Toni Richards

I discovered at the age of 20, during my first encounter with clay, that pottery is good for the soul. After a long career in education, I came back to ceramics. Primarily I make things for myself. Things I enjoy looking at, touching and using. I love living with beautiful things that give me joy and contentment and I strive to make things that are visually attractive, that catch the eye, that people want to touch. I mainly work with a stoneware clay which has a high porcelain content, it is fine yet versatile. I throw some pieces and hand-build others, both techniques are highly satisfying, but the time-consuming part of the making process is decorating. I love to use coloured slips, to draw, paint and print on the surface of my pieces. Recently, because of my love of statement jewellery, I have been making necklaces and brooches which showcase the contrasting textures of silver and black grogged clay.