The Potter
Hello, I’m Jess…
I’m a self-taught potter working from my studio that looks out onto Pen Y Fan and the Brecon Beacons.
For me, working with clay allows me to be present in the moment and quiet my mind. I can throw pieces or carve designs into clay for hours and forget about the stresses of the outside world.
My neurodiversity means that life can often feel overwhelming. Clay doesn’t solve everything, but it gives me a purpose.
The Journey
In 2022 I went on a throwing course at Cardiff Pottery Workshops and didn’t look back. I purchased a wheel and a kiln just days after the course and have been making pottery on my farm ever since.
It has been a steep learning curve trying to work things out by myself, with a new mistake around each corner. But it has helped me to accept that things don’t always go to plan, to take a breath and try again and to really appreciate my successes.
I have learnt to love the skill and creative freedom that working with clay provides. The technical elements satisfy my inquisitive brain, whilst the wide expanse of creative options has taught me to find joy in making. I will often spend time just going with the flow and trying out new ideas as they come to me, which is a novel idea for someone who has always had a plan.
There’s nothing quite like starting with a simple lump of clay and being able to make whatever you want with it. When you step back and look at what you have created there is an immense sense of pride, knowing that you have made that from scratch.
The Process
Each piece begins as a raw lump of clay that is wheel-thrown and carefully carved by hand before being glazed in one of my uniquely crafted glazes.
Every step is thoughtful and meticulous, ensuring each piece is finished to the highest quality and carries the individuality of handmade craftsmanship.
My work is designed to elevate daily life and create opportunities for peaceful moments in a busy world.
Preparing the Clay
Before a piece is thrown, the clay needs to be prepped.
Each product uses a different amount of clay, so the clay is weighed out for specific pieces.
I tend to work in batches, so I will weigh out around 24 lumps at a time before wedging them.
Wedging or kneading the clay helps to remove air bubbles from the clay and make sure it is nicely mixed and even.
This isn’t the most glamourous task, but it really helps you to get a feel for the clay before starting working with it.
Throwing
The majority of my pieces are thrown on my potter’s wheel.
Throwing involves lots of different processes, from centering the clay to pulling the walls and then shaping pieces.
Some pieces have set measurements so I use a laser level to allow me to replicate pieces closely.
Every piece is thrown in a slightly different way and over time I have developed methods that work for me for each.
Throwing is one of those tasks that you could spend all day doing. As I work in batches a lot, it becomes kind of rhythmic. There is a strange balance between being 100% focused on what you are doing and a freedom of just letting your mind relax and wonder.
Turning
After throwing, pieces are allowed to dry slightly until they become leather hard. Once leather hard, pieces are turned and refined on the wheel.
I use a variety of tools to refine the shape of a piece and to add foot rings.
Pieces are then stamped with my maker’s mark that features the Pen Y Fan ridgeline.
This is where pieces really start to come together. They start looking more like the finished product. There is a neatness to turning that I find very satisfying. No matter the piece, I know that they are connected by clean, cohesive foundations.
Carving
Carving is one of my favourite parts of the process. It is where the pieces really become unique.
I use sharp metal loop tools to carve out individual flakes of clay. I love watching a design gradually come together – whether it be one of my standard carvings where motions are repeated to create a satisfying texture or a more intricate design that uses a variety of tools and patterns to build towards a design.
It is a really slow, mindful process – thoughtfully placing each mark.
Glazing
Once pieces are carved, they are allowed to dry fully before being bisque fired.
Bisque firing turns fragile, greenware pieces into durable, porous pots, perfect for glazing.
Wax is applied to the bottom of pieces before they are dipped in the glaze. The wax acts as a resist and stops the glaze absorbing into the clay, leaving a nice clean bottom.
I create all my glazes myself, taking a range of different raw materials and carefully combining them. It is alchemy. A piece can go into the kiln looking matte mustard yellow and come out a shiny, flowing blue.
Lots of testing is involved, as even a slight change in one variable will mean that the finished glaze could look completely different.
It is a slow process and can take months or years to finalise a recipe, but the end results are worth it.
Glaze is really important to my pieces as I want to highlight the interaction between the surface and the glaze. There needs to be movement and flow in the grooves of my carvings, as well as variations in colour across the ridges.
This is only achieved in the final firing to 1250 degrees Celsius, when the glaze melts and turns glassy and the clay hardens and becomes impermeable.
Sanding
Once the kiln has cooled down enough after a glaze firing, pieces are unloaded and sanded.
I use increasing grades of sanding pads on the bottom of my pieces to ensure they are silky smooth to hold and can’t scratch any surfaces.
It is the final step in the process and it really brings together my whole ethos of quality and comfort.
To learn more about my process and what goes on in the studio, follow me on Instagram or Facebook.
