Jenny Charles

In the late sixties I studied at Goldsmith College, lived in Brixton and enjoyed all that city life offered. After marriage I moved to the New Forrest, Hampshire and started pottery evening classes which then led on to a Dip A.D ( Fine Art ) at Southampton.

Since 1989,  when I set up my own workshop , I  have exhibited  in Britain, France and Germany and selling  through Craft Council selected galleries.
I was chairman of Southern Ceramic Group for 4 years before going on to become membership secretary for another couple of year. I am still a member of the group.

Details of my work are on Southern Arts Slide index, The Arts Council Index of Makers and featured in Design in Hampshire and Craft Gallery Guide. I had a major commission from the CCA for three pieces for the Royal Caribbean Cruise Liner and HCC  bought several pieces  for the drama awards at the Edinburgh festival.

My work is usually started on the wheel with the rest of the pot being built up using coils of clay. Tall necks are then thrown and added.  The work is principally sculptural and often vessel based. Function is not intended as I like my work to produce an emotional response.

My signature glaze a  vibrant purple/blue and is very sympathetic to the marks I make on my work. My influences are my fascination with man's impact on the environment: ploughed fields, weathered building and also shadows and reflections.

My clay is  a Scarva white firing clay with additions of molicite. This give it strength and purity of colour. I make several pots and one time and refine them with various tools at the leather hard stage until  I am satisfied with the surface. I am very aware of the importance of form, attention to detail and the integrity of thought.

Recent work shows my love of folklore, fairy tales, poems and sad songs and the influence of living in the New Forest is beginning to be more obvious in some slab work in terracotta.