It’s not just practice

During the filming for Make it at Market in April 2022, I was talking to Dom and mentioned that I hadn’t been doing the clay thing for very long. A few months in fact.

He then asked me if I’d had any training.

The BBC edited my response so it looks like I said, “It’s just practice. Practice, practice, practice, practice.” Which isn’t right and upset me to be honest as it’s just not true and makes me look like I’m being deceitful, which everyone who knows me, knows I’m really not. I can only think they didn’t want any names mentioned with it being the BBC. So, whilst there is a LOT of practice – trials, errors, lessons…

I want to make it clear that I HAVE had training and support from these wonderful teachers and mentors;

Donna Chaney – Animal Artistry My friend and talented inspiration since I was a kid saving my job money to buy her pieces. The slip-casting techniques and delicacy of the methods and steps involved in making her stunning pieces frightened the life out of me haha!

2021 was where it all started for me. I had 2 hours every Monday for 6 weeks at The Sculpture Lounge with Brendon Hesmondhalgh and Rebecca Appleby. They used professional grade clay and we explored hand-building. This was a massive game changer for me. So much so that by the end of October I’d converted my garage and bought a kiln. I had a few 2 hour group sessions at Northlight Studios as well which gave me chance to explore more different techniques.