My Pottery Process: where wheel, hand and earth connect.

Working with clay feels like coming home. There is something about its tactile, responsive nature that invites a deep connection between hand, material and landscape - a heart-to-heart that unfolds slowly through making. My pottery process encompasses both wheel throwing and hand building, allowing each piece to develop as I continue to explore the connection between earth, texture and form.

There is a quiet focus to working with clay that offers a rhythm and flow. My hands seem to respond intuitively as I shape vessels that feel balanced and grounded. Handmade pottery pieces may start life on the wheel, but are often followed up with hand-building techniques. Working directly and more sculpturally with the clay. Pinching, coiling and shaping give me time to respond to the material, embracing irregularities and surface variation. It is here that texture gets introduced. Marks are left visible, surfaces are built up and worn

back, and the clay holds it all in its memory.

These traces are parts of the creative journey, marks of the process, time and human hand - qualities I value deeply in handmade pottery.

As I continue on my pottery pilgrimage, I find the Earth Connections theme runs through much of my ceramic work. Living and working on the Sunshine Coast, I am continually inspired by the surrounding landscape - weathered surfaces, eroded edges, coastal light and grounded forms.

Clay itself is a direct link to the earth, and I allow this connection to remain in the finished pieces. Rather than seeking perfection, I enjoy subtle variation, natural texture and the quiet strength of the handmade form.

Texture is not just a visual element in my pottery; I want my vessels to invite touch, to feel grounded and alive in the hands of the viewer.

What I love most about clay is its creative possibilities. It allows me to draw on my background as a mixed media artist while expanding into three dimensions. Clay holds marks, absorbs energy and responds honestly to process. It encourages curiosity and ongoing experimentation - qualities that continue to shape my practice.

Every vessel I create is the result of this layered process: wheel or hand, intuition or intention, earth and fire. I hope that each piece carries a sense of grounding and connection - a quiet reminder of the landscape, the making and the material it came from.