BA (Hons).
Three Dimensional Design: Ceramics.
MY CERAMICS
My ceramic dogs start their lives as hollow extruded tubes, which I then cut and form. I start by making the body, which I pack with newspaper to maintain its shape and leave until its leather hard. I then start to construct the rest of the dog, bracing its limbs with props and clay until they are dry enough to support themselves.
Where the clay is joined I leave a torn or cut edge, which I hope, shows how I am using the clay.
I tend to let the clay and the extruder direct what the end dog will look like. For example, the clay tube may curl as I extrude it, which I will then use for the neck of a sitting dog, which is looking down.
Once dried and fired they are then smoke-fired in a small, lidded brick built pit, which is packed with combustibles and left to burn down overnight.
The spotty and patchy dogs that I produce are the result of masking areas where I don't want the smoke to go.
I enjoy the very natural and often unexpected tones that are achieved using this method. I add glazed noses and eyes to add a bit of life.
Each dog is completely unique as a result of this process.
MY DOGS
I have always loved dogs, ever since growing up along side 'Tolly', a gorgeous Labrador cross Irish Setter. We had him when I was two, and I was eighteen when he died, he seemed more like a brother than a dog. He was my confidant and always available for a hug. I see a lot of him in the dogs that I make, inspired by his big floppy ears and paws.
Tolly was followed by Polly, a bouncy Springer Spaniel cross Labrador, who could jump a six foot fence in her younger days.
The first dog of my own was a Parsons Russell terrier named Vegas, named because he had six spots on his head and one on his bottom like a dice. He was my beloved studio mascot for nearly sixteen years and could usually be found warming himself in his favourite spot under the kiln.
Wilf a very handsome German Wire-haired Pointer joined the family ten years after Vegas did. He was the breed I always hankered for when visiting Crufts each year, armed with my sketchbook and camera.
He has inspired many a pose and is a great source of humour. He is usually found trying to squeeze himself into the smallest bed possible.
Dixie the wire haired dachshund is the newest addition to our family. She’s clever, affectionate and sassy, and loves to annoy her reluctant big brother Wilf.
