Profile

Nature is my overriding creative inspiration. Living by the sea and surrounded by the countryside, I am enthused by the changing seasons which influences my work. I enjoy collecting seed heads, pebbles, fir cones, shells to name a few, bring them back to my studio and work out how I can interpret and recreate them, usually in a magnified form. Using different clays, exploring firing techniques, glazes and surface decoration.

This passion all started when I enrolled for a clay evening class, in 1999 and became hooked! Although I consider myself, self taught, I have attended many courses, workshops and demonstrations over the years. Also, being a member of Southern Ceramics Group, has been a great support. I hand build three dimensional sculptures in stoneware, earthenware and raku for the home and garden. Working with clay has a profound effect on my life, its therapeutic benefits act to balance and heal the stresses of everyday life.

After finishing my formal art training in textiles, I lectured at various Adult Education Centres in Hampshire and West Sussex on stencilling and decorative paint effects, in the evenings and weekends which fitted in well with family life. For five years, I was a tutor working for West Sussex County Council’s Enrichment Programme, teaching 3D sculpture, ceramics and textiles.

I was a teaching assistant for 10yrs and gained my Higher Level Teaching Assistance Status in 2004. Art being my specialist subject, I have been involved in numerous art project at the school.I took early retirement at the end of 2016. Im now full-time self employed, as a sculptural ceramicist and teacher.

For sixteen years I was a a community artist, working with Chichester Festival Theatre on their community carnivals, Chichester Festivities lantern parades and working in various setting such as Children and Family centres, Hospices, Youth and Community centres and schools running workshops. I aspired to bring celebratory art to the local community by organising and producing such events. I set up Community Arts Bognor Regis in January 2010. The long term vision was to have a central venue to be able to exhibit, run workshops, showcase the talents of our community, as a social enterprise. This was achieved in July 2013, when we opened Cloudhopper Gallery and creative spaces. I was a director and chairman of Community Arts Bognor Regis C.I.C and worked as a volunteer in the gallery, stewarding and working with other volunteers, running community workshops, liasing with artists, organising the display of exhibitions and promotion. Sadly, the gallery closed in August 2015, due to lack of volunteers.

I set up my own ceramic studio in 2010, for my own work and to run workshops for others. We moved to be closer to the sea, in Aldwick, W.Sussex September 2014. I now have a new purpose built ceramic studio in the garden where I can focus on my own creativity.

I feel very blessed that people like my work and others are inspired to come and create their own works of art.