Ceramics Keep Me Sane

I call my collection of ceramics SMOOCH XXX.

I like functional art which is why I make hundreds upon hundreds of bowls and occasionally make other useful objects like jugs. Plant pots. Pen pots. Cups. Plates. Lasagne dishes. Things you can use and love. My work is built by hand (rather than thrown on a wheel) and has all the beautiful imperfections that comes with this sort of craftsmanship. I am always experimenting with color and texture and I’ll always resort to the mad repetitive joy of polka dots. I also love insane glazes that keep you guessing. Including ones that occasionally bind your pot to the kiln shelf by melting in a globulous puddle and get you into trouble with your teacher. 

Juniper the Potter

I am taught by the wonderful Anne Rimbault, who is always trying to encourage me to be a better potter, even when I am at my most lazy. It feels like I’ve been doing pottery classes for a million years now. I started as a little kid and made bad horse sculptures and impressive slab pots for years before I gave it up because of the revolting teenage years. Then my sister Leigh started classes to keep her sanity as a new mother – good idea – and I got jealous and also started classes. That was in about 2007. Really? That long ago?

Every piece I make is unique. If you like something and it has been sold I can make something similar. Turnaround time will depend on how many you want (whether it’s a single bowl or a set) and what painting process you like. Glazes are quicker because the piece will be fired twice. Painted pieces require a third firing. But 3 – 6 weeks for a commissioned piece is what you should have in your head. I am not a factory. I am a single person and each piece takes time to craft. And there is a certain amount of chaos involved with this sort of handcrafted pottery. Sometimes things crack in the kiln because the clay was in a bad mood. No one can control or prevent that.

I have absolutely no interest in becoming a potter by profession so my prices are low. I charge what I would be happy to pay for them, not by how many hours or what the raw materials cost. That is way too boring. I sell my work because people want to buy it, and because I cannot keep everything I make. I also can’t stop making stuff.

Because I am curious and adventurous I make all sorts of things in many different styles. But the one thing I keep on making are my brickwork bowls. It’s a style I created and it has become my signature.

If you are interested in buying an existing piece or commissioning a special something, email me at princess.juniper@gmail.com