The Wishing Tree

New Guest Blog from our Most Recently Aquired Local Crafter

Kate Fisher came to see me with her Exquisite pots and I had to have them in the shop, below Kate tells us a little bit about how her inspirations lead her to her works of art. You can buy Kates Pots in The Wishing Tree or In our Online Store.

inspired by coastal landscapes

Hello all.
 
As I am a new crafts person to The Wishing Tree, I thought I’d introduce myself to you all, so you know a bit about the my background and my ceramics, one of the many great things about buying locally made work.
 
I’ve always had a huge interest in nature, and crafts, and although for most of my childhood I made a lot from textiles, clay seemed to be the closest to a natural source as I could get. I, like many children, used to love playing in the mud, I think being a potter is a natural progression from this.
 
Like I said above I was always into textiles and I almost went to do a degree in fashion at Salisbury university. Luckily I chose to go to Lowestoft college to stay closer to home and did a BA (Hons) degree in design crafts. In this we got to have a go at everything, woodwork, metal work, textiles and ceramics. I was still adamant I was going to be a textile designer of some sort, until the throwing workshops. At those, taught by Stephen Baker, I found my love for the potters wheel! I went on to specialise in ceramics and carried on developing my work to how you see it today.
 
I use several different clays, but my favourite to use at the moment is white stoneware. I like the surface texture it has once thrown because, as it says in the name, it looks like stone. I always prefer a semi matt to a full matt glaze as I enjoy form more than surface design and I feel shiny glazes can sometimes distort the shape when you look at them.
 
Landscapes are where I get my initial ideas and I then allow the shapes and textures to develop naturally from this. I enjoy going out and taking my own pictures, at this point in time coastal landscapes are influencing me a lot. They’re so beautiful and can look so very different from one day to the next! As we all know, rough stormy seas look fierce and frightening where as a calm sunny day at the sea side is warm and inviting.
 
At the moment I’m interested in creating all sorts of things, for example; domestic ware- mugs, plates, bowls, cooking equipment; decorative items- oil burners, tea light holders, vases; and sculptural forms. I make items and sell them in beautiful shops, such as The Wishing Tree, and I also do commission work to design things for individuals as they request.
 
I’m currently renting a lovely little studio space in Pulham market with my friend Danielle Wade, who is the name behind Polly’s prints. It’s situated in The Gables Yard, opposite the green, and we’re lucky enough to share a courtyard with four other local crafts people.
 
So now you know a little bit more about myself and my work, why not take a trip to The Wishing Tree and take a look at what local crafts people are up to these days.

Tags: coastal, local potters, norfolk crafts, norfolk potters, norfolk pottery, pots, pottery