Ruthanne Tudball

Welborne, Dereham, Norfolk, United Kingdom

Title: Flower Basket on 3 Feet

Year of Creation: 2010

Glaze: Soda vapor glaze

Clay Body: Stoneware

Dimensions: Height 13 inches, Width 6.3 inches

Artist's Statement: Al of my work is thrown, manipulated and assembled while freshly thrown on the wheel in an attempt to capture the soft organic quality of the clay and preserve that softness in the finished piece. Soda vapour glazing in a wood/gas-fired kiln emphasizes the marks and rhythms of making. Nothing is hidden.

Manipulating soft clay on a revolving wheel and feeling the material respond to the merest touch is like setting out on an exciting journey for me. The dialogue which goes on between the potter and the clay is carried on through the use of the pots. You pour, eat, store, serve and drink from them, and sometimes you simply contemplate them. I am inspired by the evolving landscape, the rhythms and creative forces of the earth and by the dance of the human body, all of which keep me thinking about the life in a pot made of clay.

We are inherently defined by what we do and what we potters do with clay identifies who we are. I see my work as a potter as a way of life that celebrates the beauty of the world around me.