I came to pottery via a rather complicated route that involved a degree in Maths and becoming a Solicitor, before finding myself in Singapore, newly married and spending every day sitting by the pool! Not everyone’s idea of a bad life, but after a while it became pretty dull and I needed a new interest. With vague but fond memories of making ashtrays at school and having always enjoyed all forms of craft, I set out to find a local potter to teach me to throw, and I was lucky enough to stumble across Lim Meng Khuang. At his studio, away from the hustle and bustle of ex-pat life, I learnt to throw and my obsession with the wheel was born.
After our return to London, I took various courses, including one at City Lit, where I met Lisa Hammond, who agreed to help me to progress further, and I spent a day a week out of the office and in her studio, practising on the wheel.
The birth of our son put things on hold for several years, but after he started school, I searched for access to a wheel and threw my first piece of porcelain at Richmond Adult Education college, under the tutelage of Emma Johnstone. I have been obsessed with the purity and beauty of porcelain ever since and rarely work with anything else.
After some years of renting studio space at the London Museum of Water and Steam, I found a wonderful place for sale and a friend to dare to take this step with me and in March 2024, Hive Ceramic Studio was born, giving us the chance to invest in a much bigger kiln and freeing us to create.