Background:

Chris Taylor grew up in South East London and in 1996 moved to Bristol to undertake a BA (hons) Degree in Ceramics.  After graduating in 1999 he embarked upon an apprenticeship at ‘Dartington Pottery’ in South Devon and after completing this went on to work for Colin Kellam in Totnes.

In 2003 Chris collaborated with another potter in the running of Hartland Pottery in North Devon until 2005 when he decided to start designing and producing his own range of work.  The work is produced on the wheel and fired to 1120 oC in an electric kiln.  White earthenware clay is used for the forms, which are then decorated with coloured clay slips.  A polished slip is applied to the backs of the open forms which creates a tactile satin finish in contrasted to the glossy lead free clear glaze.

Chris has always been drawn to ‘making’ and enjoys the interplay between form, texture and colour. Inspiration comes from both traditional ‘English Slipware’ as well as Japanese painting practices. These are bound together within the decoration resulting in fluid graphic marks which work to enhance the forms.

Workshops:

These can be tailored to client request or theme, and there are some examples below to give you ideas:

• Explore sgraffito techniques using tiles of clay to impress and print into the tile, then, using slips to paint and enhance the shapes and textures created students can add colour to their work
• Learn how the artist creates their work and watch them throw a pot and understand the glazes and processes involved from start to finish, then experiment to create your own pinch/slab/coil pot
• Working with 3D art forms in clay experiment and explore printmaking using recycled materials to add texture to your composition; adding layers to a relief form or learning 3D construction techniques
• Explore figurative art forms to create your own portrait in clay; learning the history of mask making techniques to give character and personality to your work