I have lived and worked on the Isle of Skye for 30 years. It is a place of monumental natural forces with a long history of human habitation.
The feel of raw clay in my hands is a physical connection to the physical world around me and is a prime motivation for making. It’s a visceral process trying to reveal the inexpressible.
The nature of clay reflects the formation, erosion and weathering of the land we live on; of the passage of humans across the surface of our planet.
My work is an expression of myself as an individual within the human history of the material. It is grounded in the controlled forms of functional vessels but freed from the constraints of function by the ruptured textured surfaces. It speaks of the tensions and balance between a container and its contents.
My work is hand formed in all aspects of its concept and creation. I use stretching techniques contrary to the compressive methods associated with traditional clay practice which allows the natural textures of the material to develop. I am looking for the balance between maker and material, neither having domination over the other. I have learned to give precedence to the physical process over and above intellectual input, giving voice to my inner and non verbal senses.