Nest Vessel 3

Ruth Elizabeth Jones

"A holding and containing space is implicit in my clay vessels, feminine forms often with wide hips and generous bellies. They are informed by world ceramics as far back as the neolithic; pottery made in matriarchal societies.

I work with a meditative focus and my intention is that some of this energy is retained in my work: hand-built and thrown pieces and curated collections for interior settings.

By a careful process of refining the interior and exterior surfaces I create movement through texture, and harmony of form. My smoke-firings produce unique surfaces, highly responsive to changes in light, where each facet reveals a new mood or atmosphere.

I have had an affinity with clay since childhood; from first touch I found my vocation. After studying 3D Design and then graduating in Studio Ceramics I established studios in Derby and then relocated to Scotland where I now work in rural Dumfriesshire."


Nests

Sitting on the shelf in the studio is a wasp’s nest, finely made with a series of papery thin layers, rescued from the garden by a neighbour, quietly entering my creative space and finding its expression in this series of works.

Two thrown semi-spheres are joined together to create a unified form which evoke a nurturing space or a holding/defensive space, walled like a seed pod or a nest protecting the potential inside it.

Strata-like bands created by throwing and turning are further accentuated by the careful layering and grading of sawdust and wood shavings during the smoke firing stage, creating variations in the surface tone.

12x12cm approx

22-10