During my two week residency in Agios Ioannis, I came upon an iron-rich claybed cut away from the side of the Cretan mountains.
I had the opportunity to mix paper pulp in with this wild clay, through a paper-clay workshop. A small body of pinch pots inspired by traditional Minoan Bronze Age forms was created through this experimental process. These were installed throughout the rubble of the village and placed in the derelict houses, left to weather the extreme heat and winds, and eventually became part of the visual narrative in this unique community.
A sample of this Cretan wild clay was brought back to my east end studio in Glasgow. It was here that I processed and tested the clay to create a slip (a thick watery clay, sieved and smooth in texture) to paint over my glazed work.
The results of this wild clay experiment have been slightly unpredictable, but have added depth and a rich finish to my functional tableware collection. There is something incredibly romantic about using raw materials from the side of a mountain, paint them directly on to my handmade pottery and let the materials take on a new life of their own. The Crete Collection is constantly evolving and changes with each firing, but it’s a welcomed addition to my practice.
