Meet the Maker Behind the Pieces
From Banking to Making
I had worked in International Banking in the City of London for many years and in 1995 I decided to leave. I had had more than my share of 7:30 breakfast meetings and late nights. Initially I enrolled on a City and Guilds Pottery course and then undertook a three year, full time Ceramics degree course at Camberwell College graduating in 2000. I was fortunate enough to be offered an evening & weekend teaching role at Camberwell and thoroughly enjoyed passing my love of working with clay on to the students.
Due to 'life' events taking over, I took a break from pottery but have returned and now know that where I am truly happy is in my workshop.
I would like to thank the following people who were some of my tutors over the years. It was their enthusiasm and guidance which kept me going over the years:
Nicolette (Nicki Savage - RIP) & Angela Watkins My tutors at Bromley Adult Education
Richard Phethean (Richard Phethean - Ceramics) I attended a few of his workshops (when he was living in London) once I had decided that throwing was my thing
Stephen (Steve) Parry (Stephen Parry, Wood-Fired Ceramics (spwoodfiredceramics.co.uk)) My throwing tutor at Camberwell College of Arts and who introduced my to 'the potters nod'.
Thank you all
I hope you enjoy looking at my work and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
My flyer for Art In Clay Hatfield and Farnham in 2000
Could so many years have passed?
Fascinated by the ‘contras’ in life: contradistinctions, contradictions, contraventions and the perversions and chaos these bring, Jan takes the familiar and successfully makes it unfamiliar.
The simple forms frame an inner world – one of chaos. The extreme textures of the glazes used to create this chaos are shockingly brutal, yet at the same time, contemplative and mesmerising.
As she says: “I love texture and wanted to create work that beckons you to touch it and question its structure. The fragile curling of one glaze morphing to the pitted crustiness of another reminds me of a scab. You know you shouldn’t pick it, but somehow you just cannot resist.”
Texture or Chaos is a Must
Strange as it may seem, perfection has always unsettled me. Yes, I love the feel of a lovely burnished pot, a silky satin-matt glazed vase, but I am always drawn to textural surfaces or overlaying glazes which look chaotic.
During my degree course at Camberwell, I discovered volcanic glazes, engobes and the useful 'sodium silicate' which has become a staple in my current work.
No two pieces are the same
Why?
Because I overlay glazes randomly, use slips & or stains with sodium silicate or score my work, no two pieces are the same. I do not aim to replicate shapes nor sizes of my work as for me, it is this individuality which signifies the handmade item. Yes, you will see similarities in shape, colour or pattern but they are all individual.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy looking at some of my work. Please contact me if you have any questions.