In 2014 we planted a new apple orchard, with handpicked varieties of delicious juicing apples. One of these is the exquisite and now rare Gilliflower apple, a Cornish native. We also converted a dilapidated outbuilding to a pottery studio, where I have my wheel and kiln. Just like growing trees, making pottery can't be rushed. And just like the fruit, every piece is slightly different and unique in it's own right. It is important for me that my pots are grounded in my surroundings, and leave as small an environmental footprint as possible, so I use local clay from only a few miles away, and mix my own glazes. I recycle every bit of leftover clay and use a efficient kiln, supplied by a sustainable energy supplier. I take inspiration from the changing seasons reflected in the birds and the trees in the garden, and the round-bellied African beer pots I grew up with in South Africa.
