Gallery
Sadly all the shows have currently been cancelled due to Covid 19. However I am still here and open for business horray..... It has been a sharp learning curve but I have taken on the challenge of social media and now am active on instagram and facebook. I have also updated my website www.pennyvarleyceramics.co.uk and there is new work for you to see. If you see an item that you would like to purchase please contact me through the website, instagram or facebook and I will get back to you. I can arrange the payment and the safe collection or delivery of work to you. 'Where there's a will there is a way'. As an artist who likes to meet people it has been strange not to get ready for show, fill up the car and meet the public, however this is how it is at the moment. Thank you for your support and I hope you see something that takes your fancy.....
My ceramics are bold, contemporary, decorative and functional exhibiting a varied body of work. Shapes are organic and flowing and on occasions I encourages the clay to find its own form. Sizes vary, larger pieces are enhanced by the use of mixed media.
As a keen walker with my dog, I am inspired by the colour and textures I observe when walking along the Edgehill escarpment. The different angles of the woodland carpet and the changing light through the seasons are all stored in my memory for inclusion in my work. On return to my garden studio which looks up to the escarpment I use the treasures I have found to tell my story about my surroundings. Closer to home my log pile and garden have proved a valuable source of material, bark, twigs and seed heads have all added to my extensive collection of finds.
My aim is to use colour which is inspired by the changing flora and fauna, weather and landscape as seen from the garden studio window. Organic matt glazes of autumn colours contrast with the bold, vibrant hues of summer. Copper oxide is a favourite glaze with its unpredictability once fired in the kiln. The results can be dramatic, exciting and surprising.
I left a career in the Civil Service in 2005 to follow my passion for ceramics. My art reflects my love of gardening and I feel a connection between the garden and my work. I begin with a blank canvas in both instances and then develops ideas using the elements of water and fire to create the finished article.
My journey to work is now less than a minute (usually with a golden retriever in tow and a cup of tea in hand). Radio 4 plays in the background but there's no phone and no internet. “Organised chaos” is how I would describes my studio as I often have more than one project on the go at once. “'There is order but only I know what that order is!”
Thank you for taking the time to look at my work.