1. You made a real leap of faith leaving arts marketing to retrain as a potter - what finally gave you the courage to make that change, and what surprised you most about life on the other side?

I was working in a ‘creative’ job (a prestigious London gallery in marketing) but found that most of my days were sat in front of a computer in an office and it didn’t feel creative at all. I had a lightbulb moment when I visited a foundry to see a sculpture being made and cast in bronze. We were filming the process for a film for the gallery website, and I had an overwhelming feeling that I wanted to be the craftsmen I saw around the foundry, not the one filming it! I started looking around for craft courses, originally planning on studying sculpture, but then settled on ceramics as it gave me the option to sculpt beautiful functional objects. I loved the idea of making pieces that brought beauty to the everyday. I’d always regretted not going to art school when I was younger (I studied art history instead) so I grabbed this chance to study art again, but with a focus on craftsmanship.

I was surprised how long it took me to get good at making pots! I thought it would take a year of studying and then I’d be skilled enough to be able to sell my work. However, after 12 years I am still learning and improving and dedicated to being the most skilled craftswoman I can be.

2. Tell us about your garden studio in East Sussex - what does a typical working day look and feel like for you?

Ceramics is jam-packed full of processes, so every day is different in the studio! I’d normally start the week with a few days of throwing pots on the wheel, which starts with prepping the clay – wedging and weighing balls of clay, then sitting down at the wheel to throw. I make batches of pots, for example 30-40 mugs in one sitting. The following days would be spent pulling and attaching handles and turning the bases of bowls. I also spend a day glazing previously fired pots, which is quite a lengthy process of painting the bases with wax resist and dipping the pots into buckets of homemade glazes. This is always quite a tense day compared to the making days as you can ruin a pot easily by glazing it wrongly, so you have to concentrate.

3. Your glazes take their names from the coast - sea, shoreline, light on water. How does the East Sussex landscape find its way into your work?

My work is primarily inspired by the coast, however since moving to this area I have been a keen walker in the nearby Ashdown Forest and South Downs. These landscapes have deepened my love of natural subtle colours. I also have a growing interest in more organic forms and have been exploring new shapes such as my curved mug.

4. The stoneware clay you use has those beautiful iron-flecked specks that come alive in the firing. Can you tell us a little about your materials, and what you love about working with them?

I use a high fired stoneware clay, it contains tiny pieces of volcanic basalt, which come out as dark speckles in the final glaze firing. These aren’t visible until the end of the process and are uneven in size, making it unpredictable how each piece will look. I love the surprise when I open the kiln, it’s still exciting after all these years! I also love overlapping glazes to create reactive mottled stripes, these are also unpredictable, which adds to the excitement of the kiln opening.

5. If one of your pieces could find its perfect home, what would that look like - who’s using it, and how?

I love the idea of my pots making their way to a coastal home, with a view of the sea out of the window. I’d like them to be used everyday, a favourite mug, creating a moment of calm every morning, drinking a cup of tea, looking out to sea.