Winter 2025

It feels like just last week that I wrote my Spring newsletter; I’ve blinked and suddenly nearly another year has been and gone. In fact, on the Sunday just gone the sun was properly out for the first time in what felt like months, reminding me that Spring isn’t too far away. 

A lot has changed since last year’s update, and I have some really exciting new things to share. Firstly I want to touch on the ceramics workaway I went on in May; I spent a fortnight staying with a family in Southern Italy, helping out on their land with various farming projects, and also in their pottery studio. It was a fantastic experience, both for my own ceramics practice, and confidence in traveling alone. In the pottery I mostly threw plates which they sell at local markets. In terms of my personal projects there, I threw on an older kick wheel as I felt like this best preserved the studio’s traditional ceramics practice. This took a lot of getting used to, as it was like trying to throw a pot while riding a bike, but it was very enjoyable. I also dug up and processed some clay from a nearby lake and made a small tile. It was the first time I have attempted to process ‘wild’ clay, and it is definitely something I am keen to continue doing with clay from different locations. 

In late May I began to work a few days each week as a technician at Loam ceramics studio in Petersfield. It has been great seeing how a bigger studio operates, but more importantly I feel like I am part of a ceramics community. I love being able to chat about all the ins and outs of pursuing a creative career, as well as different ceramics techniques. I particularly enjoy having a sneak peak of people’s work as I unload the glaze firing. Since September I have also started teaching assistant work here. 

The biggest change of all is that in June I took over my good friend and ceramics teachers’ pottery studio. It sits above a community café in Aldershot, and is fully kitted out with two wheels, a lovely big wedging table, and a kiln. I feel so lucky to have my own studio so early on in my career, and have started throwing workshops here too. Running a studio is far more work than I imagined, but equally is so rewarding. My main goal for this space is to increase its accessibility to all those in the Aldershot community, as I am so passionate about the use of clay to support people’s wellbeing. I am currently applying for a range of grants to help subside workshops to enable the studio to be more accessible for people while also being financially viable for me!

In terms of my own creative projects, I have become very interested in weaving, primarily on my great grandma’s rigid heddle loom, and also more recently on a little hand held loom frame. When I was in Italy I collected and processed the wool from the sheep that graze on the farm, as they were sheared while I was staying. I posted it home to myself, and am now in the process of spinning it into usable yarn, which I also hope to weave with. In a similar way to digging up clay, I find that processing raw materials deepens my connection to the natural material which is very important to me in terms of the use of natural resources. Alongside my work at Loam Studio I took part in a few of the eight week throwing courses which has hugely helped me improve my throwing. Some recent bigger commissions such as 60 terracotta plant pots has also been great throwing practise. I’m not completely sure how my personal ceramics projects might develop over the year, but soon I am going to start making a full set of crockery for the café below my studio which is very exciting. 

I’m keen to stick to my initial goal of a quarterly newsletter, so hopefully you'll hear from me in Spring!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. 

Love, 

Honor x

Collecting clay in Italy.

Re-decorating the Coffee House Pottery.

Loam studios.

A recent commission of plant pots.