Hannah McAndrew

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My love for the material I work with has seen me move from a densely populated urban area to this quiet corner of rural Galloway. After my degree the desire to continue to learn about clay and its potential led me to find an apprenticeship with wood firing, earthenware potter Jason Shackleton. Jason introduced me to the techniques of slip trailing and sgraffito and the use of a flame burning kiln to fire them which have formed the basis of my work since then.

I make pots with a purpose, pots for use in the home. My work, thrown in red earthenware is decorated using coloured slips and a rich honey glaze. The decoration is applied to the surface of the pot whilst the slipped surface is still glistening wet. The very nature of this means that patterns applied need to be free and fluid to take full advantage of this state.

Firing in my wood kiln gives me a further connection to my pots that I feel I don't get from the electric kiln. I have been intrigued and drawn in by the process of wood firing since I helped with a couple whilst at university and then worked with one throughout my apprenticeship. After long thought and contemplation my wood kiln currently is a down draught kiln with a catenary arch fire box leading to a sprung arched chamber. The chamber is 27 cubic feet capacity, I wonder how long it'll be before I feel it is too small for me.

With red earthenware clays, slips and lead glazes I love the extra depth of colour and variation of tones that can be achieved with the flames. Being more involved with the pots and the whole process too is exciting and enthralling and a great big adventure for me.

In my spare time I am a committee member for the Scottish Potters Association and my job is editor of our newsletter. I really enjoy the putting together of this and collating all the information. It gets me a great view of what's going on in the pottery world in Scotland and further afield.

Over the last couple of years I have been writing articles for craft&design Magazine and for Ceramic Review. In April 2011 I was invited to spend a month in America on a tour of demonstrations at arts centres and pottery societies. Then in November 2011 I was invited along with 25 makers to represent Scotland at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show. 2012 will see my pots being exhibited at Tokyo Art Fair and in a British Slipware exhibition in Japan as well as me taking part in Potfest in the Park and Art in Clay at Hatfield House.