"I love living so close to the sea. A privilege to walk along the lovely beach at Pevensey Bay with my beachcombing partner - my pet dog Oscar. I am also a keen litter picker and fill my coat pockets with bits of washed up plastic and litter. I have helped organise a small group of beach cleaners and have become more and more concerned and conscious of the damage plastic is doing to bird and sea life. My home and in particular my garden has most definitely influenced my work. I have always been interested in gardening, nature and wildlife. Also, I am a great collector of mid-century textiles and domestic ware.
BARBARA BUTTERWORTH
My "ladies" as I call them developed over time. Moving to Pevensey gave me more time in the studio to work and develop ideas. My work previously was mainly simple dishes and brooches. I wanted to extend my work and produce vessels of some form. Working from old sketches I began drawing into plaster slabs and moulding figurative vessels. They were then glazed in a simple green blue raku glaze. This was ok but I felt I could explore the forms and surfaces further.
Again, going back to mid-century figurative artists I began producing clay models to make plaster moulds. These then became my vehicles to decorate. I found some old coloured slips that I had kept from many years ago (I never throw stuff away!) decorated the figures in workwear, aprons and patterns, drawing in details and facial features. I then explored the use of ceramic decals, birds, insects and flowers - these added additional details. The ladies have a nostalgic homely feel about them with a hint of humour too."
Barbara Butterworth