New Forge Pottery

Ceramics

I have always loved the idea of ‘making something out of nothing’, and the process of turning a vision or an idea into something tangible at the end, through problem solving, experimenting and investigating, is so satisfying! Born in County Antrim, my creativity was always encouraged by family and friends, and I grew up always having an interest in things that other people made and how the raw materials were transformed by the maker. I was first introduced to clay during my time at Larne Grammar School, where I saw the vast opportunities and challenges of making through such a fascinating medium. I went on to the University of Ulster and spent some time studying sculpture, printmaking, silversmithing, ceramics and photography. I loved finding out about these different creative processes, but, in the end, clay was my passion. In 1999, I graduated with a BA Hons degree in Fine and Applied Art specialising in ceramics. The thing I love most about ceramics is the process. A lump of clay, dug from the earth is kneaded and stretched, pushed and pulled; exposed to such extremes of heat. What a long and gruelling process the clay goes through to get from a lump of mud to a finished vessel! It requires so much from the potter – time, patience, gentleness, masterful direction and, most of all, respect and appreciation for the qualities of clay and the journey it makes from start to finish. In recent years, I have grown particularly fond of the ancient Japanese firing process of Raku. Raku-fired pieces are a parallel of life – clay that is pushed and pulled, sometimes made to go in a direction it doesn’t want to go, exposed to extremes of temperature and environment that can sometimes cause cracks to appear and scars the surface of the pot. And yet, through all of that, the end result is something beautiful. I think there is inspiration in that for us all.