Q: Are you a full time designer?
Yes, all day, all night, whenever I can! I absolutely love my job! Both my children started school full time last September, so I’ve been able to gradually build my business while they were little and can now concentrate on it more during the day until they get home.
Q: Are you self-taught?
Yes, I’ve always had a very strong creative urge which was encouraged by my Grandma when I was a little girl. She taught me to sew, knit, crochet and bake. All the traditional skills that little girls
should know! It was a great start as it helped me to realise I could create whatever I wanted if I learned the skills. I’m a learn by doing type of person, so if I think of something I want to make, I will experiment and test out ideas until they work. I love having the freedom to work organically and see where an idea takes me.
Q: You work with a great variety of ceramic like stoneware, porcelain, earthenware and Raku. Why did you choose the medium ceramic and do you have a favorite kind to work with? On your blog I have seen that you work with metal as well. Are you planning to do more metal work or explore other materials as well in the future, like glass or polymer clay?
As soon as I touched clay, I knew it was for me. I love to sculpt and find it really satisfying to work with. My favourite at the moment is porcelain, it’s fantastic for capturing small detail and I loved the finished glaze result.
I’ve been practising with metal and trying out lots of different ideas for a couple of years. I’m hoping to get into working with more silver now I have some of the basic skills I need to not make a total mess of it! I’d like to incorporate everything I’ve learned in to some mixed media jewellery. I’ve always wanted to have the skills to create something from start to finish.
I am currently practising with lamp working. I got a torch a couple of years ago and like to play when I get the time. I make up the odd mixed media set using ceramic and glass beads, but I’m not quite up to standard for making focals yet. I just need more hours in the day to practise and do everything else I need to do!
I’ve tried pretty much every craft going, but I tend to lean towards the more dangerous ones!