Going to pot: a quartet of local ceramicists

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When it comes to art, ceramics are often seen as the poor relation to painting and sculpture, perhaps because they also have a practical use as well as looking pretty.

There are some amazing ceramicists working across the city and shire, working in a huge variety of techniques. Whether you’re looking for a conversation piece, a decorative accent, or just some cereal bowls, buying something handmade is often only slightly more expensive than buying something mass produced. It’s a great way of supporting artists without breaking the bank. Here’s a few of our favourites…

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01 Suz Macinnes

Suz MacInnes is known for her appealing animal sculptures. She explained, ‘Playing with 'sappy dubs' is such an instinctive and primeval thing which appeals all our senses. I love the versatility of clay. You can throw clay, pinch it, coil it, slab build with it. I use all of these techniques when I'm making my quirky sculptural and figurative pieces or my hand built and thrown vessels. My main love is hand building though, using mud, fire, water and the magic of the kiln to create pieces which make people smile or 'ask' to be touched & held.

‘From January through to March, I'm going to be working in my studio to build up stock for the exhibitions I will be attending through 2022. Information about dates, times & locations for these shows is available from www. suzmacinnes.com. You can also buy my work online via my Facebook, Instagram @suzmacinnesceramics and website all year round.’

02 Fiona Duckett

Fiona Duckett offers a good selection of her stunning metallic lustre work through her shop, Watergaw Ceramics, up in Whitehills. Most of her pieces are created on the wheel, though some are hand-built. Fiona explained, ‘I take the ever-changing sea as my inspiration. I use in glaze reduction lustre to finish my ceramics. There are just a handful of people creating glazes this way in the whole of the UK, though it dates from more than 2000 years ago.

Fiona’s shop is open from Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and by appointment. Find out more at www. watergawceramics.com 03 Dave Lothian

Dave Lothian works from a shed in his back garden and has exhibited at NEOS for the past two years. Dave said, ‘Watching The Great British Pottery Throw Down sparked my interest. I took an evening class to find out if there was a potter hiding inside. Since then, there’s been a lot of experimentation, trial and error.

‘I use a white stoneware clay and a variety of glazes and underglazes. I love work that flows and by its form alone stands out. The vast majority of my experimentation is on the wheel and I get great joy from throwing large bowls.

‘You can see my work on my Instagram account @davelothianpottery. I’ll be exhibiting at NEOS again in September and my work can be purchased from Gill Owen’s shop in Aboyne, Deeside Creations.’

04 Sarah Gordon

Sarah Gordon specialises in hand-built pieces using a coiling technique which creates sculptural pieces. She commented, ‘Once the clay surface has dried, the pot is burnished. This is a lengthy process where the surface is slowly compressed and polished. My favourite tool for this is a light bulb!

My pieces are mainly decorated using smoke and fire either in my raku kiln or the garden incinerator! These processes involve many variables, many outwith my control, so each piece is a completely unique surprise.’

Sarah’s work is showing at Milton of Crathes Art Gallery Banchory until the end of February. More information and examples can be found on Instagram @ sarahgordonartist