In fine line
Clare from CP Ceramics tells us how she combines her everyday job as an architect with her creative outlet.
Hello, who are you?
Hi! I’m Clare and I am the maker behind CP Ceramics. Originally from Glasgow, I moved to London five years ago just after I finished university.
Tell us about CP Ceramics. What do you make?
CP Ceramics makes functional and unique dinnerware and jewellery, using hand building techniques and bespoke drape forms. All pottery items are individually hand-painted with the use of colour, pattern and texture.
As an architect, how does your profession translate into your creative work?
I think my work as an architect translates through my linear shapes that I paint on my pieces and also in the simplicity of the shape and form of my dinnerware. I don’t always get to play with colour in my job (sometimes clients want very muted finishes), so I love that I get to use it all the time in my ceramics!
Can you tell us more about your creative journey and learning ceramics?
I have always been very creative and was always drawing or making something as a child – I used to design trainers, clothes and made everything from candles to cross-stitching. Although I didn’t really get back to ‘making’ again until around two-and-a-half years ago. I was having a bit of a tough time personally, had just started counselling and I really wanted an outlet where I could spend a few hours a week with a nice distraction and possibly learn a new skill. So I enrolled in a 12-week ceramics course and my love for ceramics stemmed from there. Looking back, I really love that such a positive thing transpired from a time where I was actually feeling a bit lost. I was not, and am not, a fan of the wheel (I accepted very quickly that this was not a skill I possessed!). I found my strength was in hand building ceramics and went from there.
Describe your creative style in three words.
Bold, colourful and fun.
What is your creative process? How long does it take to finish a ceramic piece?
Generally, I sketch most of my initial ideas in my trusty notebook so I can visualise how the colours and shapes might work together, although several of my rainbow pieces have been a happy accident! For most of my ceramic pieces, I use my own bespoke moulds and colours so they are unique. All of my work is hand painted, with around four to five coats of each colour applied to make them as bright as possible.
I usually make several pieces at once, bisque fire these (to make them permanent) and then I paint on all my glazes at this stage. I then apply a transparent glaze on top of this to make them food safe, and then fire these again, at which point all the lovely colours and shapes are revealed!
What is your favourite thing about pottery?
My favourite thing about pottery is that it has taught me to be more patient in life and I love that I can see a finished piece in around six to eight weeks, in comparison to my job as an architect which can often see me working on a project for around two years until completion. I also really like that I am able to bring in my ceramics to my workplace and have started work on a new project where we are going to be testing porcelain/stoneware as a facade option, which is very exciting!
London, United Kingdom
