THE POTTERS 2025

LIZA ALLEN

I have been potting on and off for over 35 years.  It is only in recent times since I moved to the Blue Mountains that I have been able to devote more time to my ceramic practice.  I live and work in Wentworth Falls.  I enjoy hand building and working on the wheel to make functional ware. My passion is making quirky bird sculptures.

ANTHONY BRINK

Anthony Brink has worked continually in ceramics for over forty years. Since the 1990’s he has worked independently as a studio potter producing work for sale, exhibition and commission. His workshop is now located in Blackheath in the Blue Mountains. The development and research into ceramic glaze making has formed a crucial part of his practice.

Anthony’s work reveals a critical preoccupation with form, often pared back to a point of abstraction, but always identifiable in its functional purpose.

Artist Statement:

Design is integral to the act of making, and is derived in an evolving process of discovery in shaping and reshaping. I have not made one-thousand bowls of a particular kind, but one, perhaps a thousand times.

I hope that the resultant distillation of form reveals something of the importance of design in the hand made object to a scale of our own ordinary human experience, visual, tactile and conceptual.

Website: anthonybrink.com.au

Instagram: anthony_brink

NICKY COONEY

Nicky Cooney is a ceramicist who lives between Blackheath and Castlecrag.  She produces her work at Open Studio, Northern Beaches TAFE which she attends two days a week.

Always keen to learn, after a career in Hotel Management, Human Resources and Interior Styling, Nicky discovered ceramics!    In 2022, she finished four years of studying at TAFE, culminating in the Advanced Diploma of Visual Arts/Ceramics.

She is interested in all aspects of ceramic practice and continually seeks to try different techniques of making, glazing, surface treatments and firing.

Her body of work currently includes wheel thrown bowls, both glazed and hand decorated with underglazes, hand built sculptural pieces in a variety of clays and fired unadorned or decorated in underglazes and scratched back (sgraffito) to expose the natural clay.  Always curious about people and how they interact, she also creates expressive abstract figurative sculptures.

She loves to bring joy to others and feels excited when other people enjoy what she makes.

Instagram page:                nsc_ceramics

DEBBIE DUNN 

I love living in the blue mountains. A constant source of inspiration for my pottery. Drawing on the beauty and nature all around to create my functional wares and more recently I’ve expanded into larger forms.

 I’ve honed my craft through the guidance of accomplished potters in the Blue Mountains. Enabling me to create pieces using a variety of techniques that include wheel thrown ~ top hating ~ coils and hand building. 

 What started as a hobby has quickly turned into a creative pursuit, leading me to experiment with different clays, glazes, and firing techniques. Creating earthy pieces that bring me warmth, purpose and connection to my community. I look forward to where this ancient craft will lead me. 

(@mudmagic.dunn)  

ROBIN GURR

Robin produces both sculptural and functional ceramics in her studio in Katoomba. At the end of 2015 she graduated from the TAFE Ceramics Diploma course, having taken classes on a part time basis for many years at the Willoughby Arts Centre. She mostly works in stoneware gas fired in reduction.

In early 2016 she spent a month in Japan at a tableware producing pottery near Seto. She is always delighted to see people using and enjoying her tableware in their everyday lives.

In her sculptural work she is inspired by the built environment and the human body, utilizing wheel thrown forms which are altered and combined. She is interested in the interplay of glazed and unglazed surfaces and in the integration of forms into a whole, whether a group or a single work.

KERRY FARTHING

For some years Kerrie has been fascinated with the endless variations of movement and colour that comes from working with coloured clay. This results in every piece being unique.

Using both wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques she works with fine white stoneware coloured with ceramic stains and oxides.
The wheel-thrown pieces have the characteristic symmetrical shape, where the hand-built pieces create a more organic form.
Kerrie’s aim is to create functional vessels that are also artful objects.
She works from a home studio in Jordan Springs. 

LYN HART

This year I am working with 2 types of clays, one is porcelain as it is ideal for shellac resist, and a very fine and beautiful clay, plus a very fine stoneware which is a robust clay for domestic ware. Pieces are either thrown, coiled, pinched or slab built adding to their uniqueness.

My aim is to reflect the environment that we live in using several types of decoration to achieve and create individual, exciting original pieces. To do this, the techniques I use include carving, slips, underglaze colour, shellac resist and glaze on glaze.

The birds will also feature this year with my new big birds a feature.

Each piece is made with love for people to enjoy and enhance their lifestyle.

CATHY HICKS

I work from my small home studio in Blackheath, Blackbird Ceramics. While not formally trained in ceramics, I have developed my practice through lessons and workshops with individual potters both locally and overseas, as well as short courses at TAFE NSW.

I work almost exclusively in the midfire range. There is now a wonderful array of clay bodies available in this range, and the textural and glazing possibilities are endless. I love wheel work for the rhythmic and centering experience it provides. I generally listen to audiobooks while I work, reminding me of the comforting childhood experience of being read to. This syncs with the comforting feeling I experience when eating from a handmade vessel – I do think nourishment is enhanced by the container.

Recently, I’ve done more handbuilding with slabs – my candlesticks are a new direction which I’m finding really satisfying.

LINDA KEMP

Working from my studio, Bellevue Ceramics, in Wentworth Falls, my journey with Clay began briefly in the early 1980’s while I was running an Art & Craft Gallery in Katoomba.

 A return to the corporate world followed in 1987, however retirement in 2017 opened the door to rediscovering my passion for ceramics.

Classes and workshops in Canberra and NSW helped refine both hand-building and wheel throwing. Days are now spent joyfully creating a signature range of delicate hand built ‘pods’ inspired by the rich textures of the Blue Mountains flora. The work includes both functional and decorative pieces, blending natures beauty with artistry

KOKI CRAFT

Koki Craft is a ceramic artist who recently moved from Sydney to the Blue Mountains, where the surrounding nature now inspires her work. Specializing in whimsical ceramic pieces—from figurines and vases to plates, bowls, and jewellery—her creations blend kawaii culture with natural beauty. 

 Koki’s artistic journey started with drawing and painting, evolving through mediums like polymer clay before embracing stoneware ceramics. Since founding Koki Craft in 2019, she has refined her craft, drawing inspiration from wildlife and beloved pets. All her creations are fully functional, combining artistry with everyday usability. Each handcrafted piece brings joy and a touch of wonder into daily life. 

RACHEAL LARKIN

I was a full-time potter and artist throughout the 1970s, ’80s, and early ’90s, having studied in Canberra. During that time, I established a workshop and gallery in Bungendore with my potter partner, worked as a designer and production potter on the Gold Coast, retailed across NSW, and exhibited regularly.

Later, I moved to Sydney, where I completed a Post Certificate at East Sydney Technical College, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Visual Arts at Sydney College of the Arts. I was also a member of the Inner City Clayworker’s Cooperative. 

Alongside my own practice, I taught at various TAFEs and spent eight years as a Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of the Ceramics Arts Workshop at Sydney University.

Then life took a creative detour—raising small humans, a long, busy, and deeply fulfilling hiatus. Now, I’ve returned to ceramics with renewed passion, a touch of bewilderment, and a shoshin mindset (beginner’s mind, with bonus experience).

I have established a studio in what was once an old 1940s pool on our property, backing onto bushland in the beautiful Blue Mountains. Here, I create tableware and vessel-oriented ceramic pieces designed for celebrating food and gathering around a shared table. I am relishing the process (most days) and have fallen madly back in love with this glorious, endlessly challenging, and wildly frustrating medium—clay.

 Racheal Larkin – Mudhouse Studio

SHANNON LEWIS

Shannon Lewis creates ceramic pieces based on traditional forms, refined to complement modern interior architecture and décor. Her work includes both sculptural and functional pieces. She uses surface decoration techniques to reference essential characteristics of natural landscapes, with a focus on the diverse tones and textures of earth and rock and the liminal space between the ocean and the shore.  

DENISE MCDONALD

DM Pottery

Denise McDonald has been making functional ceramics under the business name DM Pottery since 2009. She made her start in the craft of clay as a young girl who was consistently supplied with the material to keep her occupied. “I think the seeds were sown for this obsession back then. I also remember finding a clay deposit on a bush walk on a family holiday and making rather sloppy ashtrays for my (then smoker) parents.”

Since then, Denise has trained in potteries in England and Australia as well as completing a TAFE diploma and a design degree. She uses time honoured skills and new innovative techniques to make art for everyday living - functional ceramics. Denise works solo in her small Randwick studio.

Denise’s work is currently dominated by an interesting technique that she calls ‘slab throwing’ which involves bringing textured slabs of clay to the potters wheel. She favours a heritage 100 year old flannel flower pattern sourced from her Federation home window for texture, along with other designs of banksia and ferns. High quality glazes with depth and bold colour developed by Denise are another feature of her work.

SUSIE McMEEKIN

I have been potting for 46 years and living in the mountains for 40 of those years. My work is a fusion of West Country English and Chinese ceramics. I have a workshop and two kilns, one gas and one woodfire in Katoomba. I make all my own glazes from raw materials that I find and process. I like to make quiet simple pots and very much enjoy the unpredictability of the wood firing process.  

SHARRON MOUNTAIN

Maker of Ceramics that are bespoke, painterly and ephemeral
Sharron is a Blue Mountains maker and educator working in the area of ceramics and teaching workshops to those wishing to experience the artform. Her personal creations reflect the ephemeral painterly landscape on her functional ceramic wares. Sharron teaches ceramic workshops that are fun and informative. Bookings for social ceramics, workshops, date nights, special events parties can be made via the website or contact Sharron on her socials.

Sharron is also a founding member of the Blue Mountain Clay Collective -  a group connecting community to clay in the Blue Mountains. @bmclaycollective

@smountainceramics 

smountainceramics@gmail.com

https://www.smountainceramics.com

ELIZABETH ROSE

Elizabeth Rose is a Blue Mountains artist focused on expanding her practice through mentorship and studying global kiln techniques. Her work blends intuitive understanding of mineral compounds with the organic forms of undulating sandstone outcrops and ridges found in the local topography thus creating structured ceramic vessels that reflect the beauty of nature.

 Ceramics, for Elizabeth, captures memory and emotion, turning fleeting thoughts into lasting artifacts. Each piece reflects her personal journey, with textures, colours and forms evoking deeper connections between the artist and the viewer. Through this process, ceramics becomes a powerful medium for storytelling and self-expression.

PAULINE RYAN

I am a Sydney based artist who has been working with Raku and Stoneware ceramics for over 40 years.

I love to create quirky and whimsical animals and figures. My process involves using a raku kiln and glazes to add depth and character to each piece resulting in one-of-a-kind creations. My aim is to create pieces that bring joy and playfulness into people's lives.

VERONIQUE SELLIES

I have been working with clay since 1996, a journey that began with my studies at the ANU, Hornsby & Brookvale TAFE. Along the way, my work has been featured in the Australian Ceramics Magazine, and had the privilege of exhibiting both nationally and in France.

 I started teaching ceramics in 2016, sharing my love for the craft. Recently moved to the mountains and built my studio in Bullaburra, where I teach, as well as at the Blackheath Art Society.

 My creations include both wheel-thrown and hand-built pieces, with a particular passion for Saggar-fired work, laced with metalwork. My artistic journey has been influenced by my upbringing in the Middle East and in Africa. Moroccan pottery has always captivated me with the rich earthy colors, symbolic geometric patterns and the use of metal overlays on pottery.

  Website: https://earthlydesignstudio.com/

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063632515308

 Instagram: veronique.sellies

MARIA SHAW

Maria Shaw is a Ceramic Artist residing in Orange, NSW on Wiradjuri Land. Maria creates intricate sculptures using hand-building techniques to reflect aspects of nature in particular flora. Clay naturally embraces the textures crafted by her hands, to develop a depth to the poetic surface of the sculptures.

 Maria makes hand-built sculptures from a variety of clay including mid-fire and stoneware. Her artistic journey is a testament to her unwavering dedication to texture. Immersed in the world of ceramics, Maria's fascination with texture has become her defining trait. Drawing inspiration from the intricate patterns found in nature, she skilfully crafts pieces that invite tactile exploration.  Nature serves as Maria's muse, inspiring her exploration of form, textures, and colour. 

 Maria’s process is very playful and involves experimenting with a variety of tools. The tools range from kitchen equipment to imprinting with bark and other natural materials. Her work is also unglazed or merely under-glazed allowing for the clay’s matte texture to capture the audience’s attention. It is Maria’s showcase of texture that makes her stand out within the ceramic landscape. 

STEVE SHERIDAN

Steve’s studio is in Wentworth Falls, overlooking the Darwin Walk. His work reflects his traditional roots and is primarily made in porcelain clay. The bulk of the work showcases Celadon glazes, which stems from his enduring interest in Chinese ceramic history and an admiration for the beauty and simplicity seen in many of those older wares.

Steve’s celadon glazes are based around rocks prospected in Central West N.S.W. This traditional methodology using found materials is what enables him to strive for the highest possible quality in his glazes. He also features an Ash glaze using locally acquired ashes, currently a mix of wattle and willow.

LESLEY TARLINTON

Lesley lives in Wentworth Falls and works in her Glass Door studio.  She is a graduate from the National Art School (painting major) and has a Diploma in ceramics from East Sydney Technical College.

  “ The enduring company I enjoy though my life is art. My materials are demanding and delightful co-workers”.

NATALIE TOTTERDELL

As an emerging potter with five years of experience creating primarily functional work, my art is constantly evolving to reflect new ideas and inspiration. My art is principally a reflection of my connection with and experiences in nature. Growing up on the outskirts of the Blue Mountains, a large part of my childhood was spent bushwalking through dramatic forest landscapes. This fostered a love of the natural environment and birds particularly, which led me to studying Environmental Science at University.

 This passion and inherent appreciation of nature has resulted in me living in inspirational landscapes such as Uluru, Kakadu, Arnhem Land and more recently on the Far South Coast of NSW. These experiences continue to inspire me today and can be seen reflected in my designs. I started working with clay as a way of expressing my relationship with the natural world. Through experimentation of different forms, processes and techniques, I have attempted to nurture a deeper appreciation of the natural world and to portray that to others.

PETER WILSON

My interest in pottery started in high school through my art teacher who was a potter. It is a long road full of continuous learning to understand the natural world, its processes, its geology, materials, as well as refining the skills to make works on the wheel, then glazes, and firing. Each area offers infinite possibilities. Much of my knowledge comes through other potters, mentors and further study but mostly the continuous experimentation throughout my life.

I appreciate good craftsmanship and value the human qualities of handmade work. I’m seldom satisfied with my own pots and am always looking to improve them.