Statement

Julie was born in Locksheath, Hampshire, where she was first introduced to and became fascinated by clay.

For over 20 years her training has been composed of formal courses and workshops, combined with the vital self-teaching to explore the medium and its possibilities.  Moving to California and teaching for 10years has been an integral part of her development as a ceramicist, having taught a diverse, multi-cultured group and working with the visually impaired.

Now dividing her time between  France and England, the artist’s work has moved from functional, aesthetically pleasing pottery towards the more immediate and unexpected processes of raku and sawdust firings, exploring and experimenting with colour and resist without glazes.   Each piece is thrown and altered or hand built and embellished, burnished and then coated in a thin slip of terra sigillata before the initial firing to 950c in an electric kiln.  These are then packed with sawdust, oxides, copper, salt and numerous organic materials into a brick kiln.  The top is lit and covered and left to smoulder slowly over a period of 8 to 12 hours.  Other methods using a raku kiln and saggars are currently being explored to create different effects but continuing the unpredictable interplay of earth, fire, air and water.

Her work can be seen at “Galerie de la Riviere”, St. Savinien, 17380 and numerous exhibitions and pottery markets in the south-west of France.