Hi, I'm Katie and welcome to my page, where you will find information about KT Robbins Ceramics and my hand-made, decorative porcelain range or visit my new website at www.ktrobbinsceramics.com. FInd me on Twitter , Instagram and Pinterest as Ceramicmagpie
I have loved handling clay since my school days, but it has only been within the last two years that I h
ave been able to control the unruly substance of porcelain, under the guidance of a renowned potter, Sue Dyer, at The Midlands Art Centre. Although it can be a tricky material to work with, I love being able to create precise and intricate patterns and details with this medium. I draw inspiration from nature such as flowers and birds, as well as the rhythm of patterns, provide an inspiration to a basic shape, so that each piece is then different and unique. I prefer to stick to the ethos behind 'hand-made' so that every new vessel is its own piece of art, with a slightly different colour-way or design. Sometimes the shapes distort slightly, but this is part of hand-made process. Most of the designs you see here are made by pouring liquid porcelain or slip into a plaster mould, which I have made myself from found or existing objects. Once the porcelain starts to go hard it is removed from the mould and then the crafting can take place. I use a variety of decorative techniques which include: carving into the clay to create patterns, in-lay (where a pattern is etched into the clay and this is then filled with liquid porcelain and then scraped back to reveal the pattern underneath), indentation (such as lace and wallpaper), drawing (using a special porcelain pencil) and laying porcelain designs or motifs into the mould, which are then surrounded with slip. The changes in colour are gained from either using a different coloured slip or through glazes, which are applied after firing. I developed a passion for home interiors after working for ten years as a public relations consultant, producing marketing material and 'consuming' glossy home magazines. Looking at people's homes is still a passion, as is taking a personal pride in 'nesting' and making beautiful items for other people (and myself occasionally).
