I am a proper potter…

Hello, I am a potter. Yes… a proper potter. I think I can say that now I’ve just bought my own kiln.

These last six months have been momentous in a number of ways. After 27 years living in London, I quit the Big Smoke and moved down to the coast to start a new life. It’s been a reflective beginning and one of my realisations is that I’ve spent the last 9 years as a member at a pottery studio. Nine whole years and in all that time I’ve always felt like a beginner.

I am a slow learner, but I finally understand that pottery will always be a learning curve and I think that’s why I’ve stuck with it. I’ve enjoyed learning something new and although the progress has been slow and steady, it’s challenged and frustrated me, but I’ve kept going back to it. Having more lessons this last 12 months has improved my throwing skills significantly. I may not be proud of all the pieces I make, but I am proud of myself for being so dedicated and determined. 

And now, here I am on the brink of creating a pottery studio in my garage. The kiln has been purchased and the builders are booked in, so it’s all systems go! 

I was so excited when I bought my starter ‘throwing set’ on the first day of a studio membership. Nervous too. Everyone around me was throwing urns, big bowls and looked like very confident potters; it took me a while to build my confidence.

During the bleak Covid winter, I loaned a wheel and set up in my kitchen. It wasn’t ideal but I did manage to make some nice things and get some practice in.

These are some of my earlier pieces. I started selling on Etsy during Covid and was surprisingly successful. The ‘ker-ching’ sound from the Etsy site put a smile on my face every time. It still does.