When did you first think of picking up this craft?
My first experience with clay came when I was about 7 years old. Funny enough, my mother still owns the little house I built back then. In my twenties, I returned to pottery thanks to a friend who offered weekend courses. I did not decide to study ceramics until I was thirty years old.
What does the exchange with colleagues mean to you?
For me, appreciative exchanges between colleagues are very important. Fireworks Clay Studios offers a very supportive community and a safe environment. Every year, for example, we add two university graduates who are able to work here for a year.
©Paul Wearing
How did you get the confidence to work as a freelance artist?
I consider it a great privilege to work as a freelance artist. It's up to me what I do, how I do it, and how much. My confidence to follow this path comes from external validation. Exhibitions I'm invited to, awards I've received, and, of course, the fact that people want and buy my works.
How do you make your different glazes?
Within the glazing process, I embrace the contrasts between control and chance. I like to use silicon carbonate for the surface structure because it produces bubbles when burned, creating a lava-like structure. With Magnesium Carbonate, I intentionally cause cracks in the surface. With metallic glazes, I create colours.