About 9 years ago I found some wallpaper I liked and wanted to press it into the clay, I played with this pretty patterned clay until I thought maybe I’d make some platters. I enjoy layering patterns and designs over each other. These original platters had the same damask pattern I use today which some line drawings of figures which were almost camouflaged by the pattern.
I didn’t start out to make this way, it kinda found me.
Of course my work wasn’t always patterned by wallpaper. My early studio work was patterned with smoke firing and raku firing on sculptural vessel forms. I loved allowing the smoke decide the pattern I really didn’t know how it would travel over the pieces.
I loved pressing the wallpaper into the clay but I wanted to move from making flat pieces. I know many people who built pieces from flat firm slabs of clay, using firm flat slabs to build large sculptural pieces requiring patience and precision. I have always admired world renowned ceramicist Jim Robinson he slab builds amazing large scale ceramics in his Yorkshire based workshop and of course I had the privilege to work along side my cousin Joanne McKenna who built amazing tall towers from firm cut slabs of clay.
However I need to feel soft malleable clay, leave finger prints and let it flow. So I started to experiment with soft floppy slabs of clay that draped like fabric over my hands. I decided to allow a small bit of precision into my life and cut myself some paper patterns and off I went on my clay tailoring adventure.
I am now so in love with pattern that I just can’t make anything without some surface texture!
