Joanna Atherton

Nature is wonderfully complex. It is a wild, yet highly structured world full of patterns and forms. The unique snowflake, the intricate edges of a leaf, or a disparate sprawl of barnacles on a rock; all are beautiful forms which perform a distinct function.

These elegant patterns within natural structures epitomise the Potter’s challenge – the balancing of function and form, of decorative and useful. It is this which can determine whether a piece is destined for the gallery or the kitchen table.

I delight in incorporating my immediate surroundings into pottery; by digging local clay, using the plants that grow outside the studio, or involving a variety of natural materials in the firing process. All these elements ground my work in a season and place giving a strong connection to the English countryside.

Feeding the flames of a hungry wood kiln never fails to awaken something primeval in me. The pot is simply the beginning, serving as a canvas upon which the interplay of wood ash and fire can dance across its surface, confessing a brief flirtation with fire.

Nothing compares to holding a pot which has experienced such heat and energy. It is a story betrayed by the testament of rich, smouldering hues and crusty textures on the pot, evidence of the extreme temperatures it faced for a few magical days within the kiln.

Joanna is a Fellow of Digswell Arts Trust.