Born in South Africa in 1948, I have been working in ceramics since 1970. I find it hard to remember when clay did not play a role in my life, even though I was in my early twenties when the bug first bit. I remember I had been making pots for about a year when I was offered my first exhibition at ‘Potters’, a local ceramics gallery. The exhibition, by all standards could best be called a moderate success, but it marked the beginning of my life in ceramics.

At that time everything available locally was earthenware and I was seduced by the Anglo-Oriental stoneware glazes which were more often that not, reduced. I was determined to achieve these results in my electric kiln. I had never made a glaze in my life. Not only did I have to develop my own glazes, but I simultaneously started exploring local reduction. I remember a ‘celadon’ type glaze I produced using coal ash that I used for a number of years. I also developed saturated iron glazes that worked well in combination with the ash glaze.

In the mid 70’s I recall seeing images of crystalline glazed pieces and I set out to produce these myself. I was determined to use only local materials and I remember I struggled for over a year before I achieved the first results with crystals that were visible to the naked eye. I clearly recall the elation and I went on to produce many crystal glazed pots which I exhibited not only in South Africa, both in Johannesburg and Cape Town, but I was privileged to be asked to hold an exhibition at the South African Embassy in Japan.

Next on my agenda was porcelain, and my aim was to produce a translucent body from the materials available locally.  This proved to be quite challenging and I worked for a number of years with a variety of bodies producing less than the desired results.

Early in 2000 I was employed at the TWR (now University of Johannesburg) and I enrolled for my B Tech Ceramic Design. It was during this period that my experimentation with bone china began, and I produced a body of extreme whiteness with excellent translucency. My early work in bone china was pierced and sandblasted. On completion of my B Tech, for which I gained a distinction in ceramic practice, I started exploring and using soluble salts.

This still occupies me today and it seems that after all the experimentation I am finally making  the work I want to be making. I find the soluble salts to be so different to the  oxides with which one usually colours ceramics, not only  their subtlety but also the way they gently permeate the surface of the work creating a watercolour effect. For this work I have garnered several accolades. Two of the most important of these being; in 2008 I won an award of merit at the Corobrick National Ceramics Biennale held in Johannesburg, South Africa, and I was honored to have a piece of work selected for the 5th World Ceramic Biennale, in Korea 2009

In 2010 I was accepted as a member of the International Academy of Ceramics, and was also honored as a Fellow of Ceramics Southern Africa

My commitment is to the pursuit of excellence in the work, and in this the importance of the journey exceeds that of the destination.