Recently I spoke with Sunken Studio (The community pottery studio in Leeds where I started my creative practice, and where my work is still fired) about my journey into pottery. I touched upon how I’ve developed in my creative practice over the years in which I’ve been a potter (Still not 100% whether to call myself a ceramicist or not!), as well as the recent highlights of working with Leeds Art Gallery ahead of their exhibition featuring John Atkinson Grimshaw.

Functionally, I’ve now delivered the commission that Leeds Art Gallery set me, and the work itself is available for sale either through their online portal / in the art gallery shop. It felt an appropriate time to reflect on the progress that this work has brought about. Speaking of my experiences with the studio and sharing my story generally as a new maker felt something of a bookend to the journey so far - taking a taster session with the studio, to now having a story worth sharing with them.

Accepting such a large commission (relatively speaking) was the logical next step in trying to develop my craft and practice from being purely hobbyist and into something that has much more of an external presence - in the blog post for Sunken Studio I talk a lot about small steps; lately they’ve felt more like wide strides in the direction that I’d like to take my practice, and for that I am resolutely grateful.

There’s a metaphor for growth here somewhere…

Onto the next steps.. or strides… depending on how you choose to perceive it. The next challenge, above all else, is to figure out what the next milestone in the journey is - making beautiful, functional wares will always be at the core of the reason that I want to develop this creative practice. Connecting people with natural materials, designed considerately and made with function in mind - that’s really the heart of what drives me to be creative with clay.

Without wittering on too much more, what I’m trying to say is that I’m grateful for every opportunity I’ve had so far and everybody that’s supported this wild journey so far. The future is exciting, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Wrapping up Grimshaw, Setting intentions