My name is Stuart, and I am originally from Bootle in Merseyside. In 1978, at the age of 15, my family moved to Nottinghamshire. We moved from a dense housing estate to the middle of the Nottinghamshire countryside, alongside the river Trent.
The impact of this move hit all of us. As a family, it gave us a new appreciation for our new environment. Who would have thought that a family from a council estate in Bootle would be living in a cottage in the middle of a field. Every one of us view it as our happy place that we loved the most. If we hadn’t moved there, I doubt I would have gained an interest in ceramics. Because there were no neighbours, I was able to experiment with things like pit firing and sawdust firing.
I’ve done several night school classes, but found them too restrictive. Books, YouTube and things like TikTok became my go-to tutors.
Originally, I made bonsai pots for a bonsai nursery in Sheffield, but after a couple of years we parted company. Today I have a small studio that was originally the garage, it was converted some time back and is now my little bit of heaven.
My first love is Japanese pottery. Many years ago my mother-in-law (my pottery guru) introduced me to the work of Shoji Hamada, his simplicity and uncomplicated style floored me. In my own work I try not to use gaudy colours, and try to keep the forms as simple as possible, while trying to keep them interesting.
The majority of my pots are saggar fired, but I also do a small amount of raku and stoneware.
I’ve now taken the sale section off here; I will be using Etsy or one of the other online sales platforms. As soon as I have found a suitable one, I will put the link on here. In the meantime, if you are interested in buying my pottery, check out my gallery, let me know what you like and I can email what I have in stock. Alternatively, I will be at Gladstone Pottery in Stoke on 15th November 2025.
Thank you for taking the time to read my profile.
