The Crafty Potter: Making pots and Presentations in Sussex and beyond
Hilary,The Crafty Potter, continues to create ceramics, gives Presentations and Demonstrations to Clubs and organisations. Hilary is a Member of the Adur Art Collective and will be taking part in the Open Houses Art Trail 2024 on weekends in June. More Information about the Open Houses Art Trail and a map will be coming soon on: www.adurartcollective.co.uk
The 2024 Adur Art Collective Open Houses Art Trail Brochures will be available in May, free from many outlets and shops in Shoreham. the brochures contains the map of all the venues.
The Picture Gallery: Some new examples of my pots and paintings demonstrate recent works available for sale. Contact me at: craftypotter@btinternet.com
Hilary Stirling: ‘The Crafty Potter’
Hilary began making pots in 1975 when doing a teacher training course at Brighton College of Education. From 1975 onwards, ceramics became a hobby and a therapy for her professional teaching career, working with children with special educational needs.
In 1978 Hilary travelled to New Zealand and attended Victoria University in Wellington. Every spare moment was spent working with a nationally known New Zealand potter and learning the basics of ceramics. The work was heavily influenced by the geographical and aesthetic closeness of Asia, particularly Japan, to the Zen traditions, to organic forms and ash glazes.
Hilary retired from full-time education in 2005 although she continues her interests in education through research and working as a special education consultant. She now concentrates on developing her own ceramic work and does presentations all over East and West Sussex to Groups about influences and inspiration for craftwork.
Hilary’s ceramic work reflects the Japanese organic traditions and she uses blended Sussex clays, and creates her own celadon, ash glazes from wood ash. She uses recycled glass to decorate her work and features the shapes and textures of Sussex scenes in her plaques and plates. Her pots are high-fired stoneware and fired to 1240 Degrees Centigrade.
Recently, Hilary has spent the additional free-time developing her water colour painting which during time spent in Asia was initially focussed on Chinese style paintings on rice paper. Gradually this has become a fusion of East and West techniques using Chinese brushes but painting on English water colour paper. Hilary's work continues her interest in landscapes but often reflects her love of flowers which began when living in Malaysia many years ago.
Hilary Stirling, The Crafty Potter,
Email: craftypotter@btinternet.com Website: www.craftypotter.co.uk 01273 461346 or 07771783431
