After making clay finger puppets at after school care as a child, I was hooked and for 33 years I’ve been using clay for my sanity.
I started my studies at Canberra Potters Society back in 1989 and got my first wheel in 1990. In 2008 I completed a visual arts degree at Sydney College of Fine Arts, specialising in ceramics. By 2017 I had found my way to the Mullumbimby Potters Club, helping to fire their kilns. After a tree change in 2020, I was sole exhibitor at my “Woodspring” show at Texas Regional Gallery in 2021. Shortly thereafter I moved to Cairns and am presently focusing on mugs.
There is something I love about the intimacy of one’s favourite mug. It’s often a personal item. We nurse and cradle them and press our lips against them daily. Knowing my mugs are cherished by many, I guess I feel a sense of connection in this age of social distancing and I like the idea of displaced affections. My early work favoured large scale figurative sculptures, but in these chaotic times I find satisfaction and calm in making a humble mug.
You can catch me on a Wednesday or Thursday for socials and skill sharing at the club.
My instagram is @shinyshinywant and I post messages about group firings in my @mudderator account.
