Website Under Construction…

My website is currently being refreshed, in the meantime, please follow me on Facebook at Jo Walker Ceramics or Instagram at @jowalkerceramics. Most of my new work is posted there and followers are kept up to date with shop openings and events. The gallery portion of the website is also still available to view examples of my work. Thank you for your patience.

Inspiration for my work almost always comes from nature. How can you fail to be bowled over by a perfect shell or the colours in a butterfly’s wing? This is my starting point. I’m an avid collector of stuff; my pockets always bulging after a walk on the beach. I draw to gain a better understanding of my finds. By examining them carefully I can see the way they have grown or been formed. Sometimes by doing this I discover patterns or shapes that at first glance are not obvious.
My ceramics are decorated using the technique of sgraffito. The clay body of the piece is coated in a contrasting coloured layer of clay which I then scratch through to reveal the clay body beneath. I’m essentially drawing into the clay but time and accuracy are crucial as with sgraffito one slip could ruin the piece. My drawing process gives me the opportunity to simplify the images I use on my pots, I start to see them as a decorative collection of patterns and shapes rather than an accurate representation of the original.