Where contemporary living meets tradition

Little Wren Pottery was established in Sunderland during the spring of 2009 but I’m actually originally from Yorkshire and relocated back to my hometown of Northallerton in 2013. I try to capture something of the countryside days of my childhood; the lush greens of spring, the golden shades of autumn and the crisp blues of winter.

At the University of Dundee I studied to be a designer rather than a potter and I always try and think about how each piece will function not just for it’s purpose but the aesthetics of living with something everyday. It wasn’t until 2008 that I started making pottery and pretty much everything I know was taught to me by my Dad.

Sunderland has always had a history of producing good quality robust ceramics and I hope in some way to continue on this craft. As a dedication to traditional craft I’m a member of the heritage crafts association; a group preserving the crafts of the United Kingdom.

I produce all my work in my home studio; a quiet, cozy and often messy nook! But inevitably pottery and making often find their way into just about every room in our house. I buy all my supplies from the clay to glazes locally and all the stoneware used in the studio is from Devonshire. I throw primarily in stoneware for it's durability, white sandy finish and natural colour palette that can be found in stoneware glazes.

For me Little Wren Pottery represents a meeting point of modern contemporary living and traditional British pottery.

I do have a few pottery heroes, both famous and unsung; Michael Cardew, Isacc Button, Shoji Hamada and Bernard Leach. If you like my work you’ll probably like theirs too.