Mary has always been intrigued by shorelines. She lived on the Californian coast for many years and is now located on the West Cornish coast. She finds inspiration in the meeting point between land and sea, which is not fixed and is constantly in a state of ephemeral flux.
Mary’s garden studio, nestled next to the North Cliffs in West Cornwall, is more than just a workspace. It’s a sanctuary that infuses her ceramic artwork with the unique qualities of this coastal region. The rugged beauty of the cliffs, the ever-changing colours of the sea, and the gentle whispers of the wind all find their way into her creations, making each piece a testament to the enchantment of this place.
The Process.
Working with locally sourced clay from St. Agnes, Mary throws and turns the initial vessel base shape on a wheel. The piece is then dried to a specific state, cut into, and altered; at this point, thin clay ribbons and texture are added to create a sense of movement, which is evident in her work. It can take weeks for the pieces to be completed before more time is taken to thoroughly dry them before they are fired twice in an electric kiln.
Selected Group Exhibitions ‘Living Earth, The Poly, Falmouth, 2 – 6th September 2025 The Crypt Gallery, 5 – 11th July 2025 ‘Convergence’, The Poly, Falmouth, 27 – 31st May 2025 ‘Woodland Wonderland’, Trelissick Gallery, 3 May – 27 September 2025 The Old Lifeboat House, Porthleven, 26 April – 2nd May 2025 ‘Gathering’, The Crypt, St Ives November 2024 Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton November-December 2024 ‘Imagine,’ Falmouth, October 2024-January 2025 The Netloft, Porthleven September 2024 The Netloft, Porthleven July 2024 ‘Colours of Summer,’ The Poly, Falmouth July 2024 Aldeburgh Contemporary, Summer Exhibition, 17 – 31 August 2024 ‘Colours of Summer’, Falmouth, 9 – 13 July 2024 Samuel Lingwood Gallery, ‘Go Softly,’ May – July 2024 ‘Above and Below,’ CCA Summer Exhibition, April – Oct 2024 Yntra,n bysow gwiw, Penwith Gallery, 12 April – 13 May 2024 Form Falmouth, Cornwall, September 2023 Colours of Cornwall, Penwith Gallery, St Ives, August-September 2023 Penlea Galleries, Penzance, Winter 2019 Delamore Arts, Devon, Spring 2019 25 Southside, Plymouth, Autumn 2018 Obsidian Arts, Summer 2018 Delamore Arts, Devon, Spring 2018 Albany Gallery, Cardiff, 2017-18 Joie Devivre, Surrey 2017-18 A2 Gallery, Somerset 2017-18 Cotehele Gallery, Saltash 2017 Yvonne Arnaud Art, Guildford, 2017 Delamore Arts, Devon, Spring 2017 AppArt, Surrey 2017 H.Forman & Son Gallery, ‘The Sea, the sea’, January 2017 Delamore Arts, Devon Spring 201 VK gallery, Coastal Exhibition, Cambridge, May 2016 David Smith Contemporary Art, Coastal Elements, Summer 2015 Full List Available on request
Awards
March Heritage Crafts Trainer of the Year 2015 National Trust First Open Call 2015
Radio
BBC Cornwall, September 2014, 2017, 2018 & 2019 Coast Radio, August & November 2017 BBC Surrey 2014
Publications
The St Ives Times and Echo and Hayle Times, April 12, 2024 My Cornwall – August – September 2022 Drift Art Review – The Collection Companion of Cornwall Art 2022 St Ives Times & Echo, Sept 2019 Cornwall Today, Sept 2018 The Cornishman, Sept 2018 St Ives Times & Echo, Sept 2018 Cornwall Life, August 2018 St Ives Times & Echo, August 7th & 21st 2018 The Packet, August 2018 Times & Echo Hayle, Dec 2016 & Jan 2017 Ceramics Technical Magazine No 41, 2015 Coast Magazine, September 2015 The Cornishman, September 2015 St Ives Times & Echo, Sept 2015 Ceramic Review, Spring 2015 Cornwall Life, September 2014 Book Inclusion – Pit Firing: Ancient Techniques, Modern Methods by Dawn Whitehead, Schiffer Publishing PA Full list available on request
Education
Morley College, London – Surface Exploration, January 2014 Wimbledon College of Art – UAL, BA (Hons), 2007 Practice and Theory in Fine Art and Design Putney Art College, 2000/5, Ceramics course study Kingston University, Art Foundation Studies, 2000/1
Galleries & Affiliations
Cornwall Craft Association – Permanent Member
Penwith Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall – Permanent Member
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