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Lisa Stevens-Artist Statement


Through many years of creating, I have experimented with many different media, both 2D and 3D. I have found it very difficult to focus on using one material, but after joining a ceramics evening class six years ago, I decided that clay would be my material.
I was already used to working in three dimensions as I have had a long standing career as one of the senior sculptors/model-makers at Aardman Animations,
working on projects such as “Chicken Run”, “Wallace and Gromit-Curse of the Wererabbit”, “Angry Kid” and “Creature Comforts”. After leaving Aardman to have my baby (now two and a half years old) I have found some (limited) time to develop my own style and techniques in ceramics.
The main body of my work, the sculptures and sculptural jewelry, are primarily influenced by the clay itself. I do not fight with the clay to make neat edges and smooth, even surfaces, preferring instead to leave the tool marks, the raw edges and the natural texture of the clay. The same applies to the glazes I use…I would like to experiment further, but so far I have found that I am most comfortable with matt stoneware glazes, that show different colours according to their thickness. I also have a penchant for silicon carbide, which when mixed with a glaze causes bubbling and blistering, and also iron oxide spangles…..a few thrown on causes lovely rust spotting, but add them on a little heavier, and the effect is a wonderful sparkly pewter. When possible, I also take part in Raku firings.
I also take reference form sea creatures, such as coral, jelly fish and of course, sea urchins. I love working with textures and a lot of my work is pierced. I do not smooth the piercing, but instead choose to keep the barnacle effect as the clay splits as the tool moves through it.
I am a hand-builder, mainly making pinch pots, of which I have an obsession to make as thin as possible. I also use plaster press moulds. These are mainly hemi-spherical and I then add texture and alter the forms from this base.
For the ceramic pendants, I also work in brighter, shiny earthenware glazes. Depending on the size of the piece, they are either simple designs, or elaborate patterns made with my own handmade clay stamps, and the impressions filled with multi-coloured glazes.