About

My ceramic practise is driven by my fascination of the minerals and clays underneath, the layers of the earth and how we uncover them. Echoing my local landscape and using raw volcanic clays from nearby properties here on Tamborine Mountain, Australia, I look to geological metamorphosis and histories when developing my concepts.

I like to combine organic textures, patterns and coloured clays into the surfaces of my ceramic vessels rather than use glazes. I do this by creating free formed nerikomi blocks of contrasting wild clays and stained porcelains, which I then inlay into the walls of my slip cast, wheel thrown and slab ware. These designs are structural and not just a surface matter. The transformative and technical properties of my ceramic materials drive much of my practise and extends upon my passion for exploiting porcelain’s possibilities and boundaries.

All of my art pieces and small batch cup collections are designed and created from my home studio; a reclaimed underground bunker, located in the Gold Coast hinterland on Tamborine Mountain. I am a senior Art and Media teacher with 20 years’ experience. In 2019 I left the classroom to concentrate on my art career full time. When my hands aren’t in clay, I can be found researching, writing, and presenting online and in person workshops. You may like to check out my Education page which includes some of my published articles.

Publications
Queensland History Journal Vol 24, no 11 Nov 2021 ‘Fired from the Mountain, the potters of Tamborine Mt 1940-2020’
Australian Journal of Ceramics, cover article: ‘Wild Women, Wild Clay’ Vol 59, no 3
Tales of the Red Clay Rambler- interview with Ben Carter episode 358 Feb 2021
Pottery Making illustrated ‘Smooth Lines’ Sept/Oct 2019
Home Beautiful magazine ‘Eye for Detail’ July 2018
Australian Journal of Ceramics ‘The Darling Commission’ April 2018
Australian Journal of Ceramics ‘Nerikomi’ 2018 Vol 57 no 3
Paul Blais- interview for The Potters Cast Dec 2017 episode 376
Canberra Times, Scripted by Nature exhibition
Blank Gold Coast, Kindred Spirits exhibition
Teachers Thriving, Chaos & Calm in Ceramics
Blank Gold Coast, Stories from Sea & Land exhibition

Awards and Grants
2020 Regional Arts Development Fund Wild Women Wild Clay project
2020 stART Arts Queensland grant
2019 Clunes Ceramic Award. People’s Choice winner and special award acquisition.
2018 Siliceous exhibition Overall Winner Ceramic Arts Qld
2017 Gold Coast Potters Prize Winner
2016 30th Gold Coast International Ceramic Art Award People’s Choice winner