I first saw Thomas Powell's beautiful ceramics at October's Fine & Dandy Market at the Crescent Arts Centre. I was immediately taken by the striking simplicty of his work which exhuded quality and craftsmanship. I asked him a few questions about his craft, inspirations and passions as a potter!
Where is your studio? // I have a small
workshop just outside Gilford in County Down. Like most pottery
workshops it's cold in the winter and warm in the summer - never the
other way round! I often have a robin, a coal tit or a blue tit peering
in at me through the workshop's window, but other than the occasional
feathered face, I'm left to my own pottery devices.
How long have you been working in ceramics? // I have been a potter for twenty-five years. Twenty-four years of which were spent making pots for other potteries - two in west Wales and one in Northern Ireland. I trained as an apprentice in a pottery in Wales, it was my first job after leaving school. It can take up to seven years to learn to throw any size and shape of pot with ease. It's something that requires a lot of patience and practice - and many moments of frustration. I started making my own pottery in May 2013.
What inspires you? // Simplicity . I also like pots to be both visually and physically
tactile. When I first began making my own pots I wanted to create
something that was contemporary whilst at the same time keeping that
handmade quality, something that was nice to hold and visually
uncomplicated. It's easy to over-decorate a pot, or to work too much at
your idea to the point where you lose sight of what you wanted to
achieve. But saying that, achieving simplicity is not as simple as it
sounds. The end result is only part of the of the story - you
also have the learning and the developing and, of course, the hard work
and the sleepless nights that go into that one simple creation.
Where can people find your work? // I am a member of the North Down Craft Collective which
has a craft fair every month in Holywood, usually on the second
Saturday. The collective consists of ten regular crafters, of which I'm
one, and five additional guests for each month's fair. Another craft
fair at which I try to be a regular is The Fine & Dandy Market at
The Crescent Art's Centre in Belfast, which usually takes place on the
last Sunday of every month. I also do other craft fairs here and there,
mostly in County Down and Belfast, with the occasional one in County
Armagh.
What to know more? Head to www.facebook.com/pages/Thomas-Powell-Pottery
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