Ceramics

Below is a list of artists currently exhibiting at Larks Gallery. Images shown are a sample of the artists work and are not necessarily the current works that are on display in the gallery.

	Hafdis Brands Hafdis is an accomplished ceramicist who has trained and taught ceramics in her native home of Iceland and in Scotland where she now resides. Her rustic and quirky style in her use of clay has been admired and collected by many people. She draws inspiration from the scenery around her, and works on various scales of pieces which can be decorative or functional. She particularly loves to use a rough type of clay which reminds her of the textured lava flow rock in Iceland.
	Vicky and Sarah Stalker We design, make and hand decorate studio ceramics in white earthenware. Each piece is individually thrown or moulded and decorated by hand using various techniques including sgraffito, tubelining, freehand and wax resist (for those who are technical!). Dinnerware safe glaze is used and fired at the optimum temperature to enhance the colours.
	Rob Watson I became interested in pottery in the mid 1970's and taught myself to throw and make pots. In 1979 I began a 3 year studio ceramics course at Chesterfield College of Art where I specialised in wood fired stoneware. From 1982 to 1990 I made reduction fired stoneware in a gas / wood fired kiln. In 1990 I began to introduce more colour into my work and to this end I experimented with and continue to use white earthenware clay decorated with a small number of coloured glazes, mainly blues and pinks. I produce a wide range of wheel thrown domestic ware from mugs to casseroles, however many slab dishes, plates, and "one off" pots often crop up. I make generously thrown work, substantial rims and handles, freely decorated with vibrant colours. All the work is now fired in electric kilns to a high fired earthenware temperature of 1140/1160 centigrade.
	Jo Cook - currently being updated
	Karen and Colin Witty-Fawcett Hands on Ceramics was formed in the year 2000 by Karen Witty and Colin Fawcett whilst studying at Sunderland University. Karen studying Glass, Architectural Glass and ceramics, whilst Colin was studying Fine Art. A mutual unique partnership developed culminating in the creation of unique bird and animal sculptures for everyone to enjoy and own at very reasonable prices.
	Christine Cummings I began making animals whilst studying ceramics at Lancashire Polytechnic, which to begin with was purely pig studies, spending a lot of time at agricultural shows in the rare breeds tent. Many Years later I'm still making pigs along with a whole host of other animals, source material is never far away - a cow in a field, a scratching chicken or a dog racing down the street.Sketching from life is a very big part of my work making me study the subject at great length. The pieces are all hand crafted in earth stone clay being finished either by Raku or smoke firing.
	Lorraine Ditchburn The driving force behind my work is the creation of surface texture which I achieve by slip-casting porcelain in textured moulds. Porcelain is magnificently able to display delicate surfaces through its ability to highlight every nuance and minute detail. I use simple, organic forms and combine their simplicity of shape with the fineness and purity of porcelain.
	Sonja Moss Dolega - currently being updated
	Stephen Green All my artifacts are hand-built and semi-thrown, using the metal kidney, coiled process. This is a time consuming method which requires painstaking effort in order to produce the refined and sculpted shapes. I have developed my technique over many years, basing my methods on ancient ceramic traditions. The clay is biscuit-fired to 1000 deg. C. The designs are then coated with my exclusive glazes, and heated to 1240 - 1280 deg.C. Every piece of pottery is unique and of the highest standard, weather-proof and perfect.
	Sandra Gorrara - currently being updated
	Alison Ogden Alison Ogden first started working in porcelain whilst studying at Rochdale College of Art. She continued with her ceramics education at Cardiff graduating in 1980 with an Honors Degree in 3D Design. After working as a part time lecturer for many years she has pursued a career as a designer maker for the last ten.
	Julia Smith I am a studio potter and work from my home in Ardersier, near Inverness, making distinctly handmade ceramics for everyday use.
	Helen Ablitt Helen and John Ablitt both studied pottery at Bristol Art School in the 1960s. For a while Helen branched out into textiles and knitting and has now returned to the craft of potting. John taught in art schools for many years and also became involved in designing for the ceramic industry. He continues to design for Royal Crown Derby. John & Helen currently produce domestic stoneware pottery in their small workshop in East Pennard.They enjoy making pots which are unassuming but are visually interesting, comfortable to live with, complement the food which they contain and generally enrich and enhance the home.
	Lesley Mckenzie - currently being updated
	Sjarifah Roberts When I am out in the landscape, particularly in the wilder places I am aware of energy, a vibrancy that pervades all things. Each item has its own sense of being. Outdoors, it can seem that the forms in the land are alive. Standing stones have a presence, trees seem to be listening, and mountains have personality, sometimes like a brooding animal or sleeping peacefully, but always alive. Weather, nature and man, have left their marks. My work is about these things.
	Patricia Shone Patricia enjoys the slow process of making hand built raku fired pots by coiling and scraping. She enjoys developing the surface textures and colours of a piece. She is inspired by the surrounding landscape of her home in Skye. Patricia is conscious of the interior of an empty pot, particularly its potential and the volume it contains. She sometimes leaves a message within a closed form, unfortunately the pot has to break to reveal this!
	Elspeth Soper Elspeth Soper creates distinctive and very individual pieces of practical pottery from her "very basic but homely" pottery in the woods on the Willey estate near Broseley. Elspeth, inspired by country pottery from England and Eastern Europe says "many of my designs result from when I kept chickens, ducks, geese and guinea fowl here at the pottery some ten years ago" says Elspeth, "until foxes came and steadily stole them away". With pottery featuring chickens, hares and guinea fowl and Elspeth's earthly glaze colours such as soft blues, greys, muted terracotta's, ochre's and greens, the finished pieces from Willey Furnace Pottery would sit happily in any home.
	Sea Holly Tiles Seaholly Ceramics produces a beautiful range of hand crafted tiles and ceramic decorations celebrating British Natural History, high days and holidays.
	Alison Weightman Alison Weightman has been hand building and raku-firing ceramics since 1990. Her wares have been exhibited in galleries throughout Britain. In 1998 she received the Mercer Co. Award for work exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh.
	Rob Whelpton Vicky and Robb Whelpton both work out of the Krukker Ceramics. Robb produces raku fired decorative pots featuring fish, the sea and animals.
	Vicky Whelpton Vicky and Robb Whelpton both work out of the Krukker Ceramics. Vicky makes cream based earthenware that is both decorative and functional, brightly decorated with various fruit designs.
	Tregear Pottery - currently being updated
	George Ormerod George produces hand made pottery in colourful stoneware and delicate porcelain making a number of ranges of beautiful ceramic bowls, jugs, vases, teapots, figures and much more. Producing pottery for over 18 years, George Ormerod has built up a great reputation for his hand made ceramics in Newcastle.