I keep a sketchbook where I record or draw ideas for work, collect images, keep a record of my making, assess where I am at and write ‘to do’ lists. I would be lost without it. It is a source of inspiration, reflection and reference.

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All my work is hand built. The process of making a sculpture often begins by making a small clay maquette which is then re-made on a larger scale.  To construct the work I join strips or coils of clay. Alternatively, I manipulate clay by pulling, pinching, stretching and carving it into unique forms.

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These methods are sometimes combined in one piece. I let the clay determine the final form, allowing the piece to grow and develop organically. I often return to previous ideas and rework them with the knowledge gained from my last making.

The natural colour of the clay and the atmosphere of the firings enhance the forms. Sometimes the work is burnished and waxed. I use a variety of stoneware clays usually fired to 1260 degrees.

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My studio looks out over the garden which provides the inspiration for many of the sculptures. It has become an outdoor gallery where the finished pieces can return. The sculptures become an integral part of the garden, nestling in herbaceous borders, resting on a stone wall or raised on an old tree stump.