Enthusiasm and fortitude! The patience to acquire manual skills.

What do you particularly enjoy about throwing and painting pots?

The exercise of hard-won skills and the pursuit of beauty through 3D forms and 2D patterns.

What is the most difficult aspect of the work?

Keeping fresh.

What do you mainly use as a source of ideas for your work?

Everything! The thing is to cultivate a receptive mind and look, look, look at the world around you.

For how long do you normally work each day?

Eight hours in winter, 10–11 hours in summer.

What influences your choice of design for decoration?

My love of nature from which I try to find patterns which will enhance and amplify the pot’s form. Decoration is functional.

Do you draw out the design on paper before transferring it to pottery?

Not as a rule. I prefer to work spontaneously from dimly seen ideas. This makes it an exciting adventure and exploration.

Is it possible to paint on all types of clay?

Yes, using different techniques.

What type of paint do you use?

They are all metal oxides, being the only colourants which will survive the subsequent high temperatures.

Are some colours less reliable when painting pottery?

Yes. Cobalt-based blues are the easiest, reliable ones for beginners.

What size of brush do you use?

I use mostly chisel-shaped brushes from 1/8" [0.4cm] to 1.5" [3.8cm]. In the film I used a no. 4 round brush and a 5/8" [1.4cm] chisel-shaped brush.

How long would it take to complete the design we saw?

The painting would take about 8–10 minutes.