I started exploring with clay, in many ways, by chance. In 2017 I was working at a food factory in a part of England where I had no community and a distinct yearning to break free from the repetition of mass-production I was witnessing day in and out. I found a local art centre and was immediately captivated. The dense smells of fermenting clay. The magical unpredictability and transformation of glazes. The chaotic organisation and collaborative spirit. Everyone at the centre looked as though their wildest souls had been set free without judgement but with encouragement, with compassionate curiosity. Splatterings of clay flew freely across the room. Aprons asked you to wipe your hands rather than wash. Diverse creations perched precariously but confidently besides one and other. There was little structure and ample questioning - an invitation to think, reflect, create and re-connect. I had found my creative refuge!

Since this initial baptism, I have made ceramics in the UK, Kenya and Mexico, typically using local clays and small batch glazes and slips. As such, each and every creation is wonderfully unique in nature and all carry a celtic name as a gentle ode to my Scottish heritage. Whilst I am, in many respects, self taught, on and off over the years it has been a joy to work with and learn from ceramicists with far greater skill than my own. The many multitude of ways in which one can approach ceramics and the diversity of the ultimate outcomes is striking. People often tell me I ‘need to find my voice’, my one style that I am recognised for, but in all honestly it doesn’t sit right with me. I know I am a being of multitudes and it is important for my craft to reflect that? I love how I am able to endlessly explore with different clays, different techniques, different glazes and slips, different textures, different firing methods. I do not strive to get to a place where I know exactly how my creations will turn out…the more I control the less room there is for magic, for opportunity, for surprise, for growth. When I make ceramics I am working with natural elements - fire, earth, water, minerals - elements which thrive when left to their own devices and whose natural impurities are their real beauty; I am not personally sure why I would want to limit this?

All my imperfect creations are intended to be a tonic to the soul. An invitation to contemplate what we are made of and where we originate from, to remind us that we can choose to stay attuned with our instincts and our intuition to return home to our true self — our “soulskin” (in the words of Clarissa Pinkola Estés or “selkies” in Celtic mythology) - time and time again. It is for this reason that I purposefully avoid perfection in my work - to help keep the soulskin alive and to bear witness of and appreciation to the deeper, chaotic and flawed beauty that we all hold. This beauty of imperfection is just one of the many things that ceramics has taught me. The practice is also a great teacher of de-attachment and letting go, of patience and tolerance. Through glazing I am reminded of my many layers of character that I can take the time to better understand. The pauses between each stage of making reminds me to also rest and be still to create the space for my own changing and evolution. The process of transformation reminds me alchemy is at my (and your) fingertips!

Pricing varies from piece to piece depending on the time they took, where they were created, how far they had to travel, the weight // type of clay and the number // types of glazes applied. If you have any questions then I would be more than happy, in fact I would LOVE to create space to do so - one of the real joy’s of creating is the opportunity to connect with people, learning from them (you!) and being further inspired, so I truly would love to hear your story too!