A PASSION FOR PERFECTION

Artist

You’ll find Kiln, a design-led studio and gallery in the pretty hamlet of Porthilly near Rock. It’s full of beautiful, Scandinavian-inspired homewares as well as a range of the finest Cornish products. Owner Sue not only selects the items for sale in the gallery, she also has an on-site studio where she creates her own range of much sought-after china.

“When my children were young,” explains Sue, “the ceramic painting started as a hobby, but it was something I’ve always wanted to do and, on moving close to The Potteries in Stoke, I took lessons at a china painting school. Moving to Essex, I started by selling to friends and then branching out in a small way into retail and online.” On relocating to Cornwall, Sue searched for premises where she could have both a gallery and a studio in which to continue with her intricate ceramic painting. Kiln enjoyed many successful years in Port Isaac, and then a time in Wadebridge, before arriving at its current iteration. Sue wanted to find a space away from the main tourist hotspots where she could concentrate on quality over quantity. “We were lucky to find the gallery in Porthilly and impulsively just went for it… and it’s been absolutely amazing.”

Sue’s designs take the form of intricate repeat patterns, all drawn and painted by eye and hand. The ceramic blanks are sourced from The Potteries in Stoke and chosen by Sue for their beautifully simple shapes. “I paint completely free hand,” explains Sue. “I don’t use any measurements, stencils or transfers.” Whether it be the satisfying simplicity of dots and spots or colourful hearts, flowers and stars that adorn cups, bowls, jugs, teapots and more, each piece brings joy in both form and function. www.kilnstudio.com

Sue begins by drawing the designs with a chinagraph pencil. She then uses her own paint mix of china paint powder to which she adds pen oil to create the pigment. Her studio kiln is fired up every day; she paints the first layer of colour before the initial firing, repeating the process to get the desired effect, producing a kiln-load daily.

Sue’s ceramics sit perfectly next to the other products in the gallery which have a distinct Nordic feel. Much is sourced directly from suppliers in Denmark, as Sue strives to make her stock unique. The natural tones and organic textures are what unite the selection of throws, baskets, vessels, bottles, jewellery, stationery and more… add to this the heavenly scents of locally poured candles and Cornish artworks and Kiln offers a tranquil place for some muchdeserved retail therapy on the north Cornish coast.