MEET THE POTTERS

John has been working with clay for over 30 years, a hobby that began in his school days. In 2016 he and Bev opened their home in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, to run workshops and share their experience and passion for ceramics.

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“Playing with mud?!” the delivery man exclaimed as he placed several bags of clay by the door. “You mean I've driven all this way with just mud in the van?!" He chuckled as he walked away.

I have always loved working with clay. I got my first taste for it at secondary school where Miss Croft taught us how to make coil and pinch pots. Back then we were too young to use a wheel to throw pots, but it was enough to sow the seed. Roll forward thirty years when I joined an evening class at North Herts College led by Len Whitman, a great teacher who shared his enthusiasm with us. It was infectious. 

Two important things happened at this point: I started to develop my technique and my own style as a potter and I met Beverly, an already skilled ceramist. Bev and I began sharing skills, then lifts to and from the classes, and eventually we joined our two families. Many qualifications later we decided that the next step was to manage the end to end process ourselves, so built our own home studio. The pottery has grown and so does our appetite to explore different techniques, materials and processes. 

Why do I love playing with mud? It feeds my need to create in many different ways. It’s a bit technical, a bit arty, a bit of luck, a lot of technique and a lot of practice. I draw on everything around me for inspiration, often coming back to the textures and shapes in nature and replicating them in my work. I like to build large, bold pieces, but equally enjoy the balance of more intricate and delicate work. 

Teaching workshops allows me to not only share what I have learned and my passion for the craft, but also to continue to explore new ways of creating art as I help people to realise their own unique inspirations.